ABSTRACT
SESSION TITLE: Occupational and Environmental Lung Disease Cases SESSION TYPE: Rapid Fire Case Reports PRESENTED ON: 10/18/2022 12:25 pm - 01:25 pm INTRODUCTION: Chlorine gas is a pulmonary irritant with pungent odor that damages the respiratory tract. Chlorine gas exposure occurs in industrial or household exposures,Chlorine gas has two forms either a liquid or gas, toxicity of chlorine gas depends on the dose and duration of exposure. Chlorine gas used in manufacturing products like paper, insecticides, Chlorine is used to treat bottled and swiming pool water. CASE PRESENTATION: A 37 Y.O Male, no PMH presents with progressive dyspnea for three days worse with activity,decreases with rest, denied cough fever or chest pain he is vaccinated for COVID,no smoking history. The patient worked at a chlorine gas factory in the Dominican Republic for 15 years. Exam: Vitals: BP 124/72 mmHg. HR 100 BPM. RR 21 BPM. SpO2 84%. General: acute distress. Heart: normal S1, S2. RRR. Lung: wheeze bilaterally. Abdomen: Soft. Musculoskeletal: no pitting edema. he was placed on 6 LPM NC saturation improved to 90%. CBC and Chemistry were unremarkable, he was started on steroid, breathing treatment with antibiotics. ABG showed hypoxemia. he was placed on Venturi mask and his saturation improved to 95%.CTA was negative for PE. EKG, troponin were unremarkable. A proBNP normal. The antibiotics were discontinued because of a negative workup. A TTE study was normal. HRCT scan of the chest, showed atelectasis and infiltrates of lower lobes. No interstitial fibrosis.A PFT showed obstructive airway disease. He was discharged on oral and inhaled steroids.Hi new onset obstructive airway could be due to chlorine gas exposure. DISCUSSION: Chlorine gas causes cellular injury through oxidative damage but further damage results from activation and recruitment of inflammatory cells with subsequent release of oxidants and proteolytic enzymes. Humans can detect chlorine gas odor at a concentration between 0.1-0.3 ppm. At 1-3 ppm,it causes irritation of oral,eye mucosal membranes. At 30-40 ppm causes cough, chest pain, and SOB. At 40-60 ppm, toxic pneumonitis and pulmonary edema and can be fatal at 430 ppm concentration or higher within thirty minutes. Chronic exposure to chlorine gas lead to chest pain, cough, sore throat, hemoptysis, recurrent asthma. Physical exam findings include tachypnea cyanosis, wheezing, intercostal retractions, decreased breath sounds. Pulmonary function tests may reveal obstructive lung function disease. Chronic exposure to a low level was found to be associated with an increased risk of asthma in swimmers. CONCLUSIONS: Chlorine exposure results in direct chemical toxicity to the airways with acute airways obstruction or airways hyperreactivity, presentation varies from acute overwhelming intoxication with acute lung injury and or death, occupational exposure increase the likelihood of chronic bronchitis or isolated wheezing attacks. Treatment for chlorine exposure is largely supportive. Reference #1: 1- Center of disease control and prevention website/emergency preparedness and response/ https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/chlorine/basics/facts.asp Reference #2: 2- C- Morim A, Guldner GT. Chlorine Gas Toxicity. [Updated 2021 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing;2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537213/. Reference #3: A- Gummin DD, Mowry JB, Beuhler MC, et al. 2020 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System (NPDS): 38th Annual Report. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2021;59(12):1282-1501. doi:10.1080/15563650.2021.1989785 DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Abdallah Khashan No relevant relationships by Samer Talib no disclosure on file for Matthew Yotsuya;