ABSTRACT
Two young people, a 23 year man and his wife aged 21, are admitted in hospital because they complain of headache; nausea, dyspnea. These symptoms are related with the use of a water-reppellent spray in bad conditions; troubles appear because the product is used in an insufficiently ventilated room. At the admission time, the man suffers from coughing, polypnea, giddiness, the fever is 38 degrees, 3 C. The blood gas values are normal. The thoracic Xray is also normal. The woman is more affected the fever is 38,8 degrees C. The signs are worse and the blood value of Co is 5%. The blood gas values are: PO2 64,8 mm HG, SaO2 92,4%, PCO2 28,8 mm Hg. The chest Xray shows signs of acute pulmonary oedema. Corticoïds and furosemide give a progressive improvement. 48 h later a favorable evolution is noted in the two cases. The german manufacturer of the product gave its composition which is as follows: - petrol 17,3% - essence 15,3% - methylen chloride 13,7% - freon (trichlorofluoro-methane - dichlorofluoromethane) 42,2% - impregnant (melamine resin; organic methylic soap) 2,6% - propan butan 9,2%. The compound responsible for the symptomatology is petrol vapour which, if inhalated, is well known to produce pulmonary toxicity. The woman's condition was worse because she used the spray herself and therefore inhaled a lot a vapours. With this type of product the direction for use have to be strictly followed ie the operation must take place in a well ventilated room.
