An illness among office workers, consisting of cough, fever, chills, muscle aches, and chest tightness was associated with water leaks from a cafeteria. Mean single breath carbon-monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO) of cases differed significantly from that of non-cases. There was a significant decrease in the percent of predicted DLCO with increasing number of symptoms. Testing for precipitating antibodies to microbial agents found in the building revealed no differences between cases and non-cases. DLCO is an appropriate cross-sectional instrument for field investigations of building-associated respiratory disease.

Organic solvents have been implicated in a number of neuropsychiatric disturbances, though physical and neurological exams are frequently negative. An individual with acute tetrabromoethane exposure was evaluated with positron emission tomography (PET), topographical electroencephalogram (EEG), and neurobehavioral assessment. Results suggest widespread central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction consistent with a solvent-induced encephalopathy.