ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical toxicity caused by oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray during law-enforcement action. DESIGN: A medical record review. SETTING: Emergency department (ED), Truman Medical Center, Kansas City, MO. PATIENTS: Consecutive patients who presented to the ED after OC-spray exposure from law-enforcement action between June 1991 and June 1994. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient presentation and symptoms at presentation, evaluation, and treatment during ED stay. RESULTS: Eighty-one ED patients, approximately 10% of all individuals sprayed by police officers, presented after exposure to OC. Ocular burning and redness were the most common presenting symptoms. None of the patients required hospitalization due to OC toxicity. Corneal abrasions and respiratory symptoms occurred in 7 and 6 patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The need for ED evaluation and treatment was infrequent after exposure to OC. A transient burning sensation, erythema, and localized irritation were the most common findings. While no patients had adverse outcomes attributed to OC exposure, practitioners assessing exposure should consider the potential for pulmonary and ocular toxicity.
