Carbon dioxide as a potential danger to medical rescue teams at work – A case study

Abstract

Medical rescue teams might be exposed to the risk of accidental poisoning while performing rescue procedures. Exposure to the risk of lethal carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations is a rare situation. This case study describes rescuing a patient who suffered from sudden cardiac arrest due to accidental CO2 poisoning. The victim was finally evacuated and resuscitated, but the circumstances of the rescue operation point to the need to equip ambulances with carbon dioxide detectors and hermetic oxygen masks. Med Pr 2017;68(1):135–138

Keywords

• environmental exposure
• carbon dioxide
• cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• medical rescuer
• gas poisoning
• grain dryer