Which statement best describes the clinical signs associated with oil exposure?

• A. Crude oil causes GI signs; refined products cause neuro, cardio, and pulmonary signs
• B. Crude oil causes dermatologic signs; refined products cause renal signs
• C. Crude oil causes GI signs; refined products cause neuro, cardio, and pulmonary signs
• D. Crude oil causes neuro signs; refined products cause GI signs

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how the composition and volatility of an oil product influence where injury occurs. Crude oil is less refined and tends to irritate the GI tract when ingested or contaminated, so you see gastrointestinal signs such as vomiting and abdominal upset. Refined petroleum products are more volatile and easier to aspirate or absorb systemically, so they can cause a range of signs beyond the gut—neurologic effects (like dizziness or CNS depression), cardiovascular effects, and pulmonary injury from chemical pneumonitis or aspiration. This combination—GI signs with crude oil and neuro, cardiac, and pulmonary signs with refined products—best fits the typical clinical pattern seen with oil exposures. Dermal or renal signs are not the primary acute pattern for these substances, and crude oil does not characteristically present with primary neuro signs, nor do refined products typically cause only GI signs.