Letter 17072

Cyanide Antidote Kit  

++ I have a gold plating system. I need to purchase a Cyanide Antidote Kit. Can anyone tell me where to find one? Thanks Kitty H. Kitty Howard - Overton, Nevada ++ The most important ingredient in the kit (the only one administrable without injection or professional help) is amyl nitrite capsules, a controlled dangerous substance (poppers). So you'll need a doctor's prescription for the kit, and you may have trouble finding a willing doctor. But the second problem is that your pharmacist may not have a clue about the kit (been there / done that). Your third problem is you can't leave a controlled dangerous substance like this available. So you'll have to mount it behind tempered glass with one of those little hammers like on some old fashioned fire alarm stations. The trick is to start at your regional poison control center -- they have such kits. Get a note from them for your doctor and instructions on how to order the kit (I think it's distributed by Eli Lilly); take the note to your doctor and he'll give you the prescription; give the prescription and the ordering info you got from the poison control center to your pharmacist. You must make the effort because OSHA does not hesitate to fine an employer for failing to have a cyanide antidote kit. Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey ++ Just to reply to Mr. Ted Mooney PE, Pharmacists are aware of the Cyanide kit which needs to be safeguarded for actual life threatening situations that occur on a pretty normal basis or in case of a severe bio terrorist attack and just for your information Eli Lilly does not make it anymore and happens to be its a different company now. Thank You Yours Truly, Bishoy Luka - Syracuse, New York

Thank you Dr.Luka. I am glad to hear that you are familiar with the cyanide antidote kit. But the fact is that many other pharmacists I inquired of were not -- although presumably the situation has improved post-911.

What you may not be aware of is that many plating shops use cyanide-bearing processes and are required by law to have a cyanide antidote kit on hand. "Safeguarding" it at a pharmacy doesn't help them comply with the law whatsoever, and if a worker is exposed to cyanide, the victim might be dead before anything could be gotten from a pharmacy.

I've personally interviewed pharmacists to try to help client plating shops obtain these cyanide antidote kits as required by OSHA, and was met with blank stares at more than one pharmacy. So I learned from experience, as explained above, that the best starting point was to contact a poison control center.

Ted Mooney finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

It's not easy to convince a doctor you need a kit but I have had pretty good luck getting prescriptions for cyanide antidote kits from doctors at occupational medical clinics and the clinic I am using also orders the kits for me. The kits are made by Taylor pharmaceuticals. I hope this helps

Neil Bell Red Sky Plating Albuquerque, New Mexico

This is a very serious matter to anyone handling cyanides. I can only speak from the UK's perspective, but it may be of use. Firstly the health and safety people here do not like non-qualified people sticking needles into other people and anyone doing so can be done for assault. Secondly the cyanide antidote kit contains both amyl nitrite and two solutions (A&B) that you mix and give to the patient to drink (if conscious) as an antidote. There is also the cobalt edetate in glucose and sodium thiosulphate solutions for injection. The orally administered antidote is of non-proven effectiveness, but (I suppose) is better than nothing. Injections can ONLY be given by qualified people (ie doctor, nurse, paramedic etc).

However, the latest Health and Safety guidelines in the UK say the ONLY thing to do is to administer oxygen from a medical oxygen gas cylinder; this can be done by anyone who has been trained in the requisite First Aid. Obviously seeking immediate medical help is paramount. Finally, there is some debate as to whether the whole antidote process is actually of any use after a real potentially fatal exposure; the treatment is so extreme that some people consider it to be as hazardous as the cyanide.

Trevor Crichton R&D practical scientist - UK

++ Thank you Neil. Thank you Trevor. It is also illegal for an untrained person to stick anyone with a needle in the USA too. The point of having these injectable antidotes on hand is so they travel with the victim, immediately on hand at whatever point qualified medical attention may decide they should be injected. But it's all a bit moot because the kits are required by law in the U.S. whether the U.K. thinks they are useful or not. Shops will be fined for not having it. Maybe our OSHA will come 'round to the same opinion that you say is finding favor in the U.K., and plating shops will be relieved of the burden of having to buy and stock poppers :-) Ted Mooney finishing.com Brick, New Jersey +++ I just wanted to make everyone aware. Keystone Pharmaceuticals manufactures Cyanide Antidote Kits. I hope this helps. We do require a DEA certificate for purchases or you could have a physician place an order for you. Jesse Suarez Keystone Pharmaceuticals Inc - Laguna Hills, California October 27, 2009 Could you please refer me to anyone who does training on the use of cyanide antidote kits in the Nov 4, 2009 timeframe. In or near the Philadelphia area. thomas harvey - conshohocken, Pennsylvania