Home Critical Care FDA Warns of Hand Sanitizers Tainted With 1-Propanol

FDA Warns of Hand Sanitizers Tainted With 1-Propanol

Products say they contain ethanol or isopropyl alcohol but are contaminated with 1-propanol

THURSDAY, Aug. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to use hand sanitizers made by Harmonic Nature S de RL de MI in Mexico.

These products say they contain ethanol or isopropyl alcohol but are contaminated with 1-propanol, which is not approved for hand sanitizer sold in the United States and can be toxic and life-threatening if ingested. Young children who accidentally drink these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol substitute are those most at risk. Drinking 1-propanol can cause central nervous system depression that can be fatal.

Symptoms of 1-propanol exposure can include confusion, decreased consciousness, and slowed pulse and breathing. People with these symptoms should get immediate medical care. When skin or eyes are exposed to 1-propanol they can become irritated, and some cases of allergic skin reactions can occur.

Consumers who have these products should stop using them and throw them out in a hazardous waste container, the FDA said. Do not pour these products down the drain or flush them.

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