BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuFuel oil poisoningFuel oil poisoning occurs when someone swallows, breathes in (inhales), or touches fuel oil.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Substances called hydrocarbons are the harmful ingredients in fuel oil. Where Found Hydrocarbons are found in:Fuel oil Kerosene GasolineThere may be other sources of fuel oil or other chemicals contained in the fuel oil. Symptoms Below are symptoms of fuel oil poisoning in different parts of the body.EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROATLoss of vision Pain in the throat Pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongueSTOMACH AND INTESTINESAbdominal pain Abdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Blood in the stool Blood in the stoolBlack or tarry stools with a foul smell are a sign of a problem in the upper digestive tract. It most often indicates that there is bleeding in the ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Diarrhea DiarrheaDiarrhea is when you pass loose or watery stool.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Nausea Vomiting (may contain blood)HEART AND BLOODCollapse Low blood pressure that develops rapidlyLow blood pressureLow blood pressure occurs when blood pressure is much lower than normal. This means the heart, brain, and other parts of the body may not get enough...Read Article Now Book Mark Article LUNGSBreathing difficulty (from breathing the fumes) Breathing difficultyBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article Throat swelling (which may also cause breathing difficulty)NERVOUS SYSTEMDepression DepressionDepression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Difficulty concentrating Dizziness Drowsiness Feeling of being drunk (euphoria) Headaches HeadachesA headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are rare. Most people with headaches can feel much better...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Lightheadedness Loss of alertness (unconsciousness) Seizures (convulsions) SeizuresA seizure is the physical changes in behavior that occurs during an episode of specific types of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Staggering WeaknessSKINBlisters Burn Irritation Peeling of the skin Home Care Get medical help right away. Do not make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to.If the fuel oil is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.If the person swallowed the fuel oil, give them water or milk right away, unless poison control or a provider tells you not to. Do not give anything to drink if the person has symptoms that make it hard to swallow. These include vomiting, seizures, or a decreased level of alertness.If the person breathed in fumes, move them to fresh air right away. Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready:Person's age, weight, and condition Name of the product, if known Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.Vital signsVital signs reflect essential body functions, including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. Your health care provider m...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tests that may be done include:Blood and urine tests Bronchoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to look for burns in the airways and lungs BronchoscopyBronchoscopy is a test to view the airways and diagnose lung disease. It may also be used during the treatment of some lung conditions.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Electrocardiogram (ECG) ElectrocardiogramAn electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Endoscopy -- camera down the throat to look for burns in the esophagus and the stomachEndoscopyEndoscopy is a way of looking inside the body using a flexible tube that has a small camera and light on the end of it. This instrument is called an...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment may include:Fluids through a vein (by IV) Medicine to treat symptoms Washing of the skin (irrigation), perhaps every few hours for several days Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage) Gastric lavageGastric suction is a procedure to empty the contents of your stomach.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator)Breathing machineA ventilator is a machine that breathes for you or helps you breathe. It is also called a breathing machine or respirator. The ventilator: Is attac...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much fuel oil was swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery.Swallowing such poisons can have severe effects on many parts of the body. Burns in the airway or gastrointestinal tract can lead to tissue necrosis, resulting in infection, shock, and death, even several months after the substance is first swallowed. Scars may form in these tissues leading to long-term difficulties with breathing, swallowing, and digestion.If fuel oil gets into the lungs (aspiration), serious and possibly permanent lung damage can occur.Open ReferencesReferencesAronson JK. Organic solvents. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:385-389.Wang GS, Buchanan JA. Hydrocarbons. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 147.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information Review Date: 11/2/2023 Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Fuel oil poisoningFuel oil poisoning occurs when someone swallows, breathes in (inhales), or touches fuel oil.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Substances called hydrocarbons are the harmful ingredients in fuel oil. Where Found Hydrocarbons are found in:Fuel oil Kerosene GasolineThere may be other sources of fuel oil or other chemicals contained in the fuel oil. Symptoms Below are symptoms of fuel oil poisoning in different parts of the body.EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROATLoss of vision Pain in the throat Pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongueSTOMACH AND INTESTINESAbdominal pain Abdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Blood in the stool Blood in the stoolBlack or tarry stools with a foul smell are a sign of a problem in the upper digestive tract. It most often indicates that there is bleeding in the ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Diarrhea DiarrheaDiarrhea is when you pass loose or watery stool.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Nausea Vomiting (may contain blood)HEART AND BLOODCollapse Low blood pressure that develops rapidlyLow blood pressureLow blood pressure occurs when blood pressure is much lower than normal. This means the heart, brain, and other parts of the body may not get enough...Read Article Now Book Mark Article LUNGSBreathing difficulty (from breathing the fumes) Breathing difficultyBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article Throat swelling (which may also cause breathing difficulty)NERVOUS SYSTEMDepression DepressionDepression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Difficulty concentrating Dizziness Drowsiness Feeling of being drunk (euphoria) Headaches HeadachesA headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are rare. Most people with headaches can feel much better...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Lightheadedness Loss of alertness (unconsciousness) Seizures (convulsions) SeizuresA seizure is the physical changes in behavior that occurs during an episode of specific types of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Staggering WeaknessSKINBlisters Burn Irritation Peeling of the skin Home Care Get medical help right away. Do not make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to.If the fuel oil is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.If the person swallowed the fuel oil, give them water or milk right away, unless poison control or a provider tells you not to. Do not give anything to drink if the person has symptoms that make it hard to swallow. These include vomiting, seizures, or a decreased level of alertness.If the person breathed in fumes, move them to fresh air right away. Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready:Person's age, weight, and condition Name of the product, if known Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.Vital signsVital signs reflect essential body functions, including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. Your health care provider m...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tests that may be done include:Blood and urine tests Bronchoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to look for burns in the airways and lungs BronchoscopyBronchoscopy is a test to view the airways and diagnose lung disease. It may also be used during the treatment of some lung conditions.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Electrocardiogram (ECG) ElectrocardiogramAn electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Endoscopy -- camera down the throat to look for burns in the esophagus and the stomachEndoscopyEndoscopy is a way of looking inside the body using a flexible tube that has a small camera and light on the end of it. This instrument is called an...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment may include:Fluids through a vein (by IV) Medicine to treat symptoms Washing of the skin (irrigation), perhaps every few hours for several days Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage) Gastric lavageGastric suction is a procedure to empty the contents of your stomach.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator)Breathing machineA ventilator is a machine that breathes for you or helps you breathe. It is also called a breathing machine or respirator. The ventilator: Is attac...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much fuel oil was swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery.Swallowing such poisons can have severe effects on many parts of the body. Burns in the airway or gastrointestinal tract can lead to tissue necrosis, resulting in infection, shock, and death, even several months after the substance is first swallowed. Scars may form in these tissues leading to long-term difficulties with breathing, swallowing, and digestion.If fuel oil gets into the lungs (aspiration), serious and possibly permanent lung damage can occur.Open ReferencesReferencesAronson JK. Organic solvents. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:385-389.Wang GS, Buchanan JA. Hydrocarbons. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 147.