title: White powder triggers lockdown of ED, as fire and police respond.
abstract: When an unauthorized individual walked into the ED at a Tennessee hospital, he placed a bottle of white power in the department and left, which resulted in a lockdown. Prompt action is essential when an unidentified substance is discovered: If the substance is in a package or an envelope, do not open it. It could be harmful to you, your patients, or other staff members. Alert those around you. If possible, remove the container and the substance outside your building. A disruptive lockdown may not be necessary if the above steps have been taken and all decontamination procedures are taking place outside the building.
mesh_terms: D051337:Chemical Terrorism; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D006801:Humans; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D012637:Security Measures; D013714:Tennessee
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances