In this cross-sectional study, 58 patients were
male and 48 were female. Children and adolescents
younger than 18 years constituted more than half of
the patients (60 cases, 56.6%). The age of patients
ranged between 3 months and 75 years. Among the
cases evaluated in emergency rooms, 7 patients had
mild poisoning and were discharged after Arst
examinations and symptomatic treatments, 62
patients were moderately affected and were taken
under observation, and the remaining 37 were severely
affected and were hospitalized. In physical
examinations, 29 patients had expiratory wheezing,
and 1 had tachycardia and extrasystoles. There
were no deaths among these patients, acute chlorine
intoxication affected mostly children. Respiratory
tract Andings were predominant in most of the
patients. Steroid and bicarbonate applications
were inadequate supportive therapies. HumidiAed
O2 and -agonist applications were most useful in
the therapy of acute chlorine intoxication.