An unresponsive 67-year-old male near spilled pesticide; clonic seizures; after assuring PPE, you should next:

• A. Brush the dry chemical off him.
• B. Assess his vital signs.
• C. Suction his airway.
• D. Administer oxygen by non-rebreather mask.

Answer: (A)

In chemical exposures the immediate priority is decontamination to reduce ongoing exposure and absorption before moving on to other care. For a patient with dry pesticide powder on the skin, the best first action is to brush off the dry chemical. This physically removes most of the contaminant from the surface, minimizing further absorption and preventing spread of contamination to you and other responders. Water irrigation at this stage is less effective for dry powders and can cause the material to spread or react with moisture, so brushing off first is the most protective and efficient start.

After removing the dry chemical, you would continue with standard care for an unresponsive patient—protect the airway, assess breathing, consider suction if needed, and provide oxygen as indicated—while continuing decontamination as appropriate (for example, flushing contaminated areas or eyes after the initial brushing). The key idea is that removing the contaminant comes before other interventions to reduce toxin load and protect everyone involved.