NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
There were some frightening moments for patients and staff at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville.
Fire officials diverted traffic to the emergency department for three hours after a man was brought into the ER about 4 p.m. Sunday. Officials said he was exposed to a potentially dangerous chemical.
Hazmat crews were called in while they tried to figure out what was the chemical. They later determined it was MalathIon, an insecticide farmers use to kill insects on industrial crops.
"We feel safe the hospital was on a slight diversion at first but now all the residents the staff and all have been released and we feel certain that things are OK ... and able to return back to normal," Assistant Fire Chief Steve Holt said.
Eighteen emergency room staffers and two of the man's family members were decontaminated. However a hospital representative told Channel 4 News at no point was the hospital ever locked down. Metro police are investigating. At last check, the 48-year-old man was listed in critical condition.
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