[14409]
Rptr personally met and reported reaction with dentist within 30 or so mins after exposure to what the employee identified as a hot sterilant solution or solutions rptr believes, from documents and knowledgeable persons comments, were either inappropriately applied, or not adequately outgassed or otherwise removed from silicone nose piece (which style, according to the inventor, was an out-dated old style and should have been thrown away several years ago) through which rptr was induced under a combination of 50% nitrous oxide and 50% oxygen during the dental hygiene treatment on that morning. Immediately, even before dentist turned on the gases, rptr inhaled through the nose piece. Rptr instantly experienced a severe burning in sinuses and eyes. Rptr ripped off the nose piece and exclaimed that "the unit smells of bleach and hurts rptr. " dentist said to rptr that "the nose piece has just come from the sterilizer" and what rptr smelled "was not bleach, but glutaraldehyde in the sterilizing solution in the sterilizer. Rptr sniffed the device at some distance and confirmed that the smell was reminiscent of formalin. Dentist reassured rptr, saying "it (the solution) is safe to use, we use it every day. " she said "i am not sure washing would help, because the chemicals are absorbed into the porous silicone rubber," but she did so for less than one min with soap and water. She told that "thin disposable sterile plastic shields are made for this nose piece, but we don't have any and we don't use them anyway because people find them uncomfortable. " she said that "most people use nothing when having their teeth cleaned, but certain nervous persons were given oxygen to help relax them and that few of their pts wanted nitrous oxide. " soley relying on her statement of safety for the solution, rptr trusted her opinion and accepted her beginning the anesthesia and cleaning to be done. She replaced the nose piece on rptr nose and turned on the anesthetic gasses. Rptr still could strongly smell what he clearly identified as an odor similar to formalin, but masked with soap smell. Rptr continued to have sinus pain and burning eyes, but somewhat lessened. She told me to "close your eyes if they burn; all you smell is the odor from the sterilizer solution. Rptr explained to her that "the odor was in the material of the nosepiece. " she attempted to reduce the buring in rptr's eyes by placing two rolls of dense cotton approx 1/4" x 1 1/2" under the sides of the nose piece beneath his eyes. Dentist had turned on the gasses to what she identified as 50% oxygen and 50% nitrous oxide. Rptr immediately began to feel the analgesic effects of the nitrous oxide. Although his sinuses and eyes continued to pain him, he quickly fell under the effects of the gas. However, well into the cleaning, rptr began to feel a burning in his lungs as well. Finally after fifteen mins or so rptr began to breathe mostly through his n20. (*)
Patient Sequence No: 1, Text Type: D, B5