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Updated: May 31, 2025

Atomic Absorbance Spectroscopy to Measure Intracellular Zinc Pools in Mammalian Cells
Published on: May 16, 2019
A Patient with a Delayed Diagnosis of Zinc Powder Inhalation Poisoning: A Case Report
Min Chai1, Xiuxian Zang1, Xinran Yang1
1Department of Emergency Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
Objective:
Overexposure to zinc can lead to zinc poisoning. Zinc poisoning from zinc powder inhalation has rarely been reported.
Case Report:
A 66-year-old male presented with nausea, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. He had no symptom improvement after antibiotic treatment. The patient's history revealed recent occupational exposure to cold zinc spray. Bronchoscopy showed a high zinc level (0.5 μmol/L) in the alveolar fluid of the patient. He was diagnosed with zinc powder inhalation poisoning (ZPIP).
Results:
The patient received supplemental oxygen, high-dose glucocorticoids, hemoperfusion, bronchoalveolar lavage, and supportive care. Eventually, both his symptoms and a repeat lung computed tomography scan showed improvements.
Conclusion:
ZPIP requires a careful history recording to avoid a missed diagnosis and delayed treatments. We present this case to share our experience regarding the clinical diagnosis of ZPIP and its treatment strategies.
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