[Case history of a gassed patient]

Ricardo T., aged 20 years, was a passenger in a Varig air-craft which suffered an accident on July 11th 1973. A fire developed on board whilst the plane was in the air, at about 3 p.m. After emergency landing, rescue workers (firemen and emergency ambulance teams) discovered only two survivors amongst the 122 passengers. One was in his forties and died a few moments later. The other (Ricardo) was rapidly transported to the surgical and traumatological intensive care unit of the Henri Mondor Hospital. At the time of arrival, he was in stage 1 coma with skin burns (3rd degree), burns of the airway and a high carbon monoxide blood level. Treatment consisted of assisted ventilation for 24 hours, with intermittent bronchial lavage used to eliminate ashes and calcinated debris, then for 10 days, spontaneous ventilation without intubation, with a tele-expiratory counter-pressure of 4 milibar in a mini-chamber (globe) enriched in oxygen. Intravenous hyperalimentation was started during the first few hours, continued on the 24th day by enteral alimentation. Initial chest XRays showed heavy flaky appearances, predominantly in the hilar region, and more marked on the right. At about the 15th day, XRay showed fibrous with predominance of signs of the apex. These sequellae were confirmed by respiratory function tests which gave objective evidence of a diffusion disturbance with decrease in membrane permeability coefficient. Repetition of RFT indicated a decrease in mechanical problems. On August 31st (on the 51st day) Ricardo was able to return to Rio in a good general condition, dorso-lumbar burns having healed. There was a dysphonia of mixed origin: scarred infiltrate of the vocal cords, but with normal mobility, and a decrease in vital capacity of --30%. Seen again in September 1978, Ricardo was found to be well with normal activity and slight effort dyspnea. Chest XRays showed signs of residual fibrosis.