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Live-Saving Drug Not Available To EMS
Cyanokits Used To Save Victims Of House Fires
POSTED: 5:03 pm CDT May 20,
2008
UPDATED: 7:53 pm CDT May 20,
2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- An increasingly popular drug that is being used in major cities around the country is allowing paramedics to save lives, but it is currently not available to Nashville emergency personnel.
Video: Injection Can Help Smoke Inhalation VictimsCalled a Cyanokit, the drug is administered by personnel to people who have suffered cyanide poisoning."We carry a lot of drugs that help patients. And I think it would be very interesting. It's a very interesting concept," said Deputy Chief Kim Lawson of the Nashville Fire Department.The Cyanokit is being used in nearly 30 fire departments around the country to improve the odds for victims and firefighters overcome by poisonous smoke."Even though a patient may get a tube in and the fire department or the emergency room is breathing for them, and they're getting oxygen in their lungs, their cells are being suffocated," said Vanderbilt's Dr. Jeffrey Guy.Guy said that's where the Cyanokits can help, acting as an antidote."The brain cells, the kidney cells, all of these other cells aren't getting that oxygen, so that's what the antidote is designed for," said Guy.The Cyanokit drug is essentially a super B-12 vitamin, that's been used successfully in Europe for about 10 years.Guy thinks it's time for all city fire departments, including the one in Nashville, to take a hard look at the future of mobile medicine."When you pull someone out from a fire, their mental status is altered, and their heart has stopped. They're in cardiac arrest, and they've got an unstable heartbeat. Good research by toxicologists has shown those are people who should be considered for giving these antidotes to," said Guy."It may be something that we would want to look into or research with our medical director, most certainly," said Lawson.The cost of the drugs are the main reason Nashville paramedics are not using Cyanokits. Each kit, which has a one time use, can range between $700 and $1,200. However, other cities are finding the kits' life-saving benefits often outweigh the cost. Related Link:
Learn more about Cyanokits
Video: Injection Can Help Smoke Inhalation VictimsCalled a Cyanokit, the drug is administered by personnel to people who have suffered cyanide poisoning."We carry a lot of drugs that help patients. And I think it would be very interesting. It's a very interesting concept," said Deputy Chief Kim Lawson of the Nashville Fire Department.The Cyanokit is being used in nearly 30 fire departments around the country to improve the odds for victims and firefighters overcome by poisonous smoke."Even though a patient may get a tube in and the fire department or the emergency room is breathing for them, and they're getting oxygen in their lungs, their cells are being suffocated," said Vanderbilt's Dr. Jeffrey Guy.Guy said that's where the Cyanokits can help, acting as an antidote."The brain cells, the kidney cells, all of these other cells aren't getting that oxygen, so that's what the antidote is designed for," said Guy.The Cyanokit drug is essentially a super B-12 vitamin, that's been used successfully in Europe for about 10 years.Guy thinks it's time for all city fire departments, including the one in Nashville, to take a hard look at the future of mobile medicine."When you pull someone out from a fire, their mental status is altered, and their heart has stopped. They're in cardiac arrest, and they've got an unstable heartbeat. Good research by toxicologists has shown those are people who should be considered for giving these antidotes to," said Guy."It may be something that we would want to look into or research with our medical director, most certainly," said Lawson.The cost of the drugs are the main reason Nashville paramedics are not using Cyanokits. Each kit, which has a one time use, can range between $700 and $1,200. However, other cities are finding the kits' life-saving benefits often outweigh the cost. Related Link:Learn more about Cyanokits
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