Postgraduate medicine
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Postgraduate medicine · Oct 2002
ReviewVesicants and nerve agents in chemical warfare. Decontamination and treatment strategies for a changed world.
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. ⋯ 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.