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European Survey: Risk of Cyanide Poisoning in Smoke Inhalation

NCT01386788 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 102

Last updated 2016-09-28

Study results available
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Summary

Cyanide poisoning is commonly viewed as a rare but dramatic event, occurring in industrial or laboratory settings as the result of accidental releases of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) gas (e.g. in the case of fire) or salts in the case of suicide attempts.

In fact, cyanide poisoning is considerably more common than is generally appreciated. Multiple clinical and post-mortal studies have demonstrated that HCN contributes to the toxicity of fire smoke.

Cyanide acts primarily through its strong affinity for the iron-containing heme moiety, binding to numerous critical enzyme systems in the body and rendering them inactive. Of late, increasing attention has been paid to the relationship of cyanide and nitric oxide. The interactions appear to be complex, with cyanide inducing nitric oxide production by binding to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, as well as binding to nitric oxide synthase. The latter may be overcome by the presence of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors.

Probably, the majority of the cyanide poisoning cases are due to smoke inhalation in closed-space fires.

So far, there are no clear data available on the prevalence of cyanide poisoning in smoke inhalation.

This information would be of great interest for all emergency physicians since a proven or supposed cyanide poisoning does not only requires an intensive supportive care, including the administration of supplemental oxygen and artificial ventilation, blood pressure support, and anticonvulsants, but also a rapid administration of a cyanide antidote.

Therefore, it is the goal of this survey to assess the prevalence of cyanide poisoning in smoke inhalation victims. Only the data of patients with a cyanide measurement before specific antidote treatment will be included

Conditions

  • Smoke Inhalation Patients

Interventions

OTHER

There is no intervention planned (observational)

No intervention foreseen

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Dr. Ernst MW Koch

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Thomas Zilker, Prof. · TU München

  • Carlo A Locatelli, Prof · IRCCS Fondazione Maugeri

  • Frédéric Baud, Prof · Hôpital Lariboisière

  • Guillermo Burillo-Putze, Prof · Universidad de Teneriffe

  • Jean-Philippe Fauville, Dr · To be added

  • Francois Levy, Dr · To be added

Eligibility

Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2009-04-30
Primary Completion
2012-06-30
Completion
2012-07-31

Countries

  • Germany

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01386788 on ClinicalTrials.gov