The Validated Modified Irritant Gas Syndrome Agent Criteria as a New Chemical Triage for the Hydrofluoric Acid Exposure

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to compare and analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients exposed to hydrofluoric acid based on the validated modified irritant gas syndrome agent (IGSA) criteria as a newly developed chemical disaster triage.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional chart review study included the records of patients (n = 160) who visited the emergency department (ED) alive of a local university hospital in Gumi city for 24 h after the chemical spill since September 27, 2012. The validated modified IGSA criteria were developed and were underwent validation as external and internal.

Results: A total of 160 subjects were classified as the modified IGSA (or the AIR criteria) group (n=46) if they met two or more clusters among age more than 49, the IGSA criteria satisfied, and respiratory rate (RR) more than 19 besides the no modified IGSA group (n=114) if not. The mean (standard deviation) between the modified IGSA group and the no modified IGSA group of age and RR on the initial ED admission was [55.26 (15.27) versus 35.81 (9.12), p<0.0001] and [breaths per minute, 19.91 (1.44) versus 19.15 (1.06), p<0.0018].

Conclusion: Chemical triage development and validation, as well as specified pre-established data collecting system setup for various types of major chemical contamination events, should be characterized in future studies to maximize the quality of patient care.

Note:
Funding Information: This study was supported by Soonchunhyang University Research Fund.

Declaration of Interests: The authors declare there are no potential conflicts of interest concerning the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Ethics Approval Statement: This study was supported by the Soonchunhyang University research fund and was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Soonchunhyang University Gumi Hospital (IRB Number: SCHUH 2019-17). All participants provided consent to participate in this study. All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.

Keywords: Disasters, Hydrofluoric Acid, Statistical Factor Analysis, Triage