Acute ammonia intoxication complicating multiple trauma.

Exposure to ammonia gas causes severe tissue damage to skin, lungs, and eyes. Toxic effects, both immediate and delayed, can alter the response to other injuries. We report a 14-year-old boy who suffered multiple trauma in a vehicular accident and at the same time was exposed to anhydrous ammonia. He exhibited severe pulmonary and ocular damage in addition to other severe injuries, and despite aggressive treatment, died of respiratory failure.