Aspiration pneumonitis or chemical pneumonitis is inflammation of the lung caused by aspirating or inhaling irritants. It is sometimes called a "chemical pneumonia

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...

", though it is not infectious. There are two general types of chemical pneumonitis: acute and chronic.

Irritants capable of causing chemical pneumonitis include vomitus, barium used in gastro-intestinal imaging, ingested gasoline

Gasoline

Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...

 or other petroleum distillate

Fractional distillation

Fractional distillation is the separation of a mixture into its component parts, or fractions, such as in separating chemical compounds by their boiling point by heating them to a temperature at which several fractions of the compound will evaporate. It is a special type of distillation...

s, ingested or skin absorbed pesticide

Pesticide

Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...

s, gases from electroplating

Electroplating

Electroplating is a plating process in which metal ions in a solution are moved by an electric field to coat an electrode. The process uses electrical current to reduce cations of a desired material from a solution and coat a conductive object with a thin layer of the material, such as a metal...

, smoke and others. It may also be caused by the use of inhalants.
Mendelson's syndrome

Mendelson's syndrome

Mendelson's syndrome is chemical pneumonitis caused by aspiration during anaesthesia, especially during pregnancy.-Presentation:Mendelson's syndrome is characterised by a bronchopulmonary reaction following aspiration of gastric contents during general anaesthesia due to abolition of the laryngeal...

 is a type of chemical pneumonitis.

Mineral oil should not be given internally to young children, pets, or anyone with a cough, hiatus hernia

Hiatus hernia

A hiatus hernia or hiatal hernia is the protrusion of the upper part of the stomach into the thorax through a tear or weakness in the diaphragm.- Classification :There are two major kinds of hiatus hernia:...

, or nocturnal reflux, because it can cause complications such as lipoid pneumonia. Due to its low density, it is easily aspirated into the lungs, where it cannot be removed by the body. In children, if aspirated, the oil can work to prevent normal breathing, resulting in death of brain cells and permanent paralysis and/or retardation.

Symptoms of chemical pneumonitis include:

Acute:

• Cough
• Difficulty Breathing
• Abnormal lung sounds (wet, gurgling sounding breaths)
• Chest pain, tightness or burning

Chronic:

• Persistent cough
• Shortness of breath
• Increased susceptibility to respiratory illness

Symptoms of chronic chemical pneumonitis may or may not be present, and can take months or years to develop to the point of noticeability.