Medical Mystery: What made the night-shift nurses so sick?

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Philadelphia Inquirer

March 5, 2017

by Mark E. Bruley, ERCI Institute

Medical Mystery: What made the night-shift nurses so sick?

The urgent phone call from a hospital administrator came into ECRI Institute's accident investigation hotline late one Friday morning. We were asked to find out, as soon as possible, why intensive-care unit night shift nurses had become ill on the previous three evenings. After discussing the issues enough to get a general understanding of the situation, I immediately gathered some test equipment and was at the hospital about an hour later, accompanied by one of my chemist colleagues.

The ICU patients did not suffer the symptoms the nurses were complaining of, which included severe headache, lethargy, nausea, sore throat, and burning eyes. But tensions among the nursing staff and administration were running high, and the quality of nursing care was potentially being affected. The problem needed to be identified and fixed quickly. ..,

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Wow - fascinating. Thank you for sharing.

But - did the nurses get in trouble for the popcorn maker?

[jaderook01, BSN, RN]

This little gem stood out to me. That the administrator's first idea was that the nurses drugged their own popcorn is pathetic.

The administrator, who came to the ICU to check on the progress of our investigation, was surprised to see the bag of popcorn on a desk where there should be no food. He then found, to his surprise, a popcorn maker in the ICU nurses' lounge.

That led him to speculate that the popcorn was the culprit and perhaps even that these free-spirited nurses (as he viewed them) had put some kind of drug in there, and that that had made them sick. I proceeded to provide a more evidence-based explanation from what I found in radiology.

[Anonymous865]

What stood out to me was "My investigation of the cabinetry there revealed sliding panels that concealed where electrical power and signaling cabling came up from the floor below through open holes in the concrete."

That is a huge fire code violation. There are very strict fire codes for hospitals. One of the requirements is that any penetration through a floor, wall, or ceiling must be sealed with firestop foam or firestop caulk.

Those open holes in the concrete would have allowed fire and smoke to spread from the floor below.

This is something the fire marshal looks for at every inspection and will fine the hospital for if they find it.

[LunaTunaPineapple]

I really enjoyed the story :)

[TriciaJ, RN]

This little gem stood out to me. That the administrator's first idea was that the nurses drugged their own popcorn is pathetic.

Very sobering to know that's what they think of us.