Need to check your symptoms?
Use our symptom checker to help determine what your symptoms are and to ensure you get the help you need.
Check your symptomsSwallowed Petrol or Diesel? Here’s What You Need to Know
January 4, 2020
Updated April 2023
If someone accidentally swallowed petrol, diesel (or a similar chemical like kerosene), the one thing you must not do is make them VOMIT immediately!!
Accidentally swallowed petrol or diesel? Don’t panic! Follow these steps to ensure your safety and health.
If one accidentally swallows a small (think mouthful) amount of petrol, it goes into the stomach where, with time, the effect wears out of your system with no serious harm.
Trying to get someone to vomit is useful if you suspect they have swallowed a poisonous substance.
However, by making a person vomit petrol, there is a high risk of the liquid passing into the lungs where more SEVERE damage can happen – with just a small amount of petrol.
Therefore, if an adult has swallowed a lot of petrol, take them to a medical centre immediately.
Above all, a medical assessment is COMPULSORY for children no matter how ‘little’ the quantity of petrol they may have swallowed.
Learn how to deal with some emergency conditions in children here.
Drinking petrol can cause several problems, including vomiting, stomach pain or dizziness.
Other quite severe symptoms include:
After ingesting petrol, you may find yourself belching petrol fumes all day or even longer.
However, as long as you do not get any in your lungs, the small amount of petrol you swallow may be safely excreted from your stomach.
A person who’s swallowed petrol may vomit naturally – help them lean forward or turn the head to the side to avoid choking and getting the petrol in the lungs.
Seek URGENT medical attention if large quantities have been swallowed.
Moreover, remember that complications are more likely to arise with delays in seeking treatment.
Now, learn what to do with other emergencies that could happen at home.
More Reading
Edited by AskAwayHealth Team
Disclaimer
All AskAwayHealth articles are written by practising Medical Practitioners on a wide range of healthcare conditions to provide evidence-based guidance and to help promote quality healthcare.
The advice in our material is not meant to replace the management of your specific condition by a qualified healthcare practitioner.
To discuss your condition, please contact a health practitioner or reach us directly.
Want to know how your comment data is processed? Learn more
Askawayhealth, 2023 Award Recipient
Our educational content meets the standards set by the NHS in their Standard for Creating Health Content guidance.
Askawayhealth aims to deliver reliable and evidence based women's health, family health and sexual health information in a way that is easily relatable and easy for everyone to access.
Utilize our complimentary symptom checker tool to gain more information about any uncertain symptoms you might have.
Robyn Ellerman
You didn’t explain what happens when petrol goes to lung after injesting, gasping for air. It must get into lung. This happened to my husband, he is now breathless and strong pain when he moves . What can be done?