Abstract
A 76-year-old man of senile dementia was found to have drunk a few cups of kerosene by his family. Several hours later, he was admitted to our hospital because of unconsciousness. On admission, he was comatose and had respiratory failure. His chest X-ray film revealed an infiltrative shadow with volume loss in the right lower lobe. Mechanical ventilation and intravenous administration of piperacillin was soon started. Several days after admission, severe pancytopenia was found. Bronchofiberscopy was done on the second day after admission and much turbid yellow-brown colored sputum was seen in the right basal bronchus, the mucosa of which was edmatous and reddish. Bronchial toilet, endoscopic bronchial washing and air flushing was performed 7 times. After these endoscopic treatments, kerosene pneumonia was completely improved and he was discharged. A review of the literature of severe kerosene pneumonia with severe hematological damage showed that it is rarely cured. This case suggests that repeated endoscopic bronchial washing is useful in the treatment of kerosene pneumonia.
