ABSTRACT
The medical literature has begun to highlight an association of specific herbal use with the development of pneumonitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, interstitial pneumonia, non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, bronchiolitis obliterans, pulmonary infiltration with eosinophilia, pulmonary hypertension and occupational asthma. Of herbals that are associated with pulmonary toxicity, the majority are derived from China. Chinese herbals commonly contain multiple ingredients touted to ensure positive results on multiple target areas at the same time, and thus restore homeostasis in the body. The signs and symptoms commonly encountered in patients with pulmonary toxicity due to herbal products include fever, cough, dyspnoea with exertion and hypoxaemia. The exact mechanism of toxicity has not been clearly elucidated for many of the herbals purported to induce pulmonary injury. The primary role for the clinician is the recognition that specific herbal products have been associated with pulmonary injury.
