special subjects
Metal Fume Fever and Polymer Fume Fever
Treatment
Symptom relief, including antipyretics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) For severe respiratory distress, mechanical ventilation Treatment of metal fume fever and polymer fume fever is supportive and may include antipyretics, NSAIDs, and other symptomatic measures. Patients are often referred to the emergency department, but most of those patients can be discharged home. Oral or IV corticosteroids are not recommended because they have not shown efficacy in the setting of metal fume fever. Rarely, patients with preexisting lung disease (eg, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) require treatment and inpatient admission for exacerbation of the preexisting disease. If severe cases of either syndrome cause respiratory distress, the same Treatment (eg, mechanical ventilation, positive end-expiratory pressure [PEEP]) are indicated. 