ABSTRACT
An irritant, a non-corrosive chemical that causes a nonimmunologic, inflammatory reaction upon direct contact with the respiratory system may be the source of an acute inhalational injury. In contrast to allergy, an irritant response does not entail a preceding period of latency where there is interaction between an allergen and a person’s immune system. Features that characterize allergic occupational asthma and non-allergic
introduction Acute inhalational injuries comprise a spectrum of respiratory disorders with clinical manifestations mainly determined by the part of respiratory tract that becomes damaged. Clinical outcomes from acute inhalational injuries include upper airway damage, acute tracheobronchitis, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), bronchiolitis obliterans, and/or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Expression of the pathological and clinical manifestations from the exposure depends on features of the inciting agent, exposure considerations and host/genetic distinctiveness (1). There can be a mixture of clinical manifestations when more than one anatomical site is affected; when there is a mixture of gases; or, when there are repeated inhalation exposures (2). Non-occupational inhalation accidents originate from fires and explosions, volcanic eruptions, industrial disasters, accidents involving trains or
rine gas affects 20 workers during the evening shift of a magnesium production plant that utilizes chlorine gas during the production process.
