A 19-month-old boy was admitted to a private hospital in extremely critical condition after accidentally ingesting mosquito repellent liquid from a freshly opened refill bottle, with suspicion of getting into the lungs. According to the family, the child likely swallowed almost the entire contents of the bottle.
The child developed chemical pneumonia, aspiration pneumonia, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), shock, acute kidney injury, and multiorgan dysfunction. The child requires long-term care in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), advanced ventilation, inotropic support, and renal support.
Her oxygen levels remained dangerously low for a long time despite intensive support. At some point, surviving with a healthy recovery seemed very difficult. There was also a phase when the clinical picture raised serious concerns about the possibility of irreversible lung damage or fibrotic changes in the lung.
Under the supervision of Dr. Dhiren Gupta, along with the PICU team that includes Dr. Suresh Gupta, Dr. Anil Sachdeva, and Dr. Neeraj Gupta, multidisciplinary intensive care and advanced rescue strategies are used to support the lungs and circulation. Innovative supportive measures, including nebulized iloprost for oxygen support, were used as part of the treatment plan. Gradually, the child began to improve.
“This child came to us in extremely critical condition after accidentally swallowing and aspirating mosquito repellent liquid from a freshly opened refill bottle. At one point, staying alive seemed very difficult. Oxygen levels remained very low for a long time, and there was concern that irreversible lung damage was possible. With continued care in the pediatric intensive care unit, advanced ventilation, rescue treatments including nebulized iloprost, and the trust of the family, the child has made a remarkable recovery and is now physically healthy.” “Nervousness.” Gupta shared.
The most remarkable part of this recovery is that despite having extreme difficulty with oxygen for a long time, the child recovered neurologically intact and was discharged from the hospital in stable condition. This outcome reflects the ongoing efforts of the PICU team, specialized support, personalized nursing care, and the strong trust of the family during a time when hope was so fragile.
According to the family, this frightening accident happened within moments. The child reportedly pulled out a chair, reached into the mosquito repellent adapter, and tampered with the refill unit. The family also noticed that the electrode/metal attached to the unit seemed unusually loose and could come out when handling such a small child.
Therefore, mosquito repellent refills and adapters should be carefully inspected before use. The refill cap must be securely secured, the electrical/metal connection must not be loose, and no refill or device with leaks, loose parts, broken fittings or abnormal movement must be used. Such concerns should be reported to the manufacturer and appropriate authorities for review.
This message is not to create panic, but to create awareness. Household insecticides and mosquito repellent products can be dangerous to young children and should be kept closed, unplugged when not needed and completely out of children’s reach.
