Severe chemical pneumonitis following exposure to household bleach.

Abstract

A previously healthy man in his 30s presented to the emergency department in severe respiratory distress with an oxygen saturation of 75% after using a sodium hypochlorite-based household bleach to clean a bath. He was admitted to the intensive care unit and required a period of high-flow nasal oxygen but ultimately made a full recovery. Sodium hypochlorite can release toxic gases when mixed with acids or ammonia, but such severe illness following exposure to household bleach in isolation has not previously been reported in the literature. It is important for emergency providers to be aware of this possibility and report further cases to determine if this problem is more common than previously realised.