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HOME > J Korean Soc Clin Toxicol > Volume 9(1); 2011 > Article
A Case of Acute Respiratory Failure After Trichloroethylene Inhalation
Jae-Seok Park, Young-Woo Jeon, Young-Il Kim, Hyo-Wook Gil, Jong-Oh Yang, Eun-Young Lee, Sae-Yong Hong
Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology 2011;9(1):30-33
DOI: https://doi.org/
Published online: June 30, 2011
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1Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital
2Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital
3Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital
4Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital
5Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital
6Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital
7Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital

Trichloroethylene (TCE, $C_2HCl_3$), which was introduced as a gas for general anesthesia and analgesia in early 1900's has been widely used in industry as an organic solvent. Occupational exposure to TCE is an important medical problem. Manifestations of acute exposure to TCE include mucocutaneous irritation, hepatotoxicity, cognitive impairment, sleep, headache, respiratory insufficiency and death. We report a 38-year-old man who was admitted to a department of emergency medicine after occupational inhalation exposure to TCE. He rapidly developed semicoma and respiratory depression. After mechanical ventilation, hypercapnea and hypoxemia disappeared and his mental state again became alert. Careful evaluation and proper respiratory support are important for respiratory failure after occupational TCE inhalation.

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JKSCT : Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology