A case of a chlorine inhalation injury in an Ebola treatment unit

We present a 26-year-old male British military nurse, deployed to Sierra Leone to treat patients with Ebola virus disease at the military-run Kerry Town Ebola Treatment Unit. Following exposure to chlorine gas during routine maintenance procedures, the patient had an episode of respiratory distress...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ military health 2016-06, Vol.162 (3), p.229-231
Main Authors: Carpenter, Adrian, Cox, A T, Marion, D, Phillips, A, Ewington, I
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Bronchial Hyperreactivity - chemically induced
Chlorine - poisoning
Disinfectants - poisoning
Disinfection & disinfectants
Ebola virus
Gases
Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola - nursing
Humans
Hypocapnia - chemically induced
Inhalation Exposure
Lung Injury - chemically induced
Male
Military Personnel
Nurses
Occupational Exposure
Personal protective equipment
Sierra Leone
Syncope - chemically induced
United Kingdom
Ventilation
Viruses
Workers
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Summary:We present a 26-year-old male British military nurse, deployed to Sierra Leone to treat patients with Ebola virus disease at the military-run Kerry Town Ebola Treatment Unit. Following exposure to chlorine gas during routine maintenance procedures, the patient had an episode of respiratory distress and briefly lost consciousness after exiting the facility. Diagnoses of reactive airways disease, secondary to the chlorine exposure and a hypocapnic syncopal episode were made. The patient was resuscitated with minimal intervention and complete recovery occurred in less than 1 week. This case highlights the issues of using high-strength chlorine solution to disinfect the red zone. Although this patient had a good outcome, this was fortunate. Ensuring Ebola treatment centres are optimally designed and that appropriate management systems are formulated with extraction scenarios rehearsed are important to mitigate the chlorine-associated risk.
ISSN:0035-8665
2633-3767
2052-0468
2633-3775
DOI:10.1136/jramc-2015-000501