13 Don’t You Know That You’re Toxic
In 1994, one Gloria Ramirez was admitted to Riverside General Hospital due to the effects of advanced cervical cancer, but she wasn’t the only one who would need medical attention; her skin was toxic. Staff noticed an oily sheen on Ramirez’s skin and a “fruity, garlic-like odor” coming from her mouth. The nurse who drew blood from Ramirez’s arm, noticed an “ammonia-like smell” coming from the tube. The nurse handed the bloody sample to a doctor who noticed particles in the blood. Then the nurse fainted. Then the doctor felt nauseated and light-headed, so she left the room. And then fainted at a nurse’s desk. A respiratory therapist who assisted in the ER also passed out. At that point, staff was ordered to evacuate all the ER patients. Despite efforts, Ramirez was pronounced dead from kidney failure.
So what was up with the infected staff? Well, here’s the theory: Ramirez may have been using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a solvent, for pain. The substance has a reported garlic-like taste. Scientists hypothesize that the oxygen administered my EMTs may have combined with the DMSO to create DMSO2, which is known to crystallize at room temperature, which may explain the particles the doctor spotted in the patient’s blood. Then, the electric shock from the defibrillator used in the ER may have convered the DMSO2 into DMSO4, a poisonous gas. Maybe.
