Yes, gasoline is expensive. But so is medical care.

People hoping to save some money have been accidentally swallowing or aspirating gas while trying to siphon it out of their snow blowers. Calls to the Nebraska Regional Poison Center soon follow.

At least a dozen such calls have come so far this spring, said center spokeswoman Joan McVoy.

Gasoline that’s swallowed will irritate the gastrointestinal tract, said Dr. Claudia Barthold, the poison center’s associate medical director. The result: nausea, vomiting and/or stomach discomfort.

If the gasoline gets into the lungs, it can irritate them “tremendously,” Barthold said. It gives the person, “in a sense, a chemical pneumonia.”

The lungs won’t exchange oxygen the way they normally would, Barthold said, and the person could have difficulty breathing.

Most people don’t swallow or inhale enough gas to cause severe problems, Barthold said, but some could end up in the intensive care unit.

Swallowing antifreeze during a siphoning attempt is a much more serious threat. “Antifreeze, when it’s metabolized, makes several different, very toxic compounds,” Barthold said. Having those in one’s system could lead to kidney failure, a coma or death.

“A mouthful of pure antifreeze in an adult is potentially toxic,” she said.

Fortunately, people don’t ingest antifreeze very often.

“It’s not like we’re getting dozens of calls on this a day,” Barthold said. But the center occasionally does get calls about antifreeze exposure.

One easy way to avoid these problems is to buy a siphon pump. Dan Boland, the owner of Petersen & Michelsen Hardware near 24th and N Streets, sells some for as little as $3.99 — a little more than what a gallon of gas is selling for.

Boland says he usually just runs his snow blower until it’s out of gas. “Gas is expensive,” he said, “but it’s not worth making yourself sick.”

To contact the poison center, call 800-222-1222.

Contact the writer:

402-444-1109, bob.glissmann@owh.com

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