Poisonous cough syrup turns fatal for 26 children:Not just kidney failure, multi-organ damage found; brain also affected

At least 26 children have died so far after consuming poisonous cough syrup in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. The initial cause of death was reported as kidney failure, but the damage was far more widespread. The toxic chemical diethylene glycol in the syrup had gradually destroyed other organs — including the liver, lungs, and brain — leading to multi-organ failure in many cases. Post-mortem examinations have been conducted on only three children so far, but according to sources, the administration and health department are suppressing the reports. Several other children who consumed the same syrup remain under treatment at a Nagpur hospital. Poisonous syrup created acid in body To understand how a common cold-and-cough syrup turned fatal, Bhaskar spoke with toxicologist Dr. Vinod Dhingra from Gwalior Medical College. He explained that diethylene glycol, the chemical found in the syrup, is the same compound used in automobile coolants. He said, This substance is extremely harmful to the human body. Once ingested, it metabolises and produces toxic acids, leading to a condition known as metabolic acidosis. Dr. Dhingra cited an American medical journal, stating that this chemical first attacks the kidneys, causing them to fail. As the acid levels rise, fluid begins to accumulate in the lungs, making breathing difficult. He added, Eventually, it also damages the brain and the central nervous system, leading to irreversible organ failure. Many secrets would have been revealed Dr. Ashok Sharma, former Director of the Medico-Legal Institute of Madhya Pradesh, said that the administration made a serious error by not conducting post-mortems on all deceased children. He said, When multiple children died showing similar symptoms, post-mortem should have been made mandatory. According to Dr. Sharma, post-mortem analysis, including viscera collection and histopathology, could have revealed which organs were most affected by the toxin and the extent of internal damage. Drawing a comparison with the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, he said, It was only after histopathology reports in the Bhopal case that investigators discovered cyanide-like elements in the gas, which had caused extensive lung damage. Doctors’ say, ‘All organs had failed’ At Nagpur hospitals, where several affected children were referred, doctors initially suspected kidney failure. Senior pediatrician Dr. Rajesh Agrawal, who treated many of the children, recalled the grim situation. When the children came to us, we started dialysis, assuming it was renal failure. But their condition worsened rapidly. It became clear that it wasn’t limited to kidneys — the poison had affected the liver, lungs, and brain. He added that the most distressing part was that parents unknowingly continued to give the syrup as per the doctor’s prescription. When we reviewed multiple prescriptions and found that Coldrif syrup was common in all of them, we began to suspect that it was the source of the poisoning. First warning bell and administration’s silence The first red flag was raised by Dr. Pawan Nandurkar, a pediatrician at Chhindwara Medical College. ‘By the time the children reached our hospital, they were already critical. We referred them to Nagpur immediately for advanced treatment,’ he said. Dr. Nandurkar explained that the actual cause came to light only after a biopsy report arrived from Nagpur. He said, The report showed acute tubular injury, which indicates poisoning by an external toxic substance. That’s when we suspected the cough syrup. Despite this, officials delayed action. The local administration imposed a ban on the syrup 15 days after the first deaths were reported. By then, several other children had already consumed the same medicine. CMHO says, ‘Post-Mortem report not yet received’ Even weeks after the incident, there has been no official disclosure of the cause of deaths. Chhindwara Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Naresh Gonnade confirmed that the post-mortem reports have not yet been received. ‘The reports are awaited,’ he said. Meanwhile, families of the hospitalised children continue to wait anxiously, hoping for a miracle.