[First aid for irritant gas inhalation in an industry]

The inhalation of irritant gases, fumes or dusts may, depending upon the chemical nature of the irritant and upon intensity and duration of the exposure, produce an irritation of the respiratory tract, a toxic pneumonitis (lung oedema) or both. A treatment with corticosteroids by inhalation started immediately is active in reducing the respiratory irritation and in preventing the patient from developing a toxic pneumonitis. The paper presents a logistic model for industrial plants to apply that effective treatment (this includes: in time) to all such patients who need it.