Toxicity with intravenous injection of naphtha in man

Intravenous injection of charcoal lighter fluid (naphtha) in a suicidal attempt led to development of severe hemorrhagic pneumonitis in a 40-year-old individual. Presenting symptoms consisted of pleuritic chest pain, epigastric discomfort, and dyspnea; they appeared within 2 hours after injection. Development of roentgenographic changes lagged behind the clinical symptoms by several hours. Fever and leukocytosis were present despite the absence of demonstrable superimposed bacterial infection. The pathology seemed exclusively confined to the pulmonary system with no clinical or laboratory evidence of extrapulmonary involvement. Repeated clinical, radiographic, and pulmonary function evaluations over an 18-month follow-up period have shown complete resolution of pulmonary lesions without residual abnormalities.