Vomiting is the most common symptom reported, and it does not necessarily warrant a trip to the ED. While “The Tide Pod Challenge” is making headlines for teens, exposure is mostly seen in children < 5years old.Īlmost 1/4th of pod exposures were related to inappropriate storage therefore, prevention starts with educating families on keeping harmful substances stored safely high and out of sight. The Tennessee Poison Center refers in all children who present on initial call with persistent cough, difficulty breathing, or lethargy / CNS depression post laundry pod ingestion. The literature shows that patients with altered mental status and respiratory symptoms often required intubation.īut that’s not ALL (pun intended), ophthalmic exposure can lead to corneal abrasions where as, dermal injuries from prolonged exposure to the skin causing second degree and even third degree burns have been reported even after the family has “washed off” the detergent. CNS depression has also been seen with the exact mechanism being unknown yet it has been seen in up to 8% of cases. Just because it has Downy does not mean it is a downer. This scenario has resulted in many children requiring intubation and ventilation, and has even resulted in death in many children across the country. Laundry detergent is also a surfactant once aspirated, it coats the lungs, not only preventing oxygen exchange, but potentially causing chemical burns to the lung tissue. This frightens them, and causes aspiration of the soap to occur. More commonly, due to the pressure within the laundry pod, saliva weakens the membrane and when a drooly toddler bites down with their gummy bite, laundry soap shoots into the back of their throat. The casing itself can also be aspirated occluding the airway and although the covering is water soluble, it takes time for the body’s secretions to dissolve the casing completely.

Aspiration can occur a few ways, the pod can become lodged into the posterior pharynx placing it under pressure, the water-soluble casing then dissolves, and the contents gush into the airway causing aspiration. Respiratory distress with hypoxia can occur with aspiration of the detergent or with a foreign body occluding the airway. Your GI physicians can rest easy with the risk of esophageal stricture being very unlikely and routine evaluation with endoscopy is not currently recommended unless clinically indicated. Most children and teens do well and do not require further treatment other than thoroughly rinsing that mountain spring odor out of their mouth, oral liquid trial, and observation at home for worsening or new symptoms. Ingestion is the most common route with symptoms of upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, coughing, choking, wheezing, and mucosal irritation. The basic composition of laundry detergent includes: anionic surfactants, alkaline builders, non-ionic surfactants, polymer, and propylene glycol encased under pressure in a water-soluble membrane covering that dissolves with liquid contact. Ingredients are often more concentrated in the laundry pod form than the liquid detergent form. No, these young adults are not doing their laundry teens across the country have been uploading videos of themselves ingesting a laundry detergent pod in order to gain views on their social media page. Now that 2018 is here, a new social media phenomenon called the “Tide Pod Challenge” is causing an increase in cases in adolescents. Approximately one fourth of cases were related to storing the pods inappropriately. Laundry detergent pods have a higher probability of complications than liquid detergent exposures.

In 2017, poison centers reported 10,570 laundry pod exposures involving children less than 5yr old. The Devil’s Gusher AKA Tide Pod Challenge Unfortunately, bad things can happen to either group. There are two age groups that are exposed-the toddlers and the teenagers. We have had many requests for information about tide pods.

Tidepod