title: Hydrogen sulfide poisoning: an antidotal role for sodium nitrite?
abstract: In 2 separate incidents, 6 patients were poisoned with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in sewer gas. In the first incident, mixing acid- and sodium hydroxide-based drain cleaners in a confined space resulted in 4 poisonings and 2 deaths. Three would-be rescuers were seriously poisoned and 1 died. Two survivors had neurological sequelae. Sodium nitrite appeared to have some clinical efficacy in 1 case. The second incident involved 2 patients working on a pump in a sewage pond. A patient lying on a raft close to the pond surface was seriously poisoned; sodium nitrite was clinically efficacious and this patient survived without developing neurological sequelae. Sodium nitrite deserves further clinical study as a potential H2S antidote.
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, USA.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Rumack
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000931:Antidotes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000506:poisoning*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy; D012977:Sodium Nitrite / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000931:Antidotes; D012977:Sodium Nitrite; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide