Fairfield Resident Rinses Nose With Bleach: Fire Department

FAIRFIELD, CT — A resident who mistakenly used bleach for a nasal rinse required emergency assistance Thursday, according to the fire department.

First responders received a 911 call from the resident, who mistook bleach solution for distilled water, a department news release said. Emergency telecommunicators connected the person with the Connecticut Poison Control Center to provide medical advice over the phone and firefighters went to the scene, where they found the resident had used a homemade bleach solution from a distilled water bottle labeled “chlorine” on one side.

Paramedics assessed the resident’s condition and determined the person did not need to go to the hospital, according to the news release.

“An important lesson learned from this incident is how our residents should be safely making homemade cleaning solutions due to the lack of supply of pre-mixed cleaning products during this Covid crisis,” Assistant Chief Erik Kalapir said in the news release. “… Residents should ensure that all members of the household are aware of homemade solutions in bottles and containers. These containers should be clearly marked and kept in locations where cleaning solutions would normally be found away from the access of children and toddlers.”

Although the incident Thursday was an accident, it happened about a week after President Donald Trump suggested injecting disinfectant to prevent the new coronavirus, causing health officials to warn the public that doing so can be fatal.