Health Alert- Sepsis from NOL Autos

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Health Alert Issued OverHurricane Zone Vehicles

 

Mar 2, 2006

By: James E. Guyette

 

MISSOURI CITY, TX (Feb. 23, 2006) - Heavy metal can

kill you - especially if it's attached to a

contaminated car. Technicians should take heed of a

nationwide alert issued to emergency personnel

emphasizing the risk of fatally infected cuts

inflicted by " flood cars " from the Hurricane Zone.

 

A Mississippi firefighter recently died from septic

shock contracted through a slightly scratched finger

suffered while extricating a victim from a crashed

car.

 

" The warning needs to go out to the automotive

industry because of all of the vehicles that were

contaminated in the New Orleans area that are now

spread across the country, " says Todd Hoffman,

executive director of Scene of the Accident Inc.,

based in Missouri City, TX.

 

The floodwaters that inundated The Big Easy tested at

50 times above the danger level for this type of

toxin, which enters the bloodstream. Called sepsis, it

spreads rapidly from just the tiniest break in the

skin. It is indeed deadly and can be carried by a car

in your bays.

 

The illness [sepsis]

is frequently under-diagnosed because it has symptoms

similar to a multitude of other ailments.

 

" The government is crushing all of the vehicles,

so-they-say, but any vehicle looked at prior to Dec. 6

[2005] was sent to auction, " says Hoffman. " The

vehicles that the owners were allowed to retain are

all over the country, and all of the uninsured

vehicles are for sale everywhere. "

 

Technicians need to wear gloves and otherwise protect

themselves at all times, he urges, calling for " long

sleeve shirts, long pants, gloves and safety shoes -

not shorts, tank tops and tennis shoes. "

 

If an employee gets a cut or even the smallest

scratch, the wound needs to be immediately disinfected

and a bandage applied, Hoffman advises.

 

" Soap and water will not kill the bacteria, " he points

out. " It will take a strong antiseptic cleaner.

[shops] need to consider adding a disinfectant to

their wash water when a contaminated car is

suspected. "

 

If there is redness or swelling, or a rash or back

pain, you should " get to the doctor and demand a blood

test. " The illness is frequently under-diagnosed

because it has symptoms similar to a multitude of

other ailments.

 

Sepsis can develop quickly. The sooner it is diagnosed

and treated, the better.

 

The Mississippi firefighter died six days after

receiving a " tiny cut " from the wrecked car. " The

doctor did not do a blood test because it is something

that is not commonly done in these cases, " Hoffman

explains.

 

Every minute, more than two people die from severe

sepsis in the United States, according to Dr.

Jean-Louis Vincent of the Society of Critical Care

Medicine. It is the leading cause of death in hospital

intensive care units and claims " more lives than

breast, colon/rectal, pancreatic and prostate cancer

combined. And, the numbers are getting worse, " says

Vincent. " When someone dies of 'complications' from

cancer or pneumonia, it is more than likely caused by

severe sepsis. "

 

Once inflicted, the death rate from sepsis is 40

percent in healthy adults. In younger children and

older adults, the probability of dying rises to 80

percent.

 

Although ranked as the 13th most-common cause of death

in the United States, the exact number of fatalities

attributable to sepsis is not known. It is estimated

that each year there are 400,000 bouts of sepsis,

200,000 cases of septic shock and 100,000 deaths from

the illness.

 

" Sepsis is the body's response to an infection.

Patients developing sepsis progress from ill to

seriously ill, onto organ dysfunction and failure -

called severe sepsis - and then to septic shock, "

Vincent explains. " Because early treatment is crucial,

the faster you are diagnosed, the better your chances

of making a full recovery are. "

 

The symptoms of sepsis can include:

* Fever and shaking chills.

* Reduced mental alertness, sometimes with confusion.

* Nausea and vomiting.

* Diarrhea in the presence of infection.

* Sometimes hypotension.

* Altered kidney or liver function in some cases.

