For example, when polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is burned, the common plumbing material is known to produce more than 75 different toxic chemicals.Īn ordinary mattress and box spring set, containing wood, metal springs, cotton, polyurethane foam and other natural or synthetic polymers, can present a significant hazard. When these items are burned, the toxins can generate various lethal fumes.
Let_s review combustion and smoke inhalation and cyanide toxicity and discuss the current EMS care in some regions of the U.S.”žĬonsider the average home: Items commonly found inside include a plethora of organic and inorganic items, such as clothing, carpeting, upholstery/furniture, electronics, mattresses, refrigerators, cleaning supplies, painted walls, paper, etc. Although EMS providers are typically well positioned to provide such care, they_re not usually equipped with the necessary medications to adequately treat cyanide poisoning. In the case of cyanide, treatment with certain antidotes, like sodium thiosulfate and hydroxocobalamin, is often necessary for the patient_s survival. Rapid treatment is necessary to reverse the toxicity caused by these agents. Carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide form during the incomplete combustion of such common household products as plastics, synthetic polymers and polyurethane foam. Smoke is dangerous because of the toxicity of its suspended chemicals. Firefighters who entered the structure reportedly found bodies stacked near doorways and under tables, none of which had any evidence of burns.”ž For instance, Boston_s Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire killed 491 people in 1942. The danger of smoke inhalation is well demonstrated by several of this country_s large catastrophic fires. According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), there were more than 3,430 civilian fire-related deaths and 17,675 civilian fire-related injuries in 2007, with 50àⅸ0% attributed solely to the inhalation of smoke_s imbedded toxic chemicals. The inhalation of combustion products, such as smoke from fires, is the leading cause of death from fire in the U.S.
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