My sons were swimming and one of them opened the chlorine floater to check how much chlorine was left in it. He accidentally inhaled the fumes. He is breathing, but is coughing quite a bit. We rinsed his face in fresh clean water and sat him in an area with plenty of fresh air. Do I need to take him to ER? His pediatrician is not in office and if we call him he always says go to er.

My sons were swimming and one of them opened the chlorine floater to check how much chlorine was left in it. He accidentally inhaled the fumes. He is breathing, but is coughing quite a bit. We rinsed his face in fresh clean water and sat him in an area with plenty of fresh air. Do I need to take him to ER? His pediatrician is not in office and if we call him he always says go to er.


If you think he could have burned his lungs - which is the issue - why would you wait before seeking treatment?

He's coughing because his lung function is compromised in some fashion, to some degree.

Never mind I should have known better than to seek advice online. He seems fine other than coughing mildly. Should have realized people would just be rude, and not offer actual help. Calling pediatrician's answering service now.

Nevermind I should have known better than to seek advice online. He seems fine other than coughing mildly. Should have realized people would just be rude, and not offer actual help. Calling pediatrician's answering service now.


What part of my advice was rude? The part that said he needs medical treatment - advice which "appears" to be acceptable to you because you're calling his Pediatrician.

In fact, I thought someone said: "His pediatrician is not in office and if we call him he always says go to er." He inhaled fumes and is coughing... and you washed his face?

Here's some more "rude" advice about how serious this can be: Here's a less scientific site which appears to think inhaling chlorine is an emergency situation: "Chlorine is a chemical that prevents bacteria from growing. Chlorine poisoning occurs when someone swallows or breathes in (inhales) chlorine. This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. IF YOUHAVE AN EXPOSURE, YOU SHULD CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER (such as 911) OR THE NATIONAL POISON CONTROL CENTER at 1-800-222-1222."

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002772.htm

Your advice was rude because you didn't say he may have burned his lungs, you should take him to er. You implied I was stupid for asking for advice rather than dashing to the hospital immediately. We were directed by pediatrician to call poison control who told us he should be fine and to keep doing exactly what we had already been doing. Everyone always just jumps right to go to er when it is not always needed. I asked only because he seemed to be fine and was only concerned that there may be damage done with no symptoms. I'm not completely stupid, if he was having a serious reaction I wouldn't have been online I would have been calling 911. I'm also not someone who goes rushing to er for every little thing. I knew that most likely our pediatrition would send us to er, simply because that is what he almost always says if his office is closed. As it turns out it seems that he will be just fine. Yes we washed his face off with clear fresh water to make sure that he hadn't gotten any chlorine on his face. This is exactly what poison control said we should do, rinse face, move to area of fresh air, cool drinks and maybe some hard candy to sooth his cough. All of which we had already done.

I believe that the standard treatment is 'wait and see' for 24 hours, wash the skin, and breathe fresh air, preferably outdoors. The tender bronchials and lungs, the most sensitive, will burn and make you cough, but if the skin and eyes and nostrils seem OK, I suspect that your doctor and the ER will send him home. But I am not diagnosing or prescribing, just stating what I think the odds of treatment are.

Rude? I see nothing rude.
Please take what information and advice you wish on any online site and leave it at that!

At

Your advice was rude because you didn't say he may have burned his lungs, you should take him to er. You implied I was stupid for asking for advice rather than dashing to the hospital immediately. We were directed by pediatrician to call poison control who told us he should be fine and to keep doing exactly what we had already been doing. Everyone always just jumps right to go to er when it is not always needed. I asked only because he seemed to be fine and was only concerned that there may be damage done with no sypmtoms. I'm not completely stupid, if he was having a serious reaction I wouldn't have been online I would have been calling 911. I'm also not someone who goes rushing to er for every little thing. I knew that most likely our pediatrition would send us to er, simply because that is what he almost always says if his office is closed. As it turns out it seems that he will be just fine. Yes we washed his face off with clear fresh water to make sure that he hadn't gotten any chlorine on his face. This is exactly what poison control said we should do, rinse face, move to area of fresh air, cool drinks and maybe some hard candy to sooth his cough. All of which we had already done.



If you are going to quote me, please actually quote me. I said, "If you think he could have burned his lungs ...". I realize wording you would have preferred (as you stated) is: "... he may have burned his lungs ...". What's the difference? I never "implied" anything.

Good - good to know that Poison Control can guarantee he will be "just fine" and you didn't have to waste time and money on emergency care.

I never said you were stupid, and I still think you were foolish to post here first and then make phone calls later.

If that's rude, let it be rude.

As it happens I'm sitting here next to a real life Physician. He wonders why you would post here first and call second - but he's not a member so that doesn't count.

At


Joy, are you clearing your throat?

Look this has gotten out of hand. I was worried for my son. I knew that it would take time to hear from pediatrician as it is the weekend. I was looking for a quick response from a site that seemed to offer answers from medical professionals. I really didn't take the time to read all the details about the site first. I was not worried about cost or time, I was worried about tying up er staff when other people might be in serious need. He was not having any serious symptoms (i.e. life-threatening) so I went online looking for medical advice about what to do. It seems like anyone asking a question is just automatically thought of as a total moron and most people just give their opinion rather than actual helpful advice. Thanks to those who did offer advice.

Look this has gotten out of hand. I was worried for my son. I knew that it would take time to hear from pediatrician as it is the weekend. I was looking for a quick response from a site that seemed to offer answers from medical professionals. I really didn't take the time to read all the details about the site first. I was not worried about cost or time, I was worried about tying up er staff when other people might be in serious need. He was not having any serious symptoms (i.e. life-threatening) so I went online looking for medical advice about what to do. It seems like anyone asking a question is just automatically thought of as a total moron and most people just give their opinion rather than actual helpful advice. Thanks to those who did offer advice.


I love apologies that are, in fact, back handed slaps - "thanks to those who DID offer advice." I don't know what difference the "details" of AMHD would have made. You've posted before.

I see you here, asking questions and moving on. Have you ever attempted to answer anyone?

Noble of you to be more concerned about other people who might be in serious need than your son - my ER evaluates people and then sees them based on a scale. Maybe yours is first come, first served. On your side, maybe "mother's" instinct (or father's instinct) kicks in and you just KNOW it's not serious. Maybe I've spent too much time in hospital rooms and training sessions and so I think everything is serious.

I did ask a Physician, by the way. I'm ending this here BUT where was my answer "opinion" and not "advice"?

The only person throwing words like "rude," "moron," stupid" around is you.