In a press release, the Uzbekistan ministry mentioned laboratory assessments of the preparation discovered presence of the contaminant ethylene glycol. It mentioned the medication was consumed with out prescription and in the next dose by the kids affected.

According to the assertion, preliminary laboratory research point out the presence of ethylene glycol in a specific batch of the syrup. The assertion mentioned the substance is poisonous and consuming 1-2ml/kg of 95% concentrated resolution may cause vomiting, fainting, convulsions, cardiovascular issues and acute kidney failure.
The contaminant ethylene glycol – together with di-ethylene glycol – is similar because the one present in 4 India-manufactured syrups which have been linked to the deaths of 70 youngsters in The Gambia earlier this yr.

The World Health Organisation informed The Indian Express: “WHO is in contact with health authorities in Uzbekistan and is ready to assist in further investigations.”

Marion Biotech, the manufacturing firm, and the Union Health Ministry didn’t reply to queries from The Indian Express.

With paracetamol being one of many energetic components in Doc-1 Max, the Uzbekistan ministry assertion mentioned it was incorrectly utilized by mother and father as an anti-cold treatment on the advice of native pharmacies.

It mentioned the kids had taken the medication for two to 7 days, in doses of two.5 to five ml, three to 4 instances a day, earlier than hospital admission, which exceeded the usual dose for kids.

The assertion mentioned that at a physique temperature of 38 to 38.5 levels Celsius, 100 to 125 mg needs to be given to a baby underneath the age of 1 yr, 200 mg for kids between 1 and three years, and 250 mg for kids between 3 and 5 years. The drugs shouldn’t be taken with regular physique temperature, it said.

A letter dated December 15 from the Samarkand Regional Children’s Multidisciplinary Medical Center to Davronbek Zhumaniyozov, head of the Regional Health Department, quoted in regional information reviews, claimed that 21 circumstances of kidney harm and failure in youngsters had been reported over two months. Anuria, the lack to supply urine, was noticed and 17 with extreme illness needed to endure dialysis, of whom 15 died.

Following this, tablets and syrups of Doc-1 Max had been withdrawn from sale. The ministry, in its assertion, requested mother and father to stay cautious. It mentioned seven workers had been dismissed as a result of they did not analyse youngster mortality and take crucial measures.

The Uzbekistan incident is much like the deaths of 70 youngsters in The Gambia after allegedly consuming India-manufactured syrups contaminated with ethylene glycol and di-ethylene glycol.

Last week, The Indian Express reported {that a} choose committee of the Gambian National Assembly had concluded that the deaths of 70 children because of acute kidney damage had been linked to their consumption of four contaminated syrups made by Indian pharma firm Maiden Pharmaceuticals. The committee, in its report, beneficial that Maiden be blacklisted, its merchandise banned within the Gambian market and authorized motion be pursued in opposition to the corporate.

Between June and November this yr, 82 youngsters had been confirmed to have suffered acute kidney damage in The Gambia. Of them, 70 died.

Maiden has denied the allegations. Its manufacturing unit in Sonepat was shut down by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation for alleged irregularities in processes. But India maintains that enough scientific particulars to ascertain causality between the deaths and the consumption of drugs hasn’t been shared by the nation or the WHO that raised an alert in October linking the deaths to Maiden’s 4 syrups.