You and your partner respond to a residence for a person with an altered mental status. On your arrival you find an adult male who is agitated and is unable to follow commands. The room has a pungent odor and you note large flasks, plastic tubing, and cans of white gas and acetone. You are suspicious that this may be a drug lab.
What are the risks to you as the responder? What does this patient need for care? What are your responsibilities as an EMS provider at this scene?
Clandestine drug labs range in size from a single 20oz plastic drink bottle to complex labs taking several rooms. The chemicals used to generate the drugs are as hazardous or more hazardous that the drugs themselves.
This class will discuss caring for a patient exposed to chemicals while manufacturing drugs and what your role is when HazMat and law enforcement arrive to document and mitigate the lab itself.