Teenager ate laundry pods for internet fame and burnt out stomach and lungs

A teenage boy hoping to achieve fame by eating three laundry detergent pods was rushed to A&E after burning his stomach and lungs, according to a medical blog.

The 17-year-old was taking part in the Tide Pod Challenge, a disturbing new fad of youngsters filming themselves eating laundry detergent pods then uploading the videos to social media.

Before the stunt, the boy, known only as "JR" said he wanted to "experience the greatness of laundry pod flavour and become internet famous".

But in the end, he had to settle for a near-death experience and heaps of peer group embarrassment.

JR's story was dramatised by medical expert and YouTuber Chubbyemu in a a 12-minute film warning others about the extreme dangers of the Tide Pod Challenge.

The trend erupted towards the end of 2017 with hundreds of videos posted to the internet of young people allegedly eating the highly toxic products.

JR's recent "bid for glory" had him putting three pods in his mouth and chewing.

He immediately felt a burning sensation in his mouth and nose and tried to spit out the detergent. Some of it had already gone down his windpipe causing him to cough and retch.

That sucked more of the liquid into his respiratory system and his stomach. He began vomiting blue foam and collapsed to the ground burning from the inside.

His mother was in the house at the time and raced to his bedroom.

She found her blue-lipped son on the floor barely able to breathe and writhing in agony. She called 911, who rushed JR to hospital.

His breathing had become so inhibited that he was on the verge of cardiac arrest, the warning video said. Doctors stabilised his airways and pumped his stomach.

He suffered burns to his windpipe, oesophagus, stomach and lungs but made a full recovery.

Medical agencies around the world have warned against taking part in the Tide Pod Challenge.

The manufacturer has reminded pranksters that the pods should not be consumed.

"Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the people who use our products," a spokesperson for Tide said.

"Our laundry packs are a highly concentrated detergent meant to clean clothes and they're used safely in millions of households every day. They should only be used to clean clothes and kept up [on a high shelf], closed and away from children."