Unintentional Topical Lindane Ingestions – United States, 1998–2003

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Personal Author:
  Alonso-Katzowitz, J. S. ; Becker, A. ; Blondell, J. ; Calvert, Geoffrey M. ; Holquist, C. A. ; Kim-Jung, L. Y ; Lackovic, Michelle ; Lew, D. H. ; Morrissey, B. ; Petersen, A. M. ; Pitts, M. R. ; Sievert, Jennifer
• Description:
  Lindane is an organochlorine pesticide found in certain prescription-only shampoos and topical lotions used to treat pediculosis (i.e., lice infestation) and scabies; lindane has been associated with human neurologic toxicity. In 2004, CDC was alerted to cases of illness caused by unintentional ingestion of lindane by persons mistaking the product for a liquid oral medication (e.g., cough syrup). To assess the extent of illness from ingestion of lindane, CDC, with assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and state health departments, collected case reports and analyzed data from the Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks-Pesticides (SENSOR-Pesticides) program and the Toxic Exposure Surveillance System (TESS). This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which identified 870 cases of unintentional lindane ingestion during 1998--2003, and describes two examples of lindane ingestions. To reduce the risk of lindane ingestion, public health authorities should alert clinicians to the hazards of lindane and the importance of following FDA usage guidelines, which include dispensing lindane in manufacturer-produced, 1- or 2-ounce single-use containers. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Chlorine Compounds Emergency Responders Environmental Monitoring Hazardous Substances Insecticides Nervous System Occupational Health Poisoning Safety
• Keywords:
  Emergency-treatment Exposure-assessment Lotions Neurotoxicity Organo-chlorine-compounds Pesticides Poison-control Surveillance-programs Toxic-effects
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Publisher:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  4 pdf pages
• Volume:
  54
• Issue:
  21
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20027467
• Citation:
  MMWR 2005 Jun; 54(21):533-535
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lindane (CAS RN 58-89-9) ; Malathion (CAS RN 121-75-5) ; Permethrin (CAS RN 52645-53-1) ; Pyrethrin II (CAS RN 121-29-9)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2005
• Performing Organization:
  Texas Department of State Health Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20020930
• End Date:
  20060929
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:22edb1c4aab13c84656c7960cfd030746d182d7119c121d70b3bc972a23e356d8bb40bb8e7d5f154c389a451b11e049c4235ffcd630a7c6f1b54ee9f12e77f4b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/183317/cdc_183317_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 123.85 KB ]