Pulmonary hyaline membrane disease is primarily defined as pulmonary hyaline membrane disease of the newborn. It refers to progressive dyspnea, cyanosis, expiratory groaning, inspiratory trismus, and respiratory failure due to progressive pulmonary atelectasis shortly after birth; the pathology is characterized by eosinophilic hyaline membranes adhering to the walls of the terminal fine bronchi to the alveoli. It is usually seen in preterm infants with atelectasis mainly due to insufficient surface-active substances, and is only found in neonatology; in adults it is rare to find pulmonary surface hyaline membrane disease caused by alveolar surface-active substance deficiency. If multiple chemical gas injuries occur in adults, they can cause loss of alveolar surface-active substances and acute pulmonary edema-like manifestations. The average person is not exposed to similar environments, which are mostly found in high-risk production areas, or hazardous chemical explosions, or bacteriological or biochemical warfare, and should not be feared or alarmed by such occurrences.