Definition

Noun: A serious medical condition involving acute injury to the lungs, characterized by inflammation, fluid accumulation, and impaired oxygen exchange, often resulting from exposure to harmful irritants.

Usage

This is a medical term used to describe a specific, severe lung condition. * The firefighters were treated for wet lung after inhaling toxic fumes from the chemical fire. * Exposure to high concentrations of chlorine gas can lead to the development of wet lung.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in occupational and emergency medicine contexts to describe a rapid-onset pulmonary condition.
• It is sometimes used interchangeably with or as a lay term for more specific medical diagnoses like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or chemical pneumonitis when referring to the specific symptom of pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs).

Variants and Related Words

• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS): The formal clinical term for a severe form of lung failure that includes the condition described as wet lung.
• Pulmonary Edema: A condition involving fluid accumulation in the lungs, which is a key characteristic of wet lung.
• Chemical Pneumonitis: Inflammation of the lung tissue caused by inhaling irritants, closely related to one cause of wet lung.

Synonyms

• Acute lung injury
• Shock lung (a specific context of ARDS)
• Non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema

Related Phrases

• To develop wet lung: To begin suffering from this condition.
  • Several workers developed wet lung following the industrial accident.
• A case of wet lung: An instance of this condition.
  • The emergency room diagnosed a severe case of wet lung.

Notes on Meaning

This term specifically refers to lung damage from direct injury or irritation (like chemicals), not from heart failure. It emphasizes the lungs becoming "stiff" and filled with fluid, preventing proper breathing.

Noun

1. acute lung injury characterized by coughing and rales; inflammation of the lungs which become stiff and fibrous and cannot exchange oxygen; occurs among persons exposed to irritants such as corrosive chemical vapors or ammonia or chlorine etc.