A case of chemical pneumonitis after occupational nitric acid inhalation / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

Chemical pneumonitis usually occurs after occupational exposure and inhalation of various noxious gases, fumes and chemical compounds. There have been reports of different clinical cases after inhalation of many organic acids, but chemical pneumonitis after nitric acid inhalation has rarely been reported, especially in Korea. Nitric acid is a strong acid that's commonly used in the industrial field and its respiratory exposure can cause diverse reactions, including pulmonary edema. We experienced a 34 year-old patient who had an excessive cough and dyspnea after an acute massive exposure to nitric acid fumes at his workplace, where they refined and polished the metals. He was tachypneic and the arterial blood gas analysis showed hypoxemia on hospital admission. The chest radiograph showed patchy consolidation and diffuse interstitial opacities on whole lung fields. Five days later after conservative management that included an oxygen supply in the intensive care unit, his symptoms were improved and the hypoxemia was corrected. At the 8th day, the chest radiograph became normal.