Open AccessRapid Successful Management of Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage as the Primary Presentation of Chlorine Gas Inhalation: A Rare Case Report
Author(s) -
Mohsen Yaghubi,
Morteza Valaei,
Rasoul Ghasemi,
Mahmood Hosseinzadeh Maleki,
Sara Rezaei,
Samaneh Kakhki
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acta medica iranica.
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1735-9694
pISSN - 0044-6025
DOI - 10.18502/acta.v59i10.7770
Subject(s) - medicine , ards , emergency department , respiratory distress , bleach , inhalation , intensive care unit , chlorine gas , anesthesia , mechanical ventilation , accidental , surgery , intensive care medicine , chlorine , lung , chemistry , materials science , physics , organic chemistry , psychiatry , acoustics , metallurgy
Chlorine-containing bleach, as a common disinfectant, can cause mild to severe symptoms from nasal irritation to life-threatening conditions such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, the toxicity level of chlorine gas depends on the duration and concentration of exposure. Herein, we describe the case of a 44-year-old man admitted to the emergency department with a chief complaint of severe shortness of breathing and hemoptysis following accidental, short-time exposure to chlorine-containing bleach. Because of the life-threatening condition, he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and received mechanical ventilation along with a corticosteroid agent and antibiotic therapy. Despite limited data on management of the severe complications of the exposure, the patient successfully recovered after four days.