The senior pulmonologist in the emergency department often says that the most frightening emergencies begin with something completely ordinary. One evening, a patient arrived who proved that point in the most unexpected way. At home, he had simply decided to deep-clean his bathroom. Wanting the toilet to sparkle, he grabbed two bottles, one a strong acid cleaner, the other a bleach solution. He assumed mixing them would clean faster. Instead, it nearly cost him his life. He poured the acid first, then the bleach.
In the small, steamy bathroom with the door shut, a thick cloud of fumes formed almost instantly. As he leaned in to scrub, the gas hit him. A burning sensation tore through his nose, throat, and chest. His eyes watered, his breath tightened, and each inhale felt like pulling air through a straw. Before he could reach the door, he collapsed. His family found him unconscious on…
