Recommended Approach to Care of Hospitalized Patients
With Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS)
Reprinted with permission of
Ann McCampbell, MD
http://www.ehnca.org/www/ehnlinx/m.htm#McCampbell
By Ann McCampbell, MD and Erica Elliott, MD
1) LISTEN TO THE PATIENT
Reassure patient that you understand he or she is chemically sensitive and
will work with him/her in providing care.
Communicate on an ongoing basis about the patient's environment, evaluation,
and treatment; be willing to answer detailed questions.
Respect patient's concerns and limits.
Remember patient sensitivities vary in kind and severity from person to person.
2) CLEARLY FLAG CHART THAT PATIENT IS CHEMICALLY SENSITIVE
3) CONSULT WITH PATIENT 'S ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSICIAN (when possible)
4) PROTECT THE PATIENT FROM AIR POLLUTION
Assign to private room with:
- No pesticides, new paint or carpet, other recent remodeling.
- No perfume on care-givers (put sign on door).
- Non-smoking care-givers.
- No strong cleaners, fragranced products, or disinfectants (put sign on door).
Allow patient to wear mask/respirator, use air filter, and open window as needed.
Keep door to patient's room closed.
Reduce time patient must spend in other parts of the hospital by performing as
many procedures and evaluations as possible in patient's room.
5) USE PATIENT 'S MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT (whenever possible)
Oxygen mask and tubing.
Medications, food, and water.
Bedding, clothing, and soap.
6) KEEP DRUG USE TO A MINIMUM
Listen to patient's concerns about drug use and history of reactions.
Avoid drug use if possible, otherwise administer low doses with caution .
Use IV fluid bottled in glass without dextrose (many react to corn-based dextrose).
Preservative-free formulations are best.*
Capsules are generally better than tablets (less binders, fillers, and dyes).
Use short-acting regional rather than general anesthesia whenever possible.
Try to avoid the use of halogenated gas anesthetics.
* For sources of glass bottled IV fluid, preservative-free medications, and other products suitable for chemically sensitive patients, call Ann McCampbell, MD at (505) 466-3622 .
© 1/27/99
EHN thanks Ann McCampbell, MD and Erica Elliott, MD
for granting permission to post their paper, "Recommended Approach to Care of Hospitalized Patients With Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS)."
posted 2/23/02
Why does the FDA allow products to carry the misleading label "fragrance-free" and/or "unscented" while those products contain synthetic scent as a masking agent? They, and "slightly- scented products," cause adverse health reactions in the already chemically injured individual.
Synthetic scents are largely petrochemical products. It's the chemicals!
There is inadequate testing before marketing. The FDA does not test for safety, nor can it require safety testing by this self-regulated industry. The only real testing done has been for dermatological reactions, yet these products are made to be inhaled! Even the dermatologist have not paid close enough heed to those people who suffer adverse skin reactions at the secondary and tertiary levels of exposures (airborne contact dermatitis).
Synthetic scents contain known irritants and sensitizers, and also contain known or suspected carcinogens, neurotoxins and teratogens (adversely affecting embryonic and fetal development). Check out the analyses of six scents, available via EHN's FDA Petition, and also explore the website of Perfumers World (see below). -- barb
Return to EHN's Access info on Take Heart! / Hospitals / Good News
http://www.ehnca.org/www/ehnhompg/takheart.htm#GOOD
A few EHN (www.ehnca.org) links --
- Access -- EHN's Take Heart!
http://www.ehnca.org/www/ehnhompg/takheart.htm
- Children / Kids / Schools / Students / Teens
http://www.ehnca.org/www/ehnlinx/childstu.htm
- FDA Petition (replete with analyses)
If you or loved ones, suffer adverse reactions to synthetic scents, OR if you simply feel the public has a right to know, please write to the FDA. Contact info available on the petition page. -- barb
http://ehnca.org/www/FDApetition/bkgrinfo.htm
- Fragrance-free meeting policy of US Access Board
http://www.access-board.gov/news/fragrance.htm
- Fragrances & Pregnancy
http://www.ehnca.org/www/ehnlinx/p.htm#Pregnancy
- MCS Links ... includes International links
MCS = Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
http://www.ehnca.org/www/ehnlinx/mcs.htm
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
recognizes fragrances and pesticides as "Common Indoor Air Pollutants"
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/faq/indoor.htm
- Perfumer's World - "Raw Materials of Perfumery"
http://www.perfumersworld.com/chems/material.htm
- Pest Mangement; Pesticide Info; "Pests"
"Cide" means KILL, but not all pests are killed, and with a short life cycle, they quickly develop pesticide-resistant strains. Great for the pesticide industry, for they get to develop more cides. -- barb
http://www.ehnca.org/www/ehnlinx/pestcide.htm
- Scents and sensitivities
What to know before buying a Valentine¼s Day perfume
By Francesca Lyman; Feb. 6, 2002; MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR
"In response to the perceived problems of fragrances in the
air, Roberts* says that his industry group has begun the first
study to examine fragrance inhalation. [Emphasis added.]
„We¼re spending a lot of money on this,¾ he says, 'to understand
the systemic effects of fragrances on organs and nervous system,
what happens when fragrances are inhaled.' "
(IT'S ABOUT TIME! -- barb)
* " ... Glenn Roberts, spokesperson for the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, an industry-sponsored group that does testing of chemicals. ..."
http://www.msnbc.com/news/702445.asp
- Stuff Happens!
I feel it is important to keep up with what is being said and used against us; to denigrate us. -- barb
http://ehnca.org/www/ehnhompg/stufhaps.htm
- The Word IS Out!
Links to validating information. -- barb
http://www.ehnca.org/www/ehnhompg/wordout.htm
- You may also want to link out to the site of Betty Bridges, RN
Fragranced Products Information Network
Betty is an Advisory Board member of EHN
http://www.fpinva.org
