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Hydrogen Sulfide

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Critical Care Toxicology

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Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (HS), cyanide, azide, and carbon monoxide are collectively referred to as or chemical asphyxiants because of their ability to disrupt aerobic cellular respiration. Exposure to H2S is associated with a “knockdown” effect and may be rapidly fatal. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported 766 H2S exposures in 2013, with 327 treated in a healthcare facility and 10 deaths [1]. Hydrogen sulfide is the second most common cause of fatal gas inhalation in the workplace [2]. Olfactory fatigue to the smell of H2S occurs quickly and has led to fatal poisoning of rescuers on multiple occasions [3, 4].

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Aaron Skolnik

  2. Department of Medical Toxicology, Banner Poison and Drug Information Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    C. William Heise

Authors
  1. Aaron Skolnik
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  2. C. William Heise
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Aaron Skolnik or C. William Heise .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Colorado School of Medicine, Toxicology Associates, Denver, Colorado, USA

    Jeffrey Brent

  2. Office of New Drugs Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

    Keith Burkhart

  3. Clinical Toxicology, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom

    Paul Dargan

  4. University of Colorado School of Medicine, Toxicology Associates, Denver, Colorado, USA

    Benjamin Hatten

  5. Med & Toxicological Intensive Care Unit, Lariboisière Hospital Paris-Diderot University, Paris, France

    Bruno Megarbane

  6. University of Colorado School of Medicine, Toxicology Associates, Denver, Colorado, USA

    Robert Palmer

Grading System for Levels of Evidence Supporting Recommendations in Critical Care Toxicology, 2nd Edition

Grading System for Levels of Evidence Supporting Recommendations in Critical Care Toxicology, 2nd Edition

  1. I.

    Evidence obtained from at least one properly randomized controlled trial.

  2. II-1.

    Evidence obtained from well-designed controlled trials without randomization.

  3. II-2.

    Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case–control analytic studies, preferably from more than one center or research group.

  4. II-3.

    Evidence obtained from multiple time series with or without the intervention. Dramatic results in uncontrolled experiments (such as the results of the introduction of penicillin treatment in the 1940s) could also be regarded as this type of evidence.

  5. III.

    Opinions of respected authorities, based on clinical experience, descriptive studies and case reports, or reports of expert committees.

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Skolnik, A., Heise, C.W. (2016). Hydrogen Sulfide. In: Brent, J., Burkhart, K., Dargan, P., Hatten, B., Megarbane, B., Palmer, R. (eds) Critical Care Toxicology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20790-2_143-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20790-2_143-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20790-2

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