Methamphetamine Lab Explosion: A Pediatric Emergency Medicine Case

Children exposed to the manufacture of illegal drugs are at risk for multiple medical problems. Providers need to be able to recognize and manage the complications from these exposures because early intervention can be crucial to decreasing morbidity and mortality. In this simulation case, a 3-year-old patient is brought to the emergency department (ED) after a house fire due to a methamphetamine lab explosion. The goals of this case are to provide the learners with the training and opportunity to manage a toxic chemical exposure by applying principles and methods of decontamination, and to manage an inhalational injury with rapidly progressive airway edema. These events being rare, this simulation gives learners crucial experience with a high-stakes medical condition.