Öz
Aim
Sodium hypochlorite (bleach) and hydrochloric acid are chemicals, commonly used in household cleaning and can be dangerous when mixed with each other. As a result of the
mixture, chlorine gas is released which is poisonous. Inhalation of chlorine gas may cause severe respiratory distress due to irritation of mucous membranes, impaired pulmonary gas exchange, and pulmonary edema. Rarely, it also damages the cardiovascular system.
Case
An 81-year-old male patient, who had not been previously diagnosed with heart or respiratory disease, presented to the emergency department with a complaint of lacrimation and nasal discharge due to chlorine gas exposure. He had troponin positivity. Coronary angiography was performed due to the subsequently troponin increase. Coronary angiography revealed plaques. The cause of troponin increase was associated with the inhalation of chlorine gas.
Conclusion
Exposure to chlorine gas is commonly manifested by damage to the respiratory system. However, cardiovascular effects such as arrhythmia, acute coronary syndrome, heart
failure, or even death may also occur. Emergency medicine physicians should pay attention to these cardiovascular effects and consider that patients exposed to chlorine gas
may experience heart damage even if they do not have a history of heart disease.