Severe chemical pneumonitis secondary to talc inhalation. A pediatric case

Talc is a hydrated magnesium silicate. It was part of traditional infant and young child care for decades. In children, its acute inhalation, generally accidental during diaper changes, although not frequent, is a potentially dangerous condition, and can cause severe respiratory distress and even death. We describe the case of a 14-month child who had an accidental inhalation of talc, chemical pneumonitis and severe respiratory compromise. The patient had acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring mechanical ventilation for one week. There is no standard treatment, we used systemic antibiotics and corticosteroids and aerosol therapy. He did not have complications in other organs or systems. He was hospitalized for ten days. In the follow up, he had isolated episodes of bronchial hyperresponsiveness.