The Toxic Laundry Detergent Powder ‘Prinso’ Is Gaining Notoriety Amongst Villagers For Deliberate Self- Poisoning In And Around The Matara District

Abstract

Introduction:  The washing powder ‘Prinso' consists of 2 sachets, one containing pink crystals and the other white granules which has become a popular agent amongst the youth for self poisoning. Objectives: To document clinical and biochemical features of ‘prinso' poisoning.  To analyze the chemical constituents of prinso.  Patients and methods: We present a series of 7 patients who were admitted to General hospital Matara following ‘Prinso' poisoning, from 01.06 2006 to 01.10.2007. We chemically analyzed the two sachets in faculty of science university of Ruhuna. Results: The male: female ratio was 3:4.Out of the 7 patients, 1 patient developed acute renal failure. Conclusion: The readily available household product ‘Prinso' has come to recognition in the array of poisons responsible for deliberate self poisoning among young with a preponderance among females ingesting it in the southern province of Sri Lanka.Keywords: poisoning; detergentCitation: Munasinghe MAAK, Fernando WKBKM. The Toxic Laundry Detergent Powder ‘Prinso’ Is Gaining Notoriety Amongst Villagers For Deliberate Self- Poisoning In And Around The Matara District. Sri Lanka Journal of Critical Care 2009;1:29-32DOI: 10.4038/sljcc.v1i1.940