CHEMICAL DECONTAMINATION

Course overview

CONTENDING WITH A MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT INVOLVING A CHEMICAL EXPOSURE SEEMS DAUNTING; FORTUNATELY, THESE ARE RARE EVENTS. ACUTE CARE CLINICIANS MAY ENCOUNTER SINGLE PATIENTS OR POSSIBLY SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS PRESENTING FOR CARE FOLLOWING HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL EXPOSURE. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS) HAVE PROTOCOLS AND EMPLOY PROVIDERS WHO ARE WELL VERSED IN RESPONDING TO HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL EXPOSURES, BUT THESE SPECIALIZED RESPONSE TEAMS TAKE TIME TO MOBILIZE. IT IS LIKELY THAT INJURED PATIENTS, INCLUDING THOSE EXPOSED TO A DANGEROUS CHEMICAL, WILL ARRIVE AT A HEALTHCARE FACILITY BEFORE UNDERGOING DECONTAMINATION. SOME HAZARDOUS MATERIALS WILL PRODUCE TOXICITY EVEN AFTER REMOVING AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THE HOT ZONE OR SOURCE OF EXPOSURE. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PROCESS OF DECONTAMINATION AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PROVIDING CARE FOR CONTAMINATED PATIENTS WHILE PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF TOXIC CHEMICALS.