Gasoline poisoning

The poisonous ingredients in gasoline are chemicals called hydrocarbons, which are substances that contain only hydrogen and carbon. Examples are benzene (a liquid) and methane (a vapor).

These ingredients are found in gasoline and other hydrocarbon liquids, such as kerosene.

Note: This list may not be all-inclusive.

Accidental ingestion or inhalation of hydrocarbons during gasoline siphoning has occurred. Never siphon gasoline by mouth.

Gasoline poisoning can cause symptoms in various parts of the body:

AIRWAYS AND LUNGS

• Breathing difficulty
• Throat swelling

EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROAT

• Pain
• Vision loss

STOMACH AND INTESTINES

• Abdominal pain
• Bloody stools
• Burns of the esophagus (food pipe)
• Vomiting, possibly with blood

HEART AND BLOOD

• Collapse
• Low blood pressure that develops rapidly (shock)

NERVOUS SYSTEM

• Convulsions (seizures)
• Decreased alertness and responsiveness (coma)
• Depression
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Feeling of being drunk (euphoria)
• Headache
• Staggering
• Weakness

SKIN

• Burns
• Irritation

Get medical help right away. DO NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care provider.

If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.

If the chemical was swallowed, immediately give the person water or milk, unless instructed otherwise by poison control or a provider. DO NOT give water or milk if the person is unconscious (has a decreased level of alertness).

If the person breathed in the poison, immediately move them to fresh air.

Get the following information:

• Person's age, weight, and condition
• Time the gasoline was swallowed
• Amount swallowed

The local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also get online poison help now at Poisonhelp.org. Just enter the product, poison, or medicine to get expert help.

Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.

The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate.

Tests that may be done include:

• Blood and urine tests
• Bronchoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to see burns in the airways and lungs
• Chest x-ray
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Endoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to check for burns in the esophagus and stomach

Treatment may include:

• Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator).
• Fluids through a vein (by IV).
• Medicine to treat the effects of the poison and other symptoms.
• Surgery to remove burned skin (debridement).
• Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage). This is done only when the person gets medical care within 30 to 45 minutes of the poisoning, and a very large amount of the substance has been swallowed.
• Washing of the skin (irrigation), every few hours or for several days.

How well a person does depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment was received. The faster a person gets medical help, the better the chance for recovery.

Swallowing this type of poison can affect many parts of the body. Burns in the airway or gastrointestinal tract can lead to tissue death. Infection, shock, and death can follow, even several months after the poison has been swallowed. Scars may form in these tissues leading to long-term problems with breathing, swallowing and digestion.

If gasoline gets into the lungs (aspiration), serious and possibly permanent lung damage can occur.

The harsh taste of gasoline makes it unlikely that large quantities will be swallowed. However, several cases of poisoning have occurred in people trying to suck (siphon) gas from an automobile tank using their mouth and a garden hose. This practice is extremely dangerous and is not advised.

Meehan TJ. Care of the poisoned patient. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 135.

Nelson LS, Calello DP. Acute poisoning. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 96.

Theobald JL, Corcoran JN. Poisoning. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 94.

Wang GS, Buchanan JA. Hydrocarbons. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 147.

Updated by: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.