Exposure to Toxic Gases Flashcards
Toxic Inhalations
Once the patient is safely accessible for the IDC, the mainstay of patient treatment is supportive care with:
1) High-flow, 100% oxygen
2) BVM ventilation
3) Endotracheal intubation (ETI) as needed
Inhaled agents manifest their toxic effects by four different mechanisms:
1) Physical particulates
2) Simple asphyxiants
3) Chemical irritants
4) Chemical asphyxiants
Additionally, if the inhalation occurs the setting of a fire, heat can cause life threatening
upper airway _____ further threatening the patient’s airway
burns
The signs and symptoms of physical particulate exposure are the result of ______
irritation of the respiratory system.
-includes excessive coughing and some degree of shortness of breath.
Treatment exposure to toxic gasses
(a) Management is supportive
1) Remove the patient from the source of the physical particulates and administer oxygen.
2) Patients with signs of reactive airway disease (e.g., wheezing and poor air flow) should be treated with nebulized Albuterol.
If the simple asphyxiant is CO2, patients may experience what as the initial effect of exposure?
a narcotic-like sleepiness
What gasses are simple asphyxiants?
1) Carbon dioxide (CO2)
2) Nitrogen
3) Methane
4) Natural gas
Simple Asphyxiants Treatment
(a) The mainstay of simple asphyxiant management is gaining safe access to the patient
(b) Administration of high-concentration oxygen
(c) Cardiopulmonary support as indicated
Two general classes of chemical irritants are….
those that react readily with water
and those that do not.
What type of chemical irritants can pass more
deeply into the lungs and cause direct lung injury?
non- hydrophilic agents
What inhaled agents quickly with the moist membranes of the eyes and the upper respiratory tree, causing immediate intense burning and pain
Hydrophilic inhaled agents
_______ express their toxic effects by chemical reaction with the mucus membranes of the eyes and respiratory system
Chemical irritants
inhaled Chemical irritants tx
(a) Treatment of chemical irritant exposures should include supportive care and irrigation of eyes with water or saline.
(b) As with particulate irritants, patients with underlying asthma or COPD will likely benefit from nebulized albuterol treatments if bronchospasm is evident during physical examination
Simple stated, _______ cause injury by asphyxiating patients at the cellular level by massively deranging normal cellular utilization of oxygen.
chemical asphyxiants
The most common example of a chemical asphyxiant is ….
carbon monoxide
