Officials: 2nd Grader Brings Test Tube Containing Anti-Coagulant To School
PENN HILLS (KDKA) -- Two students were rushed to the hospital from a charter school in Penn Hills after an unknown substance in a test tube caused some alarm.
Police, firefighters and paramedics were called to the former Washington Elementary school, now called the Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship, on Main Street after 10 a.m.
According to officials, a second grader brought the test tube to school after obtaining it during a visit to some type of lab.
"It was apparently given to one of the second grade students over the weekend as a souvenir for a recent trip to a blood lab for medical purposes," Diane Fitzhenry with Penn Hills EMS said.
The substance inside was believed to be an anti-coagulant, or a blood thinner.
Officials say some of the students began passing the tube around and put it on their lips, using it like a lip gloss.
"Because it was in that type of a tube, we took every precaution to make sure our students are safe. We don't take anything lightly. So, that's why we responded the way we did. We did not want to have a serious medical emergency," said Principal Tamara Allen. "We were able to quickly isolate it. Our response team was able to come quickly so that we could get it resolved, isolate it, move the children and quickly call the parents to get this resolved immediately."
While it's not believed to be harmful, two of the students were taken to the hospital as a precaution.
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