Chemical pneumonitis is inflammation of the lung caused by aspirating or inhaling irritants. It is sometimes called a "chemical
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...
", though it is not infectious. There are two general types of chemical pneumonitis: acute and chronic.
Irritants capable of causing chemical pneumonitis include
vomitus
Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose.
Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenterit ...
,
[Stitham, Sean et al]
"Chemical Pneumonitis: Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia"
Medline Plus
MedlinePlus is an online information service produced by the United States National Library of Medicine. The service provides curated consumer health information in English and Spanish with select content in additional languages.
The site brings t ...
, 2008-8-29. Retrieved on 2009-10-06. barium
Barium is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and atomic number 56. It is the fifth element in group 2 and is a soft, silvery alkaline earth metal. Because of its high chemical reactivity, barium is never found in nature as a free element.
Th ...
used in gastro-intestinal imaging,
chlorine
Chlorine is a chemical element with the symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between them. Chlorine i ...
gas (among other
pulmonary agent
A pulmonary agent, or choking agent, is a chemical weapon agent designed to impede a victim's ability to breathe. They operate by causing a build-up of fluids in the lungs, which then leads to suffocation. Exposure to the eyes and skin tends to ...
s),
ingested
gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic c ...
or other
petroleum distillates, ingested or skin absorbed
pesticide
Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and ...
s,
[ gases from ]electroplating
Electroplating, also known as electrochemical deposition or electrodeposition, is a process for producing a metal coating on a solid substrate through the reduction of cations of that metal by means of a direct electric current. The part to be ...
,[ smoke][ and others. It may also be caused by the use of ]inhalants
Inhalants are a broad range of household and industrial chemicals whose volatile vapors or pressurized gases can be concentrated and breathed in via the nose or mouth to produce intoxication, in a manner not intended by the manufacturer. They ...
.
Mendelson's syndrome
Mendelson's syndrome, named in 1946 for American obstetrician and cardiologist Curtis Lester Mendelson, is a form of chemical pneumonitis or aspiration pneumonitis caused by aspiration of stomach contents (principally gastric acid) during anae ...
is a type of chemical pneumonitis.
Mineral oil should not be given internally to young children, pets, or anyone with a cough, hiatal hernia
A hiatal hernia or hiatus hernia is a type of hernia in which abdominal organs (typically the stomach) slip through the diaphragm into the middle compartment of the chest. This may result in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or laryngop ...
, or nocturnal reflux, because it can cause complications such as lipoid pneumonia
Lipoid pneumonia is a specific form of lung inflammation (pneumonia) that develops when lipids enter the bronchial tree. The disorder is sometimes called cholesterol pneumonia in cases where that lipid is a factor.
Signs and symptoms
The pneumo ...
. Due to its low density, it is easily aspirated into the lungs, where it cannot be removed by the body. In children, if aspirated, the oil can work to prevent normal breathing, resulting in death of brain cells and permanent paralysis and/or brain damage
Neurotrauma, brain damage or brain injury (BI) is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors. In general, brain damage refers to significant, undiscriminating t ...
.
Signs and symptoms
Acute:
* Cough[
* Difficulty Breathing]["Chemical Pneumonitis: Causes, Symptoms"]
PDRHealth. Retrieved on 2009-10-06
* Abnormal lung sounds (wet or gurgling sounds when breathing)[
* Chest pain, tightness or burning sensation][
Chronic:
* Persistent cough][
* Shortness of breath][
* Increased susceptibility to respiratory illness][
Symptoms of chronic chemical pneumonitis may or may not be present, and can take months or years to develop to the point of noticeability.][
]
Diagnosis
The pragmatic challenge is to distinguish from aspiration pneumonia with an infectious component because the former does not require antibiotics while the latter does. While some issues, such as a recent history of exposure to substantive toxins, can foretell the diagnosis, for a patient with dyphagia the diagnosis may be less obvious, as the dyphagic patient may have caustic gastric contents damaging the lungs which may or may not have progressed to bacterial infection.
Treatment
Treatment is focused on reversing the cause of inflammation and reducing symptoms. Corticosteroids may be given to reduce inflammation, often before long-term scarring occurs. Antibiotics are usually not helpful or needed, unless there is a secondary infection. Oxygen therapy may be helpful.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chemical Pneumonitis
Respiratory diseases