Kits to treat cyanide poisoning now part of Woodstock Fire/Rescue District toolbox

The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District is the first McHenry County fire agency to have a Cyanokit, communication specialist Alex Vucha said.

A Cyanokit is a medical treatment to counteract cyanide poisoning, which can happen in cases such as smoke inhalation in a fire or by being exposed to certain chemicals, Vucha said.

Cyanokits contain hydroxocobalamin, a form of vitamin B12. It binds to cyanide and forms a nontoxic compound.

“By quickly neutralizing cyanide, the Cyanokit helps prevent the lethal effects of cyanide poisoning, such as respiratory failure, cardiac arrest and cellular hypoxia [a lack of oxygen at the cellular level],” Vucha said.

If someone was severely burned or suffered an inhalation, they would probably be flown to a burn or hyperbaric center outside McHenry County, since those facilities aren’t available inside the county, Vucha said. It could take 40 to 60 minutes for someone to arrive at a burn or hyperbaric center from initial contact, and without a Cyanokit, a patient could have a potentially fatal outcome during that timeframe, Vucha said.

The fire department has one Cyanokit and plans to buy enough kits next year so each ambulance has one. The kit is different from the previously stocked cyanide antidote kits, “which historically prompted significant negative side effects,” Vucha said.

“WFRD is proud to provide the highest level of emergency medical services to the community we serve,” he said.