Jameson Cook
Daily Tribune
SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The Shelby Township Fire Department was the first agency in Macomb County to use an antidote on a man suffering cyanide poisoning from inhaling smoke during a fire.
Township fire officials called it a “milestone moment” as paramedics saved the man Nov. 22 by administering the newly acquired Cyanokit, which is “the only effective pre-hospital treatment for cyanide exposure… which works by reversing cyanide’s ability to block oxygen in the blood,” officials said in a news release.
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“This marks the first time a Cyanokit has been administered in the pre-hospital setting in Macomb County,” said Shelby Township Fire Chief Frank Pierce in the release. “We commend our firefighter/medics for their quick thinking and action, and we thank MCMCA ( Macomb County Medical Control Authority ) and McLaren Macomb for their collaboration, which made this life-saving treatment possible.
“The support of our residents and Board of Trustees allows us to bring cutting-edge technology and lifesaving tools to our community. Every improvement we make is possible because of their trust in our Fire Department and the mission we serve.”
The man who suffered smoke inhalation during a commercial building fire and received the treatment was in his early 30s and has recovered from the exposure, officials said.
“Modern” commercial, resident or industrial fires “produce smoke containing numerous dangerous gases, including cyanide,” officials said. One estimate says the chemical can be found in 35% of fires.
Hydroxocobalamin is the active ingredient in the Cyanokit that reverses the poisoning process.
A handful of Macomb County fire departments in recent months have purchased a kit, which costs $1,050, for paramedics to administer intravenously when a person shows signs of exposure at a fire scene. Quick action is needed, and the kits are carried in an emergency vehicle.
The agencies that have acquired them include the Clinton Township, Warren, Roseville and Richmond - Lenox departments, and Medstar Ambulance, officials said.
The kits were purchased at cost from McLaren Macomb Hospital in Mount Clemens, which is the designated health facility to provide them, officials said. They are the same kits used in the McLaren Macomb emergency department to treat cyanide exposure, said McLaren spokesman David Jones.
Dr. Hassan Beiz, chief medical officer at McLaren Macomb, applauded the addition of the kits for emergency workers.
“Effectively equipping first responders with the tools and training needed to quickly begin administering emergency medical care in the field significantly shortens the time between cyanide exposure and potentially lifesaving intervention,” he said in a written statement. “Furthermore, this program and its initial success reflect the strength of our emergency response network and our shared commitment to prioritizing the well-being of the members of our community.”
Deborah Condino, executive director of the Macomb County Medical Control Authority, commended the Macomb County fire chiefs who “took it on their own” to have their departments purchase the kits. The move had been discussed for a year, she said.
While hospitals provide and pick up the cost of all of the drugs that are carried by the 29 emergency agencies in the county, they do not pay for the kits, Condino said. That’s because the kits are costly, are not used frequently and expire in three years, she said.
“It is not part of our normal drug-box exchange because of the cost and number of times which it is used,” she said. “The kudos go to the agencies buying it on their own and taking the risk of it expiring but having it on hand.”
Condino noted that those who suffer from smoke inhalation get other treatment from cyanide poisoning “in the field, but research shows that if you provide this medication earlier the outcomes are better.”
Does your department carry Cyanokits? If not, what is the reason?
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