The 20-year-old man remained in critical condition at St. Joseph hospital Thursday evening after going through a decontamination process in the hospital parking lot the night before and receiving an antidote to inactivate the poison.
Addressing the attention the case garnered after the public saw responders in hazardous materials suits, Dr. Brandon Lewis, medical director of emergency services at St. Joseph hospital, said emergency personnel responded with an abundance of caution, choosing to "overreact rather than underreact."
"St. Joseph EMS folks are prepared for any exposure incident whether it's Ebola or something else," he added.
The Bryan Fire Department set up the decontamination tents after Texas A&M EMS responded to Rudder Plaza at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday for reports of a man ingesting a chemical substance. The College Station Fire Department's hazmat team responded to the scene on campus, but the department's spokesperson declined to comment further, deferring to Texas A&M police for more details.
"Taping off the area was for the general safety of the public and keeping people out of area, and the hazmat suits were for the protection of first responders because you're not sure what the substance is," said. Lt. Allan Baron, university police public information officer.
Bryan firefighters said 12 people went through the decontamination tents, including the student, firefighters and EMS personnel. The process of decontamination involved removing all clothing and using soap and water to get rid of the chemical, Lewis said.
Sodium cyanide is chemical that can affect the body through ingestion, inhalation, skin contact or eye contact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The chemical blocks cells from being able to use oxygen, essentially suffocating a person, Lewis said.
"Depending on the level of exposure, if a significant dose is inhaled or swallowed, it can kill in minutes," he said.
The chemical has been used in gas chambers and as pest control and can be released as a by-product of burning plastic in house fires or industrial fires, Lewis noted.
Kim Dunbar, distinguished professor at Texas A&M's Department of Chemistry, said forms of cyanide are common in developing photography and in the making of dyes, such as Prussian blue dye.
She said cyanide in her lab is locked up, and only those who are trained know its whereabouts or have access to the key. She also keeps an antidote kit nearby in case of an emergency.
Texas A&M police released a statement at 5:09 p.m. Wednesday revealing the student's age but have yet to identify him or provide additional details about the incident, citing an ongoing investigation.
A Code Maroon was not sent out Wednesday because there was "no immediate danger to the general public," Baron said.
"Emergency responders here on the scene relatively quickly and were able to rope off the area at a safe distance and route people away from the scene," he said.
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