Southern Medical Journal · 1991 · 20 citations · 0 references
MedicineClinical SciencesInternal MedicineOccupational ToxicologyPulmonary Function TestingPulmonologyAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeInhalation InjuryInhalation TherapyRespiratory DiseaseRespiratory Distress SyndromeRespiratory MedicineAcute Occupational ExposureAdult Respiratory Distress SyndromeChemical Inhalation InjuryGas Exchange AbnormalitiesInhalational Lung InjuryLung AbscessSulfur Dioxide ToxicitySulfur Toxicity
A 23-year-old man had adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by acute exposure to sulfuric acid fumes. The patient survived the initial hospitalization to be readmitted later with a lung abscess. After therapy, his chest roentgenogram and pulmonary function tests revealed no abnormalities except a marginally decreased DLCO, and he was without functional deficit. Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema probably resulted from direct alveolar injury caused by sulfuric acid.