Tuberc Respir Dis.  2013 Mar;74(3):120-123.

Acute Respiratory Distress Due to Methane Inhalation

• Jo JY
• Kwon YS
• Lee JW
• Park JS
• Rho BH
• Choi WI

Abstract

Inhalation of toxic gases can lead to pneumonitis. It has been known that methane gas intoxication causes loss of consciousness or asphyxia. There is, however, a paucity of information about acute pulmonary toxicity from methane gas inhalation. A 21-year-old man was presented with respiratory distress after an accidental exposure to methane gas for one minute. He came in with a drowsy mentality and hypoxemia. Mechanical ventilation was applied immediately. The patient's symptoms and chest radiographic findings were consistent with acute pneumonitis. He recovered spontaneously and was discharged after 5 days without other specific treatment. His pulmonary function test, 4 days after methane gas exposure, revealed a restrictive ventilatory defect. In conclusion, acute pulmonary injury can occur with a restrictive ventilator defect after a short exposure to methane gas. The lung injury was spontaneously resolved without any significant sequela.

Keyword

Methane; Smoke Inhalation Injury; Respiratory Insufficiency

MeSH Terms

Anoxia
Asphyxia
Gases
Inhalation
Lung Injury
Methane
Pneumonia
Porphyrins
Respiration, Artificial
Respiratory Function Tests
Respiratory Insufficiency
Smoke Inhalation Injury
Thorax
Unconsciousness
Ventilators, Mechanical
Gases
Methane
Porphyrins

Figure

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  Figure 1 Representative chest radiographs. (A) Chest radiograph: 4.5 hours following exposure. Initial chest radiograph shows bilateral ill-defined air-space consolidations at both perihilar areas. (B) Chest computed tomography (CT) scan at emergency department shows bilateral symmetric air-space consolidations and ground glass opacities at dependent portion of both lungs. (C) Chest radiograph: 24 hours following exposure. There is a rapid resolution of bilateral air-space consolidations on follow-up chest radiograph. (D) Follow-up chest CT scan shows no bilateral symmetric air-space consolidations and ground glass opacities without sequela.

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