Can CS gas induce myocardial infarction?

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Published May 19, 2017
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Vol. 94 No. 10 (2016): Issue Oct 2016

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Lilia Zakhama
Service de Cardiologie. Hôpital des Forces de Sécurité Intérieure. La Marsa.
Wassim Ben Ameur
Saoussen Antit
Iskander Slama
Alaa Eddine Jallad
Sara Chenik
Mourad Masmoudi
Besma Herbegue
Elhem Boussabah
Moez Thameur
Soraya Ben youssef

Abstract

“2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile” also named CS gas is the most used riot-control agent in the world. Its reputation as the least toxic tear gas explains its large use by different authorities. Early exposure to CS spray commonly induces visual irritation, skin reactions, with increased mucous secretion in order to temporarily incapacitate targeted people.
However, there is a large agreement that safety data of this product is limited and further studies need to be performed since serious problems could occur after heavy exposure such as loss of consciousness, laryngospasm, pulmonary edema and hemorrhage...
Herein, we report a case of a young man who had acute myocardial infarction with serious cardiac sequelae after exposure to tear gas. To our knowledge, this is the second case since forty years in the literature that directly links documented acute heart infarction to CS gas exposure.

Keywords:

Acute coronary syndrome, tear gas, myocardial infarction

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