How Cough Syrups Can Trigger Deaths, Other Health Risks?

• WHO said that diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans, and can lead to death if consumed.
• Symptoms of the toxic effects can cause are abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury – possible death.
• According to a report published in Science Direct Diethylene and ethylene glycols are both metabolized by alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases to produce toxic metabolites.
• Both glycols produce coma, seizures, metabolic acidosis and renal failure, though by different mechanisms.

An initial enquiry has found that these drugs—Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syru were not sold in India and were meant for export. The government has also said that the samples of the four syrups have been sent for testing and action will be initiated after the test results.

On the other hand, a door-to-door campaign has been launched in the Gambia to collect the cough and cold syrups blamed for the deaths of kids.  More than 16,000 products have been located so far and have been taken away for destruction.