Health Encyclopedia

Hydrocarbon pneumonia

Definition

Hydrocarbon pneumonia is caused by drinking or breathing in gasoline, kerosene, furniture polish, paint thinner, or other oily materials or solvents. These products cause fairly rapid changes in the lungs, including inflammation, swelling, and bleeding.

Symptoms

Smell of a hydrocarbon product on the breath
Shortness of breath
Coughing
Vomiting
Fever
Stupor
Coma

Signs and tests

X-ray of the chest
Blood gas monitoring

Treatment

Mild cases may be evaluated in the emergency room, but may not require hospital admission.

People with moderate and severe cases are normally admitted to the hospital, occasionally to intensive care. Hospital treatment may include:

Pumping the stomach -- a tube is placed through the mouth or nose into the stomach and the stomach contents are suctioned out
Oxygen
A breathing tube a mechanical ventilator may be needed to assist the breathing

Expectations (prognosis)

Most children who drink or inhale hydrocarbon products and develop chemical pneumonitis recover fully following treatment. Highly toxic hydrocarbons may lead to rapid respiratory failure and death.

Complications

Pleural effusion
Pneumothorax
Secondary bacterial infections

Calling your health care provider

If you know or suspect that your child has swallowed or inhaled a hydrocarbon product, take them to the emergency room immediately. DO NOT use ipecac to induce vomiting.

Prevention

If you have young children, be sure to identify and store materials containing hydrocarbons carefully.

Review Date:1/17/2007
Reviewed By:Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

ADAM Quality A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) and this website do not claim the information on, or referred to by, this site is error free. This site may include links to websites of other government agencies or private groups. Our Agency and this website do not control such sites and are not responsible for their content. Reference to or links to any other group, product, service, or information does not mean our Agency or this website approves of that group, product, service, or information.

Additionally, while health information provided through this website may be a valuable resource for the public, it is not designed to offer medical advice. Talk with your doctor about medical care questions you may have.