Recreational use of nitrous oxide causes seizure, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and pneumopericardium: nitrous oxide and its harm, a case report.

Nitrous oxide, commonly known as 'laughing gas', has become a popular recreational drug. Whippets, small canisters containing gas in pressurized form, can be easily obtained from a food store. However, inhaling nitrous oxide from these canisters, which contain a 100% concentration, can lead to hypoxia, resulting in seizures or even death. Inhalation of nitrous oxide rarely causes pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and pneumopericardium. This case study highlights the potential dangers of recreational abuse of nitrous oxide.

[Pneumopericardium and pneumomediastinum caused by inhalation of laughing gas from a gas cartridge].

Laughing gas inhalation is frequently used for intoxication purposes. This case report describes a 25-year-old man, who suffered from both pneumopericardium and pneumomediastinum after having inhalated laughing gas. After three days of observation, he was discharged from hospital without any complications. Pneumopericardium and pneumomediastinum are very rare but potentially life-threatening complications of laughing gas inhalation.

Recreational nitrous oxide inhalation as a rare cause of spontaneous pneumomediastinum.

A 17-year-old girl presented to the A&E department with significant neck swelling with associated chest, neck and throat pain. She reported recreational inhalation of nitrous oxide and ingestion of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) in the preceding hours. There was no history of trauma or vomiting. Clinical examination revealed extensive subcutaneous emphysema. There was no airway compromise. A chest X-ray suggested the presence of a pneumomediastinum. Subsequent CT of the thorax confirmed an anterior pneumothorax and a pneumopericardium. The patient was admitted for observation and intravenous antibiotics. Further investigations ruled out an oesophageal perforation. The patient was discharged following a period of clinical stability and has since made an uneventful recovery. MDMA ingestion has been cited as a rare cause of spontaneous pneumomediastinum in a series of case reports. In this case, it is likely that the inhalation of nitrous oxide contributed to the development and expansion of a pneumomediastinum.

A complication of steroid therapy in acute leukaemia--a case report.

Common complications associated with steroid therapy are well documented. We report a rare and fatal complication, in which oesophageal erosion secondary to the use of steroids was associated with pneumopericardium.

Thoracic complications of illicit drug use: an organ system approach.

Illicit drug use constitutes a major health problem and may be associated with various thoracic complications. These complications vary depending on the specific drug used and the route of administration. Commonly abused drugs that may play a role in causing thoracic disease include cocaine, opiates, and methamphetamine derivatives. Intravenously abused oral medications may contain filler agents that may be responsible for disease. Thoracic complications may be categorized as pulmonary, pleural, mediastinal, cardiovascular, and chest wall complications. Pulmonary complications of drug abuse include pneumonia, cardiogenic edema, acute lung injury, pulmonary hemorrhage, and aspiration pneumonia. Filler agents such as talc may result in panacinar emphysema or high-attenuation upper-lobe conglomerate masses. The primary pleural complication of illicit drug use is pneumothorax. Mediastinal and cardiovascular complications of illicit drug use include pneumomediastinum, cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, aortic dissection, and injection-related pseudoaneurysms. Chest wall complications include diskitis and vertebral osteomyelitis, epidural abscess, necrotizing fasciitis, costochondritis, and septic arthritis. Categorization of thoracic complications of illicit drug use may facilitate understanding of these disorders and allow accurate diagnosis.

Bilateral spontaneous pneumothoraces, pneumopericardium, pneumomediastinum, and subcutaneous emphysema: a rare presentation of paraquat intoxication.

Pneumothorax, subcutaneous emphysema, and pneumomediastinum occur frequently in critically ill patients in association with blunt or penetrating injuries or other conditions while performing Valsalva-like maneuvers. We present the case of a patient with bilateral pneumothoraces, pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium, and subcutaneous emphysema after acute paraquat intoxication.

Fatal pneumopericardium caused by SF6 gas infusion into the pleural space after pneumonectomy and pericardial resection.

A 63-year-old man with lung carcinoma underwent a right pneumonectomy and combined resection of the pericardium. Postoperatively, SF6 gas was introduced into the empty pleural space for the protection of excessive shift of heart and mediastinum, but a fatal pneumopericardium occurred. A rare but possible complication of cardiac tamponade after inert gas infusion in patients undergoing combined resection of pericardium is reported.