Bleach must be diluted prior to use to eliminate the risk of chemical burns in the lungs from its fumes, a trauma and emergency care doctor said.
Unsafe bleach use might cause life-threatening chemical burns in the lungs, said Lin Ming-hui (林明輝), director of the trauma and emergency department at Lin Shin Hospital in Taichung.
Lin issued the warning following an incident in which a 66-year-old woman fell critically ill after she inhaled fumes from undiluted bleach while cleaning the bathroom of her apartment.
The woman, who the Chinese-language Apple Daily reported is surnamed Kuo Chiu (郭邱), reportedly used about half a bottle of undiluted bleach to clean the enclosed space for about an hour, while coughing violently.
Her relatives later in the day took her to the Lin Shin Hospital after they were alarmed by her difficulty breathing and weak condition.
An X-ray showed a solid white area in her lungs that indicated pulmonary edema and pulmonary infiltrate, Lin said, adding that attending staff immediately hospitalized Kuo Chiu.
The next day Kuo Chiu developed a fever and respiratory distress, Lin said, adding that despite being given oxygen, her blood oxygen level remained at 88 percent, lower than the safe level of 90 percent and the normal level of more than 98 percent, Lin said.
After oxygen therapy failed to restore her blood oxygen to safe levels, Kuo Chiu was placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machinery and remained in the hospital for 52 days before being released late last month, Lin said.
The main component of household bleach is sodium chlorate, an alkaline compound that is corrosive and an irritant, capable of causing chemical burns to the skin, as well as the more fragile pulmonary tissue when it is inhaled as a gas, Lin said.
Bleach should be diluted, and users should wear face masks and rubber gloves while properly ventilating the workspace, Lin was quoted by the Apple Daily as saying.
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