Chlorine exposure: a challenge to the physician.

Industry moves a large volume of chlorine, raising the possibility of unexpected release due to transportation accidents. This could result in a disaster, swamping hospital emergency rooms with exposure cases. The insidious onset of respiratory failure mandates careful evaluation of each victim, no matter how mild the symptoms. The low incidence of morbidity and mortality in industrial exposures suggests that treatment methods used in chlorine plants should be applied to nonindustrial cases; these emphasize immediate immobilization plus oxygen therapy. Adult respiratory distress syndrome must be treated promptly.