Humidifier disinfectant-associated children's interstitial lung disease

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Environmental Health
• Toxicology

Background:

• Epidemics of fatal pediatric lung injury occurred annually in Korea since 2006.
• This interstitial lung disease (chILD) was linked to humidifier disinfectant use.
• The specific cause and clinical profile remained largely unknown prior to this study.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the clinical features of this specific chILD.
• To evaluate the impact of a nationwide humidifier disinfectant sales suspension on disease incidence.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide retrospective study analyzed clinical data of suspected chILD cases from 2006-2011.
• A prospective surveillance study monitored cases following the 2011 sales suspension.

Main Results:

• 138 children were diagnosed with chILD, exhibiting rapid progression, high mortality (58%), spring seasonality, and familial tendency.
• Symptoms included cough and dyspnea; spontaneous air leak was a common complication.
• Incidence peaked in 2011, dropping to zero in 2012 post-suspension, with no new cases found two years later.

Conclusions:

• Humidifier disinfectant inhalation is strongly implicated as the cause of this idiopathic chILD.
• The disease is marked by spontaneous air leak, rapid progression, treatment resistance, and high fatality.
• Further research into the safety of environmental compounds, especially via inhalation, is crucial.