Evaluation of a clinical decontamination protocol

INTERVENTION: Volunteers were randomly assigned to each treatment group using an online treatment allocation generator (Urbaniak, G. C., & Plous, S. (2013). Research Randomizer (Version 4.0) [Computer software]. Retrieved on 22/06/2013, from http://www.randomizer.org/). One group will be subject to the revised clinical decontamination protocol following exposure to a curcumin/methyl salicylate mixture (CMX). The second group will be exposed to CMX but will receive no other intervention. Each participant will be asked to wear a swim suit. Exposed skin/hair surfaces will be “dosed” at various sites with a liquid chemical mixture which has a safe history of use in previous studies. The participants will then be treated using the revised clinical decontamination protocol or receive no other intervention according to which group they are allocated to. The amounts of chemical remaining on the hair and skin surfaces will subsequently be quantified and compared to a group of participants who have not been treated. Fluorescent images of each participant will be acquired (i) before exposure (baseline), (ii) following contamination and (iii) on completion the study session. Swabs of the exposed skin and hair surfaces will be taken at the end of the study session. The fluorescent images will be subject to a validated image analysis protocol to determine the distribution of the contaminant. The swabs will be analysed by LC‐DAD‐MS (liquid chromatography – diode array detector – mass spectrometry) to quantify the amounts of CMX recovered. The primary outcome will be a comparison of the average amounts of chemical contaminant recovered from the skin and hair surfaces of participants between the two treatment groups. Secondary outcomes will be to determine any differences in the surface distribution (fluorescent images) between the two treatment groups. The chemical contaminant used in the study will be a mixture of a fluorescent compound (curcumin; 10 mg mL‐1) dissolved in methyl salicylate CONDITION: Exposure to toxic materials ; Injury, Occupational Diseases, Poisoning PRIMARY OUTCOME: The effectiveness of the protocol, determined by LC‐DAD‐MS measurements of the amount of a chemical contaminant (curcumin/methyl salicylate mixture) recovered from the hair and skin of exposed participants in comparison with a control (exposed, untreated) treatment group SECONDARY OUTCOME: Semi‐quantitative determination of the area of contamination on hair and skin surfaces, observed by fluorescent imaging of exposed participants in comparison with a control (exposed, untreated) treatment group INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Volunteers 2. Male or female 3. Age 18 – 60 (at the start of the study)