Clinical presentation

Essential oils are rapidly absorbed and symptoms, if they occur, usually develop within 30 minutes of ingestion. Most poisonings occur in children, who have minor effects or remain asymptomatic. Significant toxicity is more likely in adults who have deliberately ingested a large volume of essential oil.

Effects of essential oil ingestions include:

• CNS effects—altered conscious state (ranging from drowsiness to coma), seizures
• respiratory effects—aspiration and aspiration pneumonitis with cough, choking and respiratory distress
• gastrointestinal effects—nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain
• cardiovascular effects—in severe poisoning, hypotension and tachycardia.

Some essential oils (eg clove oil, pennyroyal oil) can cause acute liver injury and multiorgan failure. Seek urgent advice from a clinical toxicologist or poisons information centre (13 11 26) if either of these oils is ingested accidentally or deliberately.