and you thought you had problems.

from the detroit free press staff writer tammy stables battaglia.

april 25, 2011

A patient who apparently ingested rodent poison and is emitting potentially harmful gasses has created a hazardous material situation at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor.

The man is isolated in his room in the medical intensive care unit on the hospital’s sixth floor, 5301 McAuley at East Huron River Drive, hospital spokeswoman Lauren Jones said this afternoon.

“The hospital is open and the situation is isolated,” she said, adding that she was unable to discuss the man’s condition or other specifics due to patient privacy laws. Traffic in that area is restricted to staff involved in direct patient care and Washtenaw County Hazardous Material Team workers, according to the hospital.

Joyce Williams, public affairs manager for Huron Valley Ambulance, said rescuers transported the man to the hospital either late Saturday night or early Sunday. But the hazmat team was called between 10:30 and 11 a.m. today when the man’s body began creating suspicious emissions, she said.

“They were doing air purity testing,” she said, adding that no further information was available.

The hospital issued a statement at about 2:30 p.m. today, dispelling rumors that the gas was potentially flammable.

“Hazmat teams … here are monitoring the levels of gas in the room; the levels are not at explosive or flammable levels,” Jones sent out in an e-mail. “The air has been tested and confirmed for low levels. Hazmat teams are continuing to monitor the levels to ensure maintaining a safe environment; the level of gas in the room is only expected to improve.”

question. why don't we have a hazmat team following obama everywhere and isolating him, as every time he opens his mouth, he spouts bullshit and flammable rhetoric.