London fire: Hospitals ready to treat Grenfell Tower patients for cyanide poison

Police and paramedics treat an injured person
Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images
Robin de Peyer15 June 2017

Doctors were ready to treat Grenfall Tower fire victims for cyanide poisoning amid concerns over toxins given off in the devastating blaze.

Fears were raised over toxins given off by foam in dated furniture and kits for treating victims were prepared before the first patients arrived in hospital.

Dr Malcolm Tunnicliff, clinical director for emergency and acute care at King's College Hospital in south London, was among the medical staff treating patients as the tragedy in which at least 12 people died unfolded in the early hours of Wednesday.

He told the Guardian: "We knew in advance that it was a fire in an enclosed space so we also knew there was a real risk of cyanide poisoning from foam in older furniture burning.

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"So we had lots of cyano kits - which contain the antidote to cyanide poisoning - ready and waiting to give people.

"Happily tests shows that none of them had; that was a relief.

"I was in bed asleep when my phone rang at 2.39am with an automated message from the King's switchboard. It just said 'major incident declared, King's is a receiving hospital', the same as it did after the Westminster Bridge and London Bridge terror attacks.

"My first fear was: is this another terror incident? Oh God, what's happened this time?"

He said the 12 patients - a mixture of children and adults - arrived by 3.45am and all had injuries caused by smoke inhalation, some of which were "very serious".

He added some patients had "critical injuries" to their airways and lungs.

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