%0 Journal Article
%T Inhaled Surfactant in the treatment of accidental Talc Powder inhalation: a new case report
%A Federico Matina
%A Mirella Collura
%A Maria Maggio
%A Patrizio Vitulo
%A Caterina Lo Piparo
%A Giovanni Corsello
%J Italian Journal of Pediatrics
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1824-7288-37-47
%X The use of talcum powder is incorrectly part of the traditional care of infants. Acute aspiration of baby powder is a very dangerous condition in childhood and several fatalities have been reported [1]. Talcum Powder consist of about 90% talc (anhydrous magnesium silicate), the remainder being mainly magnesium carbonate or zinc oxide according to the preparation [2]. Many inhalation accidents have been reported to have occurred during a nappy change [3,4]. There is nearly always a characteristic silent period of several hours between the initial event and the beginning of severe respiratory distress. This asymptomatic period can lead to wrong medical decisions. The respiratory distress is due mainly to bronchiolar obstruction by the aspirate powder and may evolve to a massive bronchitis and bronchiolitis with pulmonary oedema, atelectasis, and compensatory emphysema [1]. Reports about accidental inhalation of talcum powder are relatively rare, but despite its use has been discouraged by many authors, some new cases have been recently reported [5]. We report on a patient in whom the accidental inhalation of baby powder induced severe respiratory difficulties. She was treated with surfactant administration showing full clinical recovery.A18 month female child was admitted for appearance of cough and respiratory distress after one hour from the inhalation of talc powder, accidentally happened during a nappy change. She was apyrectic and presented with cough and only a mild respiratory distress, tachypnea (40/minute), 98% oxygen saturation, heart frequency of 145/minute. On examination there was no evidence of cyanosis, the respiratory sounds were normal on both sides and other systems were normal. Chest x-ray revealed a consolidation in central and middle lung zones and basal emphysema on both sides (Figure 1a). An empirical treatment with intravenous antibiotic (Ceftriaxone at the dose of 50 mg/Kg) and steroids (Methylprednisolone at the dose of 1 mg/Kg/8 h) was done
%K Talcum powder
%K Accidental Inhalation
%K Respiratory Distress
%K Surfactant
%K Bronchopulmonary Lavage
%K Respiratory Physiotherapy
%U http://www.ijponline.net/content/37/1/47