SAHPRA recalls toxic Benylin cough syrup 

A cough syrup, Benylin, reportedly manufactured in South Africa, contained an unacceptable level of a potentially lethal poisonous chemical.

AUTHORITIES HAS RECALLED A BATCH OF BENYLIN PEDIATRIC COUGH SYRUP

According to reports, Nigeria’s and Kenya’s healthcare agencies have recalled a batch of Benylin paediatric cough syrup from the shelves.

This chemical may lead to illness and death in children.

According to a notice posted on Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) website, the medicine is used to treat cough and congestion symptoms and allergic reactions in children aged two to 12.

IT CONTAINED AN UNACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF A POTENTIALLY LETHAL POISONOUS CHEMICAL

“Laboratory analysis conducted on the product showed that it contained an unacceptably high level of diethylene glycol and was found to cause acute oral toxicity in laboratory animals,”the organization said.

Since 2022, scores of children in Cameroon, Gambia, and Uzbekistan have reportedly died due to this chemical, marking one of the world’s worst epidemics of oral medicine poisoning.

The Nigerian health authority added that human intake of the chemical could produce symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, and acute kidney injury, which could lead to death.

THE HUMAN INTAKE COULD PRODUCE SYMPTOMS AS ABDOMINAL PAIN, VOMITING AND DIARRHOE

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a term for when the kidneys suddenly cannot filter waste products from the blood. 

This can happen within a few hours or a few days. For most people, AKI develops within 48 hours, but it can take as long as 7 days.

The signs and symptoms of AKI can differ depending on many factors like the cause, severity, and other health conditions. 

HERE ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF AKUTE KIDNEY INJURY

If symptoms do happen, they may include one or more of the following:

• Making less urine (pee) than usual or no urine
• Swelling in legs, ankles, and/or feet
• Fatigue or tiredness
• Shortness of breath (trouble breathing)
• Confusion or mood changes
• High blood pressure
• Decreased appetite (low desire to eat)
• Nausea
• Flank pain (pain on the side of your back – between your ribs and hips)
• Chest pain or pressure
• Seizures or coma (in severe cases)

In some cases, your healthcare professional discovers AKI through other tests, even when it doesn’t cause symptoms.

Meanwhile, a sterile lubricating gel Lubri A was RECALLED last year by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).