Which statement regarding inhaled poisons is correct?

• A. Lung damage may progress after removal from the environment
• B. Lung damage stops immediately after removal
• C. Inhaled poisons do not affect the lungs
• D. Inhaled poisons only affect the eyes

Answer: (A)

Inhaled poisons can cause injury that continues to evolve even after you’re no longer exposed. The irritant or toxic gas triggers inflammation and damage to the airways and alveoli, which can lead to delayed pulmonary edema or pneumonitis that worsens over hours after the exposure ends. Removing someone from the environment stops new exposure but doesn’t stop the inflammatory and vascular processes already set in motion. That’s why the statement that lung damage may progress after removal best fits. The other options imply there’s no lung injury or that damage ends immediately or only affects the eyes, which isn’t accurate for inhaled poisons.