TOXIC-GASES

OCCUPATIONAL FATALITY AND PERSISTENT NEUROLOGICAL SEQUELAE AFTER MASS EXPOSURE TO HYDROGEN SULFIDE

Exposure to hydrogen-sulfide (H2S) gas among 37 workers who had been excavating a construction pit on a narrow, sandy strip of New Jersey wetland was reported. Symptoms experienced by the victims included headache, dizziness, breathlessness, cough, burning and discomfort of the chest, throat and eye irritation, nausea and vomiting. The more severely exposed patients suffered pharyngeal and conjunctival erythema and corneal abrasions. One worker suffered coma from prolonged exposure, and was treated with hyperbaric oxygen combined with various pharmaceuticals. Significant and persistent cognitive and linguistic deficits were noted after recovery. The authors stress the need to manage the risk of adverse health effects associated with H2S exposure in the workplace and recommend the implementation of carefully written and enforced procedures to ensure safe entry into areas containing potentially hazardous gases.

American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 13(2):199-203, 1995. (89 references)

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