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Medical Author:

Christopher B Beach, MD

Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Signs and symptoms of chemical pneumonia vary greatly, and many factors can determine its seriousness. For instance, someone exposed to chlorine in a large outdoor pool may have only a cough and burning eyes. Someone else exposed to high levels of chlorine in a small room may die of respiratory failure.

Factors that determine the severity of signs and symptoms include the following:

• Type and strength of chemical
• Exposure environment: indoor, outdoor, heat, cold
• Length of exposure: seconds, minutes, hours
• Form of chemical: gas, vapor, particulate, liquid
• Protective measures used to avoid exposure to chemicals
• Prior medical condition
• Age of the person

Chemical pneumonia may have the following signs and symptoms:

Chemical Pneumonia Symptoms

• Burning of the nose, eyes, lips, mouth, and throat
• Dry cough
• Wet cough producing clear, yellow, or green mucus
• Cough producing blood or frothy pink matter in saliva
• Nausea or abdominal pain
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Painful breathing or pleuritis (an inflammation of the outside covering of the lungs)
• Headache
• Flu symptoms
• Weakness or a general ill feeling
• Delirium or disorientation

Chemical Pneumonia Signs a Doctor Might Observe

• Rapid or shallow breaths
• Rapid pulse
• Oral, nasal, or skin burns
• Pale or cyanotic skin and lips
• Heavy sweating
• Altered thinking and reasoning skills
• Unconsciousness
• Swelling of eyes or tongue
• Hoarse or muffled voice
• Chemical odors on other areas of the body
• Frothy spit from a cough
• Fever

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