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Polymer fume fever

Field	Value
name	Polymer fume fever
synonyms	Fluoropolymer fever
image	Polytetrafluoroethylene.svg
caption	Chemical structure of Teflon, the polymer whose breakdown products cause this condition
symptoms	fever, shaking chills, arthralgias, myalgias, headache, and malaise

NOTOC Polymer fume fever or fluoropolymer fever, also informally called Teflon flu, is an inhalation fever caused by the fumes released when polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, known under the trade name Teflon) reaches temperatures of 300 to 450 C.

Fever

When PTFE is heated above 450 C the pyrolysis products are different and inhalation may cause acute lung injury. Symptoms are flu-like (chills, headaches and fevers) with chest tightness and mild cough. Onset occurs about 4 to 8 hours after exposure to the pyrolysis products of PTFE. A high white blood cell count may be seen and chest x-ray findings are usually minimal.

The polymer fumes are especially harmful to certain animals whose breathing, optimized for rapidity, allows in toxins which are excluded by human lungs. Fumes from Teflon in very high heat are fatal to parrots, as well as some other birds (PTFE toxicosis).

References

Shusterman, D. J.. (1993-07-01). "Polymer fume fever and other fluorocarbon pyrolysis-related syndromes". Occupational Medicine.
(December 2012). "Polymer fume fever". BMJ Case Rep.
(23 February 2015). "Metal fume fever and polymer fume fever". National Institutes of Health.
Athan, Mattie Sue, ''Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot'', p. 126, ''Barron's Educational Service'', 1993, {{ISBN. 0-8120-4996-9.
"Teflon Toxicity (PTFE Toxicosis) in Birds: Signs and Prevention".

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

respiratory-diseases toxicology organofluorides

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