A case report of recreational use of inhaled Freon leading to acute hypoxemic respiratory failure salvaged by veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Chung-Chi Jennifer Chao, Juan Ronco

Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie 2022 Oct

filter terms:

Freon™ is a halogenated hydrocarbon often used as a refrigerant. When inhaled recreationally, it has the desired effects of euphoria and intoxication. Toxic effects include cardiovascular and neurologic insults such as arrhythmias and seizures, and less well-described toxicities include airway and lung injury. The treatment in general is primarily supportive. We present the case of a 42-yr-old previously healthy male who developed acute bronchiolitis and pneumonitis following inhalation of Freon leading to severe respiratory failure. He was supported by veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and managed with high-dose corticosteroids. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of an inhaled Freon exposure resulting in acute lung injury refractory to conventional therapy that was salvaged by vv-ECMO as a bridge towards a full recovery. © 2022. Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.

Citation

Chung-Chi Jennifer Chao, Juan Ronco. A case report of recreational use of inhaled Freon leading to acute hypoxemic respiratory failure salvaged by veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie. 2022 Oct;69(10):1300-1304