Background

This Case Study in Environmental Medicine (CSEM) provides an overview of trichloroethylene toxicity. Trichloroethylene is widely used for vapor degreasing of fabricated metal parts in the automotive and metal industries and has some limited uses in consumer and commercial products. Knowledge from this course will help health care providers diagnose and treat patients exposed to trichloroethylene.

This online course will take about approximately 150 minutes to complete. You may finish the entire CSEM in one session or complete each chapter separately.

The course begins with a patient case study to help you assess your current knowledge about trichloroethylene toxicity.

After completing this course, you will be able to

• Describe the latest science on TCE exposure in both environmental and occupational settings.
• Discuss potential adverse clinical effects associated with TCE exposure.
• Describe how to clinically manage patients exposed to TCE.
• Describe how to improve collaborative practice across the healthcare team regarding the diagnosis and treatment of patients exposed to TCE.

Key concepts in this course include

• Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a common industrial solvent and contaminant of hazardous waste sites, groundwater, and drinking water.
• TCE poses a potential human health hazard for noncancer toxicity to the central nervous system, kidney, liver, immune system, male reproductive system, and the developing embryo/fetus.
• The National Toxicology Program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concludes that TCE is characterized as “carcinogenic to humans” by all routes of exposure.
• Symptoms and signs potentially associated with TCE exposure are nonspecific, making a careful medical and exposure history essential to diagnosis.
• There is no antidote for TCE poisoning.

The goals of the CSEM series are to

• increase the primary care provider’s knowledge of hazardous substances in the environment and
• help clinicians evaluate and treat potentially exposed patients.

See other CSEM’s here