Coldrif Cough Syrup Banned in Madhya Pradesh After 11 Deaths; Toxic Solvent Detected, Two Doctors Arrested

The Madhya Pradesh government has banned Coldrif cough syrup after tests confirmed toxic diethylene glycol (DEG) contamination, linked to 11 deaths. Know about the health risks, government response, and harmful effects of DEG exposure.

The Madhya Pradesh government banned Coldrif cough syrup on Saturday after the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department issued a laboratory test report confirming the presence of 48.6 per cent diethylene glycol (DEG) a highly toxic solvent used in antifreeze and brake fluids. DEG ingestion is known to cause severe kidney damage and death. The death count in Madhya Pradesh, allegedly linked to the cough syrup, rose to 11.

Cough Syrup Deaths: Madhya Pradesh Doctor Arrested

The doctor in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara who administered Coldrif syrup to children has been arrested amid a huge investigation into the deaths of 11 children who reportedly ingested contaminated cough syrups, officials said early Sunday. The majority of the youngsters were treated in the clinic of Praveen Soni, a paediatrician in Parasia. He is a government doctor, prescribed the medication to toddlers who visited his private clinic, according to sources.

The Madhya Pradesh government has filed a lawsuit against Srisan Pharmaceuticals, a business based in Tamil Nadu’s Kanchipuram region that produces Coldrif cough syrup.

Coldrif Ban in Madhya Pradesh

The state government promptly announced a crackdown on Coldrif, which is manufactured by Tennessee-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals, with the Food and Drug Administration giving urgent instructions to all drug inspectors to seize existing stockpiles, halt further sales, and collect samples from subsequent batches for testing. The authorities also extended the ban to all other drugs produced by the pharmaceutical company.

In an X post, MP CM Mohan Yadav said, “Death of children in Chhindwara caused by Coldrif syrup is extremely painful.” Late Saturday evening, he announced that each of the murdered children’s families would receive Rs 4 lakh as compensation. Yadav further stated that the state government would cover the expense of treatment for the other youngsters under care.

Diethylene Glycol (DEG) Harmful Effects

Diethylene glycol is not meant to be taken in by humans. Interestingly, it is widely applied as a solvent in industry, either as an antifreeze or brake fluid. Even tiny doses can prove deadly, particularly in children. The process of injury includes:

Absorption and metabolism: DEG is absorbed by the intestines and metabolised into toxins in 2-hydroxyethoxyacetic acid and diglycolic acid forms.
Kidney damage: These are metabolites that damage the cells of the renal tubules, which usually help a kidney to filter and eliminate toxins.
Acute renal failure: Unattended kidney failure results in fluid and electrolyte imbalance, metabolic acidosis and multiple organ failure.
Neurological and metabolic effects: At high concentrations, it can induce an effect on the nervous system and other organs.

Historically, DEG poisoning is not new. There have been numerous instances of such fatal patterns all over the world, including a famous scandal that resulted in dozens of children dying after ingesting contaminated Indian-made cough syrups in The Gambia in 2022.

Here’s What Parents and Doctors Should Know

Here are the health precautions that parents and doctors should know:

When your child is on any cough syrup or medicine and has started developing the following symptoms nausea, vomiting, little urination, stomach pain or lack of energy then emergency medical care should be taken.
Maintain a record of the name of the medicine, the batch number, and the date of purchase, as this can be helpful in investigations.
Don’t give children more than one combination of over-the-counter syrups at a time self-medicating.
Watch out for early signs of acute kidney injury in children suffering from cold and cough strains, particularly when multiple cases of symptoms occur in an area.
Report any suspected adverse drug reaction to the pharmacovigilance programme.
Prescribe only necessary drugs and use those which have a good track record of safety, particularly in children.

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