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News India Live, Digital Desk: Toxic Chemicals in Medicine: Hey, you heard about a very sad news of Madhya Pradesh? A cuff syrup named Coldrif in Mandsaur killed an innocent child. Hearing this, the heart really shocks. Do you know that such incidents have happened earlier and they often have a dangerous chemical, named Diethylene Glycol (Diethylene Glycol or Deg)? How do they get into medicines and why it is so deadly, let’s talk a little about this.
What is this cold syrup dispute?
Actually, there has been a stir in Madhya Pradesh after the death of an eight -month -old child. It was learned that the child drank a cuff syrup named Coldrif. In the initial investigation, it found a poisonous chemical named Diethylene Glycol (DEG). This is the same chemical that has become the cause of the deaths of children in many countries before. Think, the medicine we give to our children to cure, it should become the enemy of their lives!
Diathylene Glycol (DEG) – Sweet poison that should not be in medicines
Diethylene glycol (DEG) is a colorless, odorless liquid whose taste is mild sweet. Its specialty is that it is a good solvent, meaning it dissolves many things easily. At the industrial level, it is used to make antifreeze, brake fluid, ink, and some plastic. But, the thing to note here is that it is not safe for humans to drink or use in medicines.
Then why does it come in medicines?
Often these chemical medicines are found accidentally or by deception. Typically, cough syrup or other liquid medicines contain glycerin or propylene glycol, which help to dissolve medicines and are safe. Unfortunately, some greedy or irresponsible people use cheap and poisonous dietalin glycol (DEG) instead of these safe options. Its price is very low, due to which the profit of the producer increases, but innocent people have to pay their lives.
Why is it so poisonous?
As soon as someone drinks a dietalin glycol drug, it attacks the liver, kidney and brain as soon as it goes into the chemical body. It mainly causes the most damage to the kidney and stops working. There are some symptoms of its poison:
- Fast abdominal pain
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Decrease
- Kidney failure (kidney failure)
- Change in mental state
- And eventually, death.
The special thing is that for both children and adults, its very small amounts can also be fatal.
This is not new!
Such incidents have not happened for the first time. Hundreds of deaths have occurred in many countries in the last few decades (America in 1985, Haiti in 1985, Haiti in 1996, Panama in 2006, and recently Gambia and Uzbekistan) due to contaminants from Diethylene Glycol. These incidents have raised big questions on drug quality control every time.
Such cases have already come in India and the Central Drug Standards Control Organization (CDSCO) continuously try to monitor it and take strict steps. But still such sad news shows that there are some flaws in the system, which are very important to remove so that no other innocent will sacrifice in future.
For the health of us and all your loved ones, it is very important that we be cautious while taking any medicine, buy only medicines of reliable brands and always check the expiry date. And yes, give any cuff syrup or medicine only by asking your doctor or pharmacist, especially for children. After all, there is nothing more valuable than the lives of children.