OVERVIEW

What is gasoline?

Gasoline is very familiar to everyone and is commonly encountered in daily life. It is essentially a mixture of hydrocarbons with various additives to improve its performance as a fuel. At room temperature, it is a colorless or pale yellow liquid, highly flammable, volatile, and has a distinct odor.

What is gasoline poisoning?

Gasoline poisoning occurs when gasoline, in liquid or gaseous form, enters the human body through different pathways such as the respiratory tract, digestive tract, or skin and mucous membranes, causing various forms of damage to different organs.

Most cases of gasoline poisoning are mild and resolve without special treatment. However, some severe cases may lead to serious consequences such as respiratory failure, cerebral edema, mental confusion, coma, or malignant arrhythmias.

Is gasoline poisoning common?

Gasoline poisoning is rare. Due to its highly noticeable and distinct odor, people naturally avoid it, and even small leaks are quickly detected. However, exceptions include individuals who are occupationally exposed to gasoline for long periods and, in very rare cases, those who intentionally ingest gasoline for suicidal purposes.

SYMPTOMS

What are the common symptoms of gasoline poisoning?

Gasoline primarily enters the body as vapor through the respiratory tract but can also be absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes or ingested accidentally into the digestive tract. Symptoms of gasoline poisoning vary depending on the affected area, exposure route, and dosage:

• Nervous system: Acute gasoline exposure can initially excite and then depress the central nervous system, leading to dizziness, nausea, headaches, blurred vision, and confusion. In cases of short-term, high-level exposure, seizures, loss of consciousness, coma, and even death have been reported. Chronic or excessive exposure may cause irritability, tremors, insomnia, memory loss, drowsiness, seizures, vision changes, hallucinations, and muscle degeneration.
• Respiratory system: Gasoline irritates the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Excessive inhalation of gasoline vapor can result in pneumonia, bronchitis, or pulmonary edema, manifesting as sore throat, coughing, wheezing, hemoptysis, and difficulty breathing.
• Cardiovascular system: Gasoline vapor increases myocardial sensitivity to circulating adrenaline, potentially triggering life-threatening ventricular fibrillation. Symptoms may include chest tightness, palpitations, or even sudden death.
• Others: Acute exposure may also cause tearing, mouth ulcers, skin redness, blisters, nausea, vomiting, and reduced urine output.

What severe consequences can gasoline poisoning cause?

As mentioned earlier, mild acute gasoline exposure usually does not lead to severe outcomes. However, high-dose acute exposure or chronic excessive exposure may result in serious complications, primarily affecting the respiratory, central nervous, and cardiovascular systems. These include chemical pneumonia, pulmonary edema, respiratory failure, delirium, coma, ventricular fibrillation, and even death.

CAUSES

Why does gasoline poisoning occur? What are the common routes of gasoline poisoning?

Exposure, inhalation, or accidental ingestion of gasoline or gasoline vapors for various reasons can lead to gasoline poisoning. Common routes include: inhalation of vapors through the respiratory tract, direct skin/mucous membrane absorption, or accidental ingestion into the digestive tract.

DIAGNOSIS

How is gasoline poisoning diagnosed?

The diagnosis of gasoline poisoning mainly relies on medical history. A clear history of gasoline exposure and typical related symptoms are sufficient for diagnosis.

What tests are needed to confirm gasoline poisoning?

Since gasoline is a mixture of hydrocarbons and often contains other additives, it cannot be directly detected in the blood. However, its components, such as hydrocarbons and sulfides, can be detected. Nevertheless, specific tests for these substances in the blood are not clinically meaningful for treatment, so doctors typically do not perform them.

When gasoline poisoning is suspected, the necessary tests depend on the patient's specific symptoms and signs. These may include a complete blood count, arterial blood gas analysis, electrolyte levels, liver and kidney function tests, urinalysis, as well as lung CT, cardiac ultrasound, urinary tract ultrasound, head CT, electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and others. The results of these tests help assess whether organs such as the nervous system, heart, kidneys, and lungs have been damaged and the severity of the damage.

TREATMENT

Which department should I go to for gasoline poisoning?

Acute gasoline poisoning usually requires emergency department treatment; for chronic gasoline poisoning with damage to corresponding organs, you may visit general surgery, neurology, dermatology, respiratory medicine, nephrology, etc. Severe cases may require ICU hospitalization.

Can gasoline poisoning heal on its own?

Acute, minor gasoline exposure generally does not cause serious consequences, and most cases can recover on their own.

However, prolonged or large-scale exposure may lead to a series of complications, causing damage to multiple organs such as the respiratory, nervous, and renal systems, requiring active medical treatment.

How is gasoline poisoning treated?

Like all poisoning treatments, the first step in managing gasoline poisoning is "decontamination":

• Remove contaminated clothing;
• Rinse exposed skin and hair with water for 2–3 minutes, then wash with mild soap;
• Flush exposed or irritated eyes with water or saline for 15 minutes, etc.

However, since gasoline is poorly absorbed by the stomach, do not induce vomiting, perform gastric lavage, or administer activated charcoal if ingested.

There is no specific antidote for gasoline poisoning, so treatment focuses on symptomatic and supportive care. For example:

• For asthma caused by inhaling gasoline vapors, use bronchodilators;
• For severe chemical pneumonia or respiratory failure, administer corticosteroids or provide intubation and mechanical ventilation;
• For seizures, administer antiepileptic drugs;
• For hypotension, provide fluid resuscitation;
• For ventricular fibrillation, administer defibrillation and antiarrhythmic drugs, etc.

Does gasoline poisoning require hospitalization?

Most patients with acute, minor gasoline exposure experience mild symptoms and can recover on their own without hospitalization.

However, patients with large short-term exposure or chronic long-term exposure leading to organ damage require hospitalization for further treatment. Special attention must be given to those with chemical pneumonia, kidney damage, or neurological involvement.

Can gasoline poisoning be completely cured?

Yes. Mild cases can resolve on their own, and most severe cases can fully recover with proper treatment.

However, a very small number of patients may lose their lives due to severe respiratory failure, central nervous system depression, malignant arrhythmias, etc.

DIET & LIFESTYLE

What should patients with gasoline poisoning pay attention to in their diet?

Patients with mild gasoline poisoning have no special dietary restrictions. A healthy diet is sufficient, and alcohol consumption should be minimized.

Does gasoline poisoning require follow-up? How should it be done?

Short-term, minimal exposure to gasoline usually does not cause sequelae, so follow-up may not be necessary.

For significant exposure, especially in cases involving organ damage, follow-up examinations are required after discharge. For example:

• Patients with eye exposure to gasoline should have their corneal damage rechecked within 24 hours.
• Patients who inhaled large amounts of gasoline vapors should undergo regular lung function tests.
• Gasoline's nephrotoxicity can persist for weeks, so kidney function should be monitored regularly until blood creatinine and urea nitrogen levels return to normal.

PREVENTION

Can gasoline poisoning be prevented? How to prevent it?

Yes.

For ordinary people, minimize direct contact with gasoline in daily life. If accidental exposure occurs, promptly follow the "decontamination" methods mentioned earlier to reduce subsequent effects.

For those who require long-term occupational exposure to gasoline, proper workplace protection is essential. For example, wear goggles, masks, and protective clothing when performing tasks involving gasoline contact to effectively prevent poisoning.