TY - JOUR
T1 - Vesicants and nerve agents in chemical warfare
T2 - Decontamination and treatment strategies for a changed world
AU - Devereaux, Asha
AU - Amundson, Dennis E.
AU - Parrish, J. S.
AU - Lazarus, Angeline A.
PY - 2002/10
Y1 - 2002/10
N2 - Vesicants and nerve agents have been used in chemical warfare for ages. They remain a threat in today's altered political climate because they are relatively simple to produce, transport, and deploy. Vesicants, such as mustard and lewisite, can affect the skin, eyes, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal system. They leave affected persons at risk for long-term effects. Nerve agents, such as tabun, sarin, soman, and VX, hyperstimulate the muscarinic and nicotinic receptors of the nervous system. Physicians need to familiarize themselves with the clinical findings of such exposures and the decontamination and treatment strategies necessary to minimize injuries and deaths.
AB - Vesicants and nerve agents have been used in chemical warfare for ages. They remain a threat in today's altered political climate because they are relatively simple to produce, transport, and deploy. Vesicants, such as mustard and lewisite, can affect the skin, eyes, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal system. They leave affected persons at risk for long-term effects. Nerve agents, such as tabun, sarin, soman, and VX, hyperstimulate the muscarinic and nicotinic receptors of the nervous system. Physicians need to familiarize themselves with the clinical findings of such exposures and the decontamination and treatment strategies necessary to minimize injuries and deaths.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036799841&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3810/pgm.2002.10.1334
DO - 10.3810/pgm.2002.10.1334
M3 - Review article
C2 - 12400151
AN - SCOPUS:0036799841
SN - 0032-5481
VL - 112
SP - 90
EP - 96
JO - Postgraduate Medicine
JF - Postgraduate Medicine
IS - 4
ER -