II. Background
- Vinyl Chloride is a Hydrocarbon used in the production of PVC pipes, coatings and plastics
- Colorless, sweat smelling compound
- Flammable, and may be explosive in some forms
III. Toxicity
- Human exposures are via inhalation, and occur at production sites and in transport as a liquid gas
- Maximal OSHA permissible exposure is 1 ppm
- Symptomatic levels at >8000 ppm for 5 minutes (CNS depression, Dizziness)
- Lethal exposure >120,000 ppm
- Metabolism: CYP2E1
- Renal excretion
IV. Findings: Acute
- Airway and Respiratory
- Mucous membrane irritation
- Dyspnea
- Pneumonitis
- Cardiovascular
- Dysrhythmias (Catecholamine sensitization)
- See Hydrocarbon Ingestion for mechanism
- Dysrhythmias (Catecholamine sensitization)
- Neurologic
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Seizures
- Altered Level of Consciousness with CNS Depression
V. Complications: Chronic
- Malignancy
- Hepatic Angiosarcoma
- Hepatocellular Carcinoma
- Brain Cancer
- Lung Cancer
- Lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Extremity
- Phalanges with lytic lesions (acro-osteolysis)
- Skin thickening (Scleroderma-like skin changes)
- Raynaud's Phenomenon
- Chronic joint and Muscle pain
- Neurologic
VI. Management
- Remove patient from exposure source
- Decontamination
- Inhalational symptoms
- Humidified Oxygen
- Inhaled Bronchodilators
- Seizures
VII. References
- Fralish (2022) Vinyl Chloride Toxicity, StatPearls, Treasure Island, Florida
- Tomaszewski (2023) Crit Dec Emerg Med 37(3): 32