Acute berylliosis is fortunately rare, largely due to better industrial controls on exposure. The acute response may be a combination of acute chemical irritation and a hypersensitivity response to previous sensitization.
The person is exposed to a high airborne concentration of beryllium.
The patient develops the onset of clinical findings that may include:
(1) nonproductive cough
(2) chest pain
(3) cyanosis
(4) shortness of breath
(6) low-grade fever
(7) dermatitis
Syndromes:
(1) acute fulminant pneumonitis that develops within 72 hours after a massive exposure.
(2) acute pneumonia that develops over several days after sub-massive exposure
Variation in the response is affected by:
(1) the relative amount of soluble and insoluble beryllium compounds in the exposure
(2) the type of chemical compounds (beryllium fluoride, etc)
(3) previous sensitization to beryllium and/or chronic berylliosis
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