Clinical and radiological changes in acute hydrocarbon exposure in children

Acute chemical poisoning is an important cause of morbidity and mortality for the pediatric population, with hydrocarbon exposure accounting for a significant share. The route of exposure but especially the type of hydrocarbons are responsible for the effect that these substances exert on the body and implicitly the clinical picture and an understanding of them is used in the care of the patient exposed to hydrocarbons. Objectives. Outlining the clinical and radiological profile of accidental acute hydrocarbon poisoning in children. Material and method. Medical documents of patients hospitalized in the Pediatric Antitoxic Center with a diagnosis of acute hydrocarbon intoxication over a period of 2 years were retrospectively analyzed, taking into consideration demographic characteristics, type of hydrocarbons, clinical manifestations and radiological changes. Results. 25 cases of acute hydrocarbon poisoning were identified in children. Exposure was only accidental by ingestion, with males and the 1-5 age group occupying the largest share. The main clinical manifestations were respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous system and radiological changes were associated in only 20% of cases. Conclusions. Acute hydrocarbon poisoning in children are frequently asymptomatic or causes mild symptoms, dominated by gastrointestinal, respiratory and neurological manifestations. Pulmonary radiography is mandatory in paraclinical diagnoses but there is no correlation between the severity of the clinical picture and the radiological aspects. There may be situations in which symptomatic patients do not have radiological changes or situations with pathological radiological aspects in asymptomatic patients.