Diethylene Glycol Poisoning – Past to Present
Abstract
Probably we all have heard many depressing stories already about deadly cough syrup adulterated with Diethylene Glycol (DEG). DEG is a very infamous and dangerous chemical used for mostly preparing pharmaceutical products and consumer products. DEG makes it an excellent counterfeit for pharmaceutical-grade glycerine or propylene glycol, it has a sweetish taste which makes DEG suitable for pharmaceutical preparations. it had been in news for a long back from The Massengill Incident to the recent Gambia tragic incident. The hallmark of DEG poisoning is Acute Renal Failure (ARF). Over the years, DEG has been loaded into all varieties of medicine such as cough syrup, fever medication, injectable drugs, etc. although the batch of the adulterated medicines was recalled after the alert by the time it was recalled it has already caused damage hence, it's not allowed to use in food and drugs by many Health authorities. WHO had warned on time to Health Authorities regarding DEG Mass poisoning. Despite so many tragic incidents and deaths in multiple countries, there is still a lack of regulation for using DEG for pharmaceutical preparations. The generation of scientific knowledge and strict regulation required worldwide to control mass poisoning so that medicines can benefit humankind greatly instead of harming them.
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