Renna O'Rourke passed away after spending four days in the intensive care unit of a hospital due to a cardiac arrest she suffered due to aerosol poisoning (Pic: Facebook/iStock)
A teenager from Arizona died after participating in a viral online trend known as dusting. According to The Independent, 19-year-old Renna O'Rourke passed away after spending four days in the intensive care unit of a hospital due to a cardiac arrest she suffered due to aerosol poisoning.
Renna’s parents said she and her boyfriend had ordered aerosol keyboard cleaner without their knowledge, and after it, the teen went into cardiac arrest, spent a week unconscious in the ICU, and then was declared brain dead. "She always said, 'I'm going to be famous, Dad. Just watch. I'm going to be famous,' and unfortunately, this is not under the most optimal of circumstances," said the girls' father, Aaron O'Rourke.
Dusting – also known as chroming or huffing – is a viral trend that involves inhaling common household cleaners to get high for views online. The sensation reportedly causes brief euphoria but can cause instant, fatal damage, often due to heart failure, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
According to doctors, they had to pronounce Renna brain dead; her organs stopped responding despite all possible treatment. "There's no ID required. It's odourless. It's everything kids look for. They can afford it, they can get it, and it doesn't show in Mom and Dad's drug test," Renna's mother, Dana O'Rourke, said. "She never regained consciousness," Dana added.
What happens in dusting or chroming?
Experts say when chroming, people try to inhale the hydrocarbons in metallic paints and other products. This can produce a high but also cause severe short-term and long-term health effects — including death. The concept of chroming has existed for many years under different names. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, millions across the world – especially teenagers – use inhalants every year. Children ages 12 to 17 represented the highest percentage of users.
More recently, chroming has been trending on social media. Experts believe adolescents and teenagers are most at risk.
What are the dangers of dusting?
Doctors say hydrocarbons are present in many different household products, including aerosol paint, paint thinner, motor fuel, and glue, and their fumes are inebriating. However, the biggest danger of chroming is death, through:
- Asphyxiation
- Cardiac arrest
- Choking
- Coma
- Convulsions or seizures
- Fatal injury
- Suffocation
According to experts, it completely eliminates oxygen and suffocates a person to death. Chroming also affects your body’s electrolytes, making the potassium levels very low – leading to cardiac dysrhythmia, muscle weakness, and other harmful effects. A few other short-term effects of chroming and other forms of inhalation include:
- Breathlessness
- Drowsiness
- Headaches
- Lethargy
- Muscle weakness and loss of muscle control
- Nausea and vomiting
