Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Helping someone who has swallowed a small amount of gasoline
• Part 2 of 2: Helping someone who has swallowed a lot of gasoline
• Warnings
• Tips

Sometimes people accidentally swallow some gasoline when trying to transfer gasoline from a gas tank. This is an unpleasant and sometimes scary experience, but with the right help, a visit to the hospital may not be necessary. However, swallowing larger amounts of gasoline can be very dangerous. An adult can already be poisoned by 30 ml of gasoline, and less than 15 ml of gasoline can kill a child. Be extremely careful when helping someone who has swallowed gasoline and let the victim never throwing up. If you are unsure or concerned, call 911 or the National Poisons Information Center immediately.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Helping someone who has swallowed a small amount of gasoline

1. Stay with the victim and help him to stay calm. Reassure the victim by telling him that people are swallowing small amounts of gasoline all the time, and that they are usually okay. Encourage the victim to take a calm, deep breath and relax.
2. Encourage the victim not to throw up. A small amount of gasoline cannot do much damage when it enters the stomach, but inhaling just a few drops of gasoline into the lungs can cause serious respiratory problems. Vomiting greatly increases the chance that the person will inhale the gasoline and that it will end up in their lungs. This should be avoided.
   • If the victim is throwing up on his own, help him lean forward to avoid inhaling the vomit. Make sure he rinses his mouth with water after vomiting. Also call 112 directly and the National Poisons Information Center.
3. Give the victim a glass of water or juice to drink after rinsing his mouth with water. Encourage him to drink slowly so he doesn't cough or choke. If victim is unconscious or unable to drink on their own, try no to administer fluids and call 112 immediately.
   • Do not give the victim milk unless instructed to do so by the National Poison Information Center. Milk ensures that the body absorbs petrol more quickly.
   • Also, don't let the victim drink carbonated drinks, as this can make him burp even worse.
   • Do not let the victim drink alcohol for at least 24 hours.
4. Call the National Poisons Information Center and explain the situation. The telephone number is 030 - 274 8888 and you can be reached day and night. If the victim experiences acute complaints, including coughing, difficulty breathing, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting or more severe symptoms, call 112 immediately.
5. Help the victim rinse all gasoline from his skin. The victim must take off all clothing that has come into contact with the gasoline. Set clothes aside and rinse affected skin areas with tap water for 2 to 3 minutes. Then wash the skin with a mild soap. Rinse the skin thoroughly and then dry the areas.
6. Make sure the victim does not smoke for at least 72 hours. Also, do not smoke near the victim yourself. Gasoline and gasoline vapors are highly flammable, and smoking can start fires. Cigarette smoke can also exacerbate the damage caused by the gasoline to the lungs of the victim.
7. Reassure the victim that it is normal to burp gas fumes. This can take as little as 24 hours, or even several days. Drinking extra fluids can help the victim feel better and get the gasoline out of his body more quickly.
   • If the victim starts to feel worse at any time, take him to the doctor for further examination.
8. Wash all gasoline-stained clothing. Garments stained with gasoline are a fire hazard. So you should let them air dry outside for at least 24 hours so that the fumes can evaporate before you wash the garments. Wash the garments separately from other clothes and use hot water. Adding ammonia or baking soda can help remove the gasoline from the fabric. Let the affected clothing air dry to see if the gasoline smell has disappeared. Wash the clothes again if necessary.
   • Do not put clothes that still smell like gasoline in the dryer. Your dryer could catch fire as a result.

Part 2 of 2: Helping someone who has swallowed a lot of gasoline

1. Take the gasoline away from the person in question. Your first priority is to make sure the victim doesn't swallow any more gasoline. If the victim is unconscious, proceed directly to Step 3.
2. Assume that a child who has swallowed any amount of gasoline is in danger. If you suspect that your child has swallowed gasoline, but you do not know how much gasoline is involved, treat this as an emergency and call 911 immediately.
3. Call 112. Explain the situation in as much detail as possible. If the victim is a child, make it clear that you need immediate help.
4. Keep a close eye on the victim. If the victim is conscious, reassure him that the ambulance is on its way. Do not encourage the victim to vomit. Have the person drink water if they seem able to and help them remove gasoline-stained clothing. Also rinse all gasoline from his skin.
   • If the victim is throwing up, help him lean forward or turn his head to the side to avoid inhaling or choking on the vomit.
5. If the victim stops breathing, coughing, or moving and doesn't respond to your voice, start CPR immediately. Turn the victim onto his back and start chest compressions. With each compression, squeeze the center of the victim's chest 5cm or 1/3 to 1/2. Now do 30 quick compressions in a row at a rate of about 100 per minute. Then tilt the victim's head back and keep his chin up. Squeeze the victim's nose and blow his mouth until you see his chest rise. Give the victim two breaths for 1 second, then give another series of chest compressions.
   • Repeat the cycle of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until the victim is breathing again or the ambulance arrives.
   • If you have a 911 dispatcher on the line, this person will give you directions while you resuscitate the victim.
   • The Red Cross now recommends resuscitation of a child in the same way as an adult. The only exception is that for a baby or small child you have to press the chest in 4 cm instead of 5 cm.

Warnings

• Encourage a person to swallow gasoline not to throw up. This can cause even more damage.
• Store gasoline always out of the reach of children in a well-closed packaging that clearly states the contents.
• Store gasoline never in a beverage container, such as an old water bottle.
• Drink never for any reason on purpose gasoline.
• Siphon no gasoline over with your mouth. Use a siphon pump or start by increasing the air pressure in the gas tank.

Tips

• You can perform these steps if the liquid in question is known as gasoline, petroleum or benzene.