Chemical pneumonia caused by inhalation of waterproofing spray: a case report

Abstract

This paper described a case of chemical pneumonia caused by inhalation of waterproofing spray. A 23-year-old man presented with a 3-hour history of cough, chest tightness, and fever after using waterproofing spray in a confined space. His peripheral white blood cell count was 12.95×109/L, with a neutrophil percentage of 89.3%, and his C-reactive protein level was within the normal range. Arterial blood gas analysis showed hypoxemia on room air [PaO2 70.4 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa)], and bronchoalveolar lavage examination showed a neutrophil percentage of 20.5%. Chest computed tomography showed diffuse ground-glass opacities in both lungs. He was treated with intravenous methylprednisolone 60 mg (1 mg·kg-1·d-1) daily. The symptoms of shortness of breath and cough improved significantly with a four-day course of methylprednisolone, and the ground-glass opacities in the lungs largely resolved after one week of methylprednisolone. Chemical pneumonia caused by inhalation of waterproofing spray has an acute onset with non-specific clinical and laboratory findings. It should be differentiated from other diseases by a combination of medical history and bronchoscopy, and it responds well to treatment with glucocorticoids.