The Combined Use of Inhaled and Intravenous Steroids for Children With Chemical Pneumonitis After Ingestion of Paint Thinner

BACKGROUND: Some studies in the literature support the use of either inhaled or systemic steroids for the treatment of chemical pneumonitis; however, no data have been published on the combined use of inhaled and intravenous (IV) steroids. OBJECTIVES: This brief report describes the effective use of inhaled plus systemic steroids in managing six critical pediatric patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Medical records of patients were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Of the six patients, 83.3% (n = 5) were male and 16.7% (n = 1) were female, with a mean age of 2.1 ± 0.49 years. The most common clinical signs were dyspnea (83.3%), fever (66.6%), and vomiting (66.6%). Owing to supportive treatments and the combined steroid treatment, respiratory distress diminished and there was no need for oxygen in any of the patients after 5 days. All patients were discharged without any sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: The use of steroids in treating hydrocarbon pneumonias is still controversial. However, we suggest that the combined use of inhaled and intravenous steroids had positive effects on the clinical and radiological recovery of our patients.