Acute Respiratory Distress Due to Methane Inhalation
Open Access
- 1 January 2013
- journal article
- Published by The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases in Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
- Vol. 74 (3), 120-123
- https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2013.74.3.120
Abstract
Inhalation of toxic gases can lead to pneumonitis. It has been known that methane gas intoxication causes loss of consciousness or asphyxia. There is, however, a paucity of information about acute pulmonary toxicity from methane gas inhalation. A 21-year-old man was presented with respiratory distress after an accidental exposure to methane gas for one minute. He came in with a drowsy mentality and hypoxemia. Mechanical ventilation was applied immediately. The patient's symptoms and chest radiographic findings were consistent with acute pneumonitis. He recovered spontaneously and was discharged after 5 days without other specific treatment. His pulmonary function test, 4 days after methane gas exposure, revealed a restrictive ventilatory defect. In conclusion, acute pulmonary injury can occur with a restrictive ventilator defect after a short exposure to methane gas. The lung injury was spontaneously resolved without any significant sequela.Keywords
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