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NDM-1 Update
Resource: Centers for Disease Control
Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of NDM-1–producing Enterobacteriaceae in patients who have received medical care in India and Pakistan, and should specifically inquire about this risk factor when carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae are identified.
CDC asks that carbapenem-resistant isolates from patients who have received medical care within 6 months in India or Pakistan be forwarded through state public health laboratories to CDC for further characterization. Infection control interventions aimed at preventing transmission, as outlined in current guidance (5), should be implemented when NDM-1–producing isolates are identified, even in areas where other carbapenem-resistance mechanisms are common among Enterobacteriaceae.
Additional information is available by contacting Brandi Limbago or Alex Kallen at search@cdc.gov.
2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill - Health Risks and information from the Centers for Disease Control: Information for Coastal ResidentsWhat to expect from the oil spill and how to protect your health and safety. Information for
Health Professionals
Hazardous Chemicals from Oil Spills and their Adverse Health Effects:
Resource: OSHA
Table 1. Hazardous Chemicals and Their Effects
| Hazardous Chemicals | Adverse Health Effects | | Benzene (crude oils high in BTEX, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) | Irritation to eyes, skin, and respiratory system; dizziness; rapid heart rate; headaches; tremors; confusion; unconsciousness; anemia; cancer | | Benzo(a)pyrene (a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon reproductive [see below], formed when oil or gasoline burns) | Irritation to eyes and skin, cancer, possible effects | | Carbon dioxide (inerting atmosphere, byproduct of combustion) | Dizziness, headaches, elevated blood pressure, rapid heart rate, loss of consciousness asphyxiation, coma | | Carbon monoxide (byproduct of combustion) Irritation to eyes, skin, and respiratory | Dizziness, confusion, headaches, nausea, weakness, loss of consciousness, asphyxiation, coma | | Ethyl benzene (high in gasoline) | Irritation to eyes, skin, and respiratory system; loss of consciousness; asphyxiation; nervous system effects | | Hydrogen sulfide (oils high in sulfur, decaying plants and animals) | Irritation to eyes, skin, and respiratory system; dizziness; drowsiness; cough; headaches; nervous system effects | | Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) (octane booster and clean air additive for gasoline, or pure MTBE) | Irritation to eyes, skin, and respiratory system; headaches; nausea; dizziness; confusion; fatigue; weakness; nervous system, liver, and kidney | | Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (occur in crude oil, and formed during burning of oil) | Irritation to eyes and skin, cancer, possible reproductive effects, immune system effects | | Sulfuric acid (byproduct of combustion of sour petroleum product) | Irritation to eyes, skin, teeth, and upper respiratory system; severe tissue burns; cancer | | Toluene (high BTEX crude oils) | Irritation to eyes, skin, respiratory system; fatigue; confusion; dizziness; headaches; memory loss; nausea; nervous system, liver, and kidney effects | | Xylenes (high BTEX crude oils) | Irritation to eyes, skin, respiratory system; dizziness; confusion; change in sense of balance; nervous system gastrointestinal system, liver, kidney, and blood effects |
Reference: United States Department of Labor - Occupational Safety & Health Administration (2010). Training marine oil spill response workers under OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard. Retrieved June 6, 2010 from http://www.osha.gov/Publications/3172/3172.html
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