 

" If the waters from New Orleans were poured into a

bucket and shipped elsewhere, it would have been

labeled as a biologically hazardous material. " -

CCAR's Bob Stewart

 

The normal symptoms of an infection should not last

longer than five days, and a fever should be no higher

than 103?F, according to Vincent. " If the fever

exceeds 103?F with chills, confusion or difficulty

breathing, the patient should be taken to the hospital

immediately. "

 

The victim in Mississippi, known to colleagues as " a

fireman's fireman, " had more than 30 years of

experience. At about 10 p.m. on a Monday, he scratched

his finger on the car from which he was extricating a

patient. He applied disinfectant and an adhesive

bandage to the cut.

 

Tuesday morning he felt a little sick with flu-type

symptoms. Wednesday he developed a rash on his back

along with back pain. That afternoon he went to a

doctor and received muscle relaxant and salve, being

told to take it easy for a couple days. Thursday he

felt a little drowsy, thinking it was from the

medication. By Friday he was feeling better, going to

the firehouse to catch up on paperwork. Saturday he

collapsed at home and was rushed by ambulance to the

hospital. He went into cardiac arrest in the emergency

room but was brought back and scheduled for surgery

Sunday morning. On Saturday afternoon he suffered

another cardiac arrest and could not be revived.

 

" When opened up, he was filled with septic infection, "

Hoffman reports. " He was a 65-year-old healthy male. "

 

Spotting potential risks

According to Coordinating Committee for Automotive

Repair (CCAR), shop employees need to exercise

considerable caution when inspecting or repairing

vehicles that may have originated in the Hurricane

Zone. Advice is available free for download at

www.ccar-greenlink.org.

 

The floodwaters were loaded with toxins, such as raw

sewage, E coli, petrochemicals, human and animal

remains, hexavalent chromium, arsenic and lead.

 

If the waters from New Orleans were poured into a

bucket and shipped elsewhere, it would have been

labeled as a biologically hazardous material, observes

CCAR's Bob Stewart.

 

Shop managers should communicate the risks and

preventative methods to technicians, who in-turn

should don rubber gloves and other suitable protective

wear. Employees should report any injury, no matter

how slight.

 

" Each vehicle can potentially carry an extraordinary

amount of harmful residue, " Stewart cautions.

 

Flooded vehicles do contain clues to their soggy past,

and shops conducting repairs or offering prepurchase

inspections for their customers can spot several

telltale signs:

 

1. A title search of the vehicle identification number

(VIN) is a good first step.

 

2. Along the vehicle's body, look at seams and around

the edges of windows for a high-water mark or specks

of dried mud.

 

3. Water stains, mildew, sand or silt can be seen or

smelled under carpets, floor mats, headliner cloth and

behind the dashboard.

 

4. Carpeting and upholstery can be vigorously

shampooed, but a hot day will bring back the musty

smell.

 

5. Carpeting and upholstery should last for many years

in any given car; it may be a warning sign if it has

been replaced. Check to see that it fits properly and

shows a true color match.

 

6. Even the best detailer can't get all of the mud

from behind the dash without damaging fragile wiring

or other sensitive components.

 

7. You can never really get all the moisture out of an

engine, according to the National Insurance Crime

Bureau, which suggests looking under the hood for

signs of oxidation. Pull back rubber boots around

electrical and mechanical connections to search for

rusting ferrous materials, copper parts with a green

patina, plus aluminum and alloys displaying pitting or

a white power.

 

8. Check the oil and other fluids for cloudiness

indicating water contamination.

 

9. Inspect for mud or grit in alternator crevices,

behind wiring harnesses and around the small recesses

of starter motors, power steering pumps and relays

along with hints of rust or flaking metal along the

undercarriage that you wouldn't expect in a

later-model vehicle.

 

10. See if all the switches and gauges are functioning

properly.

 

11. Try out the heater and air-conditioner, turning

them off and on several times. Look inside the vents

for evidence of mud or water. Also activate the

lights, wipers, turn signals, cigarette lighter and

radio. Mud, silt or grit residue can be discovered in

the trunk, spare tire well and in headlamp and tail

lamp housings.

 

12. Look for rust on screws in the console, glove box,

interior body panels, under the seats or any other

area moisture wouldn't normally breach unless the car

had been immersed in water.

 

© 2006 Advanstar Communications.