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Threat of Secondary Chemical Contamination of Emergency Departments and Personnel: An Uncommon but Recurrent Problem

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2015

Theodore C. Larson ,
Maureen F. Orr ,
Erik Auf der Heide ,
Jennifer Wu ,
Sutapa Mukhopadhyay  and
D. Kevin Horton
Theodore C. Larson*
Affiliation:
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, Georgia
Maureen F. Orr
Affiliation:
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, Georgia
Erik Auf der Heide
Affiliation:
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, Georgia
Jennifer Wu
Affiliation:
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, Georgia
Sutapa Mukhopadhyay
Affiliation:
Communicable and Environmental Diseases and Emergency Preparedness, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee.
D. Kevin Horton
Affiliation:
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, Georgia
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Theodore C. Larson, Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, GA (E-mail: [email protected]).
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Abstract

Objective

To analyze acute hazardous substance release surveillance data for events involving secondary contamination of hospital emergency departments (EDs). Secondary contamination of EDs may occur when a patient exposed to a hazardous chemical is not decontaminated before arrival at the ED and when ED staff are not wearing appropriate personal protective equipment. This can result in adverse health outcomes among department personnel, other patients, and visitors. Even events without actual secondary contamination risk can be real in their consequences and require the decontamination of the ED or its occupants, evacuation, or temporary shutdown of the ED.

Methods

Events involving secondary contamination were identified by using the Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance system and the National Toxic Substance Incidents Program from 2007 to 2013.

Results

Five incidents involving the threat of secondary contamination (0.02% of all events reported to the surveillance systems [n=33,001]) were detected and are described. Four incidents involved suspected secondary contamination in which the facility was evacuated or shut down.

Conclusions

These results suggest that although rare, incidents involving secondary contamination continue to present a hazard for emergency departments. Suggested best practices to avoid secondary contamination have been described. Hospitals should be made aware of the risks associated with secondary contamination and the need to proactively train and equip staff to perform decontamination. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:199–202)

Keywords

hazardous substancesemergency servicehospitaldecontamination
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , April 2016 , pp. 199 - 202
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2015 

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