The results of the WHO EMRO Pediatric Hydrocarbon Study Group’s study “A clinical decision rule for triage of children under 5 years of age with hydrocarbon (kerosene) aspiration in developing countries”, supported by this Regional Office, have been published in Clinical Toxicology, Volume 46, Issue 3 March 2008, pages 222 – 229. The study aimed to develop a clinical decision instrument to identify at primary health care facilities in developing countries children under-five exposed to hydrocarbon (kerosene) requiring referral to higher level facilities. The decision aid for referral decision is based on the presence of any of three clinical signs—which health providers trained in IMCI are able to assess—and requires no X-ray or laboratory facilities. It has a high sensitivity of 98% and specificity of 42%. The abstract of the paper can be accessed on the journal’s website. As the decision aid has initially been derived from cases seen only in one poison control centre in one country, it can not be extrapolated to, and needs to be validated in, other settings before it can be recommended for use. This information is provided for scientists of research institutions interested in validating the rule in their settings under strict research conditions. Protocols and instruments used in the study are available from the Child and Adolescent Health and Development (CAH) unit of this Regional Office.