Analysis of Factors Contributing to the Occurrence of Systemic Toxicity in Patients with Hydrofluoric Acid Skin Exposure Injury: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis of 125 Clinical Cases from 1979 to 2020.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors contributing to the occurrence of systemic toxicity in patients injured after skin exposure to hydrofluoric acid (HFA) and to present guidelines for active treatment intervention based on this analysis. Data were acquired from EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane library for individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis. Key searching terms included calcium gluconate (CAG), hydrofluoric acid, and case. This research consisted of case studies published between 1979 and 2020. Systemic toxicity was set as the main outcome. Data sets from 50 case studies (N = 125 participants) were analyzed. Multivariate binary logistic regression analyses of IPD found significant association effect of the total body surface area (TBSA) burned, indicating systemic toxicity [Regression coefficient estimate, 0.82; SE, 0.41; Odds ratio, 2.28; [95% confidence interval, 1.03-5.06], and p = 0.0424]. The optimal cutoff point (sensitivity; specificity) of the receiver operating characteristic curve of the total body surface area (TBSA) burned for contributing occurrence of systemic toxicity was 2.38(0.875; 0.959). IPD meta-analysis indicates that existing evidence supports the positive proportional association of the TBSA burned for systemic toxicity. If the TBSA burned (%) in patients exposed to hydrofluoric acid is greater than 2.38, early aggressive treatment intervention, including decontamination and various CAG application, should be recommended as the guideline.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Chemical-Mass Casualty Incident Response Education Module (C-MCIREM): A Pilot Simulation Study With a Before and After Design.

Background With the occurrence of a number of major disasters around the world, there is growing interest in chemical disaster medicine. In South Korea, there is a training program for mass casualty incidents (MCI) and backup by legal regulations by the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety. However, there is no program focusing on chemical disasters. Thus, the authors newly created a program, the Chemical-Mass Casualty Incident Response Education Module (C-MCIREM) in September 2019. This was a pilot study to verify the educational effect of the program. Method A pre/post study was conducted of a chemical MCI training program based on simulation. A total of 25 representative and qualified participants were recruited from fire departments, administrative staff of public health centers, and healthcare workers of hospitals in the Gyeonggi-do province of South Korea. They participated in a one-day training program. A knowledge test and confidence survey were provided to participants just before training, and again immediately following the training online. The authors compared improvements of pre/post-test results. In the tabletop drill exercise, quantified qualitative analyses were used to measure the educational effect on the participants. Results In the knowledge test, the mean (standard deviation) scores for all 25 participants at baseline and after training were 41.72 (15.186) and 77.96 (11.227), respectively (p < 0.001). In the confidence survey for chemical MCI response for all 25 participants, all the sub-items concerning personal protective equipment selection, antidote selection, antidote stockpiling and passing on knowledge to colleagues, zone setup and decontamination, and chemical triage were improved compared to the baseline score (p < 0.001). The tabletop exercise represented a prehospital setting and had 11 participants. The self-efficacy qualitative survey showed pre- and post-exercise scores of 64/100 and 84/100 respectively. For a hospital setting exercise, it had 14 participants. The survey showed pre/post-exercise scores of 26/100 and 73/100 respectively. Twenty-two (88%) participants responded to the final satisfaction survey, and their overall mean scores regarding willingness to recommend this training program to others, overall satisfaction with theoretical education, overall satisfaction with tabletop drill simulation, and opinion about whether policymakers need this training were all over 8 out of 10 respectively. Conclusion C-MCIREM, the newly created chemical MCI program, provided effective education to the selected 25 participants among Korean chemical MCI responders in terms of both knowledge and practice at a single pilot trial. Participants were highly satisfied with the educational material and their confidence in disaster preparedness was clearly improved. In order to prove the universal educational effect of this C-MCIREM in the future, more education is needed.

Effect of ethanol in carbon monoxide poisoning and delayed neurologic sequelae: A prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVES: Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the most common poisoning substances, which causes mortality and morbidity worldwide. Delayed neurologic sequelae (DNS) have been reported to occur from several days to months after exposure to CO. Thus, there is a need for prevention, recognition, and treatment of DNS. Patients with CO poisoning as a component of intentional suicide often also consume ethanol, but there is debate regarding its role in DNS. We explored whether ethanol has a neuroprotective effect in CO poisoning. METHODS: This prospective observational study included patients who visited the emergency department from August 2016 to August 2019 due to CO poisoning. After treatment of acute CO poisoning, patients were interviewed by telephone to ascertain whether DNS had occurred within 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months from the time of CO exposure. RESULTS: During the study period, 171 patients were enrolled. 28 patients (16.37%) developed DNS. The initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores were 15 (10.5-15) for the non-DNS group and 10 (7-15) for the DNS group (p = 0.002). The ethanol levels were 11.01 ± 17.58 mg/dL and 1.49 ± 2.63 mg/dL for each group (p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the GCS score had an odds ratio of 0.770 (p < 0.001) and the ethanol level had 0.882 (p < 0.030) for onset of DNS. CONCLUSIONS: Higher ethanol level and higher initial GCS score were associated with lower incidence of DNS. Ethanol could have a neuroprotective effect on the occurrence of DNS in CO poisoning patients.