A family checking out products at a fireworks retail store in Dinglasan Compound, Barangay Turo, Bocaue, Bulacan. (Photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — A 4-year-old boy who accidentally swallowed a “watusi,” a legal firecracker that could be easily mistaken for a candy due to its packaging, was among the latest 13 cases of injuries attributed to pyrotechnic devices.
Based on the latest monitoring of the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday, the case of the young boy from the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) region was the first confirmed case of firecracker ingestion this holiday season.
Treatment takes time
“As of the latest update from the receiving hospital, the family cannot be reached. The DOH appeals to the parents and family of the patient to please return to the hospital for proper medical attention,” the DOH said in a statement.
Health Assistant Secretary and DOH deputy spokesperson Albert Domingo stressed the urgency of seeking further medical care in such cases.
“Treatment of poisoning takes time, depending on the causative agent and the situation of the patient,” Domingo explained.
Symptoms of watusi poisoning “may manifest in the next few hours and persist for a few days” after ingestion, he added.
Watusi, which contains yellow phosphorus, potassium chlorate, potassium nitrate, and trinitrotoluene, is often confused with candy because of its size and color, the DOH noted.
READ: Demand weak despite cheaper fireworks, firecrackers
READ: Groups warn public: Firecrackers traumatize pets, bad for environment
READ: Ditch toxic fireworks and firecrackers, prioritize health — EcoWaste
First-aid measures
Under Republic Act. No. 7183, which regulates the sale, manufacture, distribution, and use of firecrackers, watusi is described as usually “reddish in color, about 1.5 inches in length and 0.1 inch in width, and usually ignited by friction to produce a dancing movement and a crackling sound.”The DOH advised the public to not induce vomiting if a piece of watusi is swallowed and instead bring the patient immediately to the hospital.
Another first-aid measure for children is to make them consume egg whites — from about six to eight raw eggs. For adults, eight to 12 raw eggs may be necessary, it added.
Nationwide monitor
The latest cases tallied by the DOH, logged from 6 a.m. on Dec. 27 to 5:59 a.m. on Dec. 28, raised the total number of firecracker-related injuries nationwide to 88, with about a third of them in Metro Manila. The age of the patients ranges from 5 to 49, with a median of 18 years old.
The types of firecrackers so far causing most of the injuries were the “boga,” “5-star,” “kwitis,” “piccolo,” “pla-pla,” “whistle bomb” and “luces.” The majority, or 59 percent, of the injuries were due to the use of firecrackers that are listed as illegal, according to the DOH.