Agricultural Health: info for health care providers
Hydrogen Sulfide
Fall 1999
Case History: A 58-year-old male farmer was pronounced dead on arrival at the emergency room of a rural county hospital. The deceased had no history of chronic or recent acute illness. A post-mortem revealed nothing unusual except extensive, diffuse pulmonary edema (water in the lungs).
The farmer had operated a large swine confinement operation. On the morning of his death, he had entered a manure pit following its emptying to investigate a possible blockage in one of the sewage lines. A co-worker on the scene reported that the farmer had lowered himself through a manhole into the six-foot deep pit. There were a few inches of liquid manure in the bottom. The farmer was in the pit for a few minutes when he suddenly collapsed. The co-worker could not reach the victim and was reluctant to enter the pit to get him out. The local ambulance service and fire department were called. They were able to remove the farmer 45 minutes later.
Questions:
1. Exposure
to which gas was most likely the cause of death?
A.
Carbon monoxide
B.
Nitrogen Dioxide
C.
Hydrogen sulfide
D. Ammonia
2. If you
had been on the scene, or been queried by the emergency medical service about the type of
respiratory protection needed for this rescue operation, you should have chosen:
3. If confinement swine or poultry feeding was a common practice of your patient population, what additional respiratory problems might you anticipate among the individuals working in these operations? (circle all correct answers)
A. Coughing,
excess sputum production
B. Episodic
complaints of headache, fever, malaise, muscle aches and pains
C. Frequent or continuous cold, with sinus problems
D. Tuberculosis
caused by Mycobacterium suis
E. Chest
tightness
F.
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
G. Methane gas
poisoning