This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

First aid measures

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The aim is to terminate exposure and support vital functions whilst medical help is being sought:

  • protective clothing and breathing apparatus should be worn if hydrogen cyanide or liquid cyanide are involved

  • if the patient is unconscious, establish an airway and give 100 % oxygen - if this is unavailable, employ expired air resuscitation; use of a Laerdal pocket mask is preferred to mouth to mouth contact if cyanide salts have been ingested

  • remove all contaminated clothing

  • wash skin thoroughly with soap and water

  • give amyl nitrite by inhalation:
    • preferably, give 0.2 - 0.4 ml amyl nitrite via an Ambu bag; alternatively,
    • break one ampoule of amyl nitrite onto a cloth and hold under the patient's nose for 30 seconds in every minute - use a new ampoule every 3 minutes to a maximum of 6

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.