Crime & Safety
Woman Airlifted After Lead Oxide Exposure, in Serious Condition at Santa Clara Valley Medical [UPDATE]
BREAKING: HazMat crews decontaminated the woman at the initial scene in Hollister and again outside ER, officials said.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – UPDATE: THURSDAY, DEC. 1, 12:34 p.m.
A woman who was exposed to lead oxide in Hollister and then flown to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose this morning is in serious condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Hospital staff received a call from air ambulance provider CALSTAR of a woman they were flying in from Hollister for exposure to lead oxide and another substance containing lead, hospital spokeswoman Joy Alexiou said.
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The woman was initially decontaminated in Hollister along with air emergency responders, Alexiou said.
Medical staff called for a hazardous materials team to respond to the hospital located at 751 S. Bascom Ave. through the Santa Clara County emergency communications service around 10:40 a.m., San Jose Fire Capt. Mitch Matlow said.
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A local hazardous materials team was called to remove any residual contaminants on the woman before entering the medical facility, Matlow said.
The woman was taken to the emergency department, where she is in serious condition, according to Alexiou.
No other patients or medical staff were threatened, Alexiou said.
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ORIGINAL: THURSDAY, DEC. 1, 11:51 a.m.
Firefighters are responding to a hazardous materials incident involving a patient at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, a fire department spokesman said.
An air ambulance brought in a woman from Hollister to the hospital located at 751 S. Bascom Ave., Fire Capt. Mitch Matlow said.
The patient was decontaminated in Hollister before she was boarded onto a helicopter, according to Matlow.
Hospital staff learned she was exposed to lead oxide and called for a hazardous materials team to respond through the Santa Clara County emergency communications service around 10:40 a.m., Matlow said.
The woman is in stable condition, according to Matlow.
A local hazardous materials team is decontaminating the woman for a second time outside the medical facility to remove any residual contaminants before she's taken into the emergency department, Matlow said.
There was no threat to other patients or medical staff as of about 11:30 a.m., according to Matlow.
--Patch will update when more information is available.
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--Bay City News/File image via Renee Schiavone
