Essential Lessons in a Potential Sarin Attack Disaster Plan for a Resource-Constrained Environment

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Matthew John WatermeyerAbdullah Ebrahim Laher

Abstract

Sarin is a potent nerve agent chemical weapon that was originally designed for military purposes as a fast-acting anti-personnel weapon that would kill or disable large numbers of enemy troops. Its potent toxicity, ease of deployment, and rapid degradation allow for rapid deployment by an attacking force, who can safely enter the area of deployment a short while after its release. Sarin has been produced and stockpiled by a number of countries, and large quantities of it still exist despite collective agreements to cease manufacture and destroy stockpiles. Sarin's ease of synthesis, which is easily disseminated across the Internet, increases the risk that terrorist organizations may use sarin to attack civilians. Sarin has been used in a number of terrorist attacks in Japan, and more recently in attacks in the Middle East, where nonmilitary organizations have led much of the disaster relief and provision of medical care. In the present article, we examine and discuss the available literature on sarin's historical use, delivery methods, chemical properties, mechanism of action, decontamination process, and treatment. We present a management guideline to assist with the recognition of an attack and management of victims by medica...Continue Reading

References

Apr 15, 1995·Lancet·T SuzukiY Yazaki
Oct 1, 1994·Fundamental and Applied Toxicology : Official Journal of the Society of Toxicology·C L WoodardD G Martin
Dec 1, 1995·Intensive Care Medicine·H NozakiN Aikawa
Aug 1, 1996·Annals of Emergency Medicine·T OkumuraS Hinohara
Dec 1, 1996·European Journal of Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine·D J Baker
Sep 1, 1997·The American Journal of Emergency Medicine·H OkuderaN Yanagisawa
May 23, 1998·Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia = Journal Canadien D'anesthésie·P T ChoiL Whitehead
Jul 11, 1998·Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·T OkumuraS Hinohara
Dec 26, 2001·Journal of Clinical Neuroscience : Official Journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia·Hiroshi Okudera
Feb 24, 2006·Annals of Emergency Medicine·Timothy F CorvinoRichard N Nelson
Apr 20, 2006·Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part B, Critical Reviews·Annetta WatsonVeronique Hauschild
Sep 12, 2006·Journal of the Neurological Sciences·N YanagisawaT Nakajima
May 24, 2008·Lab on a Chip·Hsih Yin TanNam-Trung Nguyen
Jun 19, 2008·Prehospital and Disaster Medicine·Simon F J ClarkeAnthony Hallett
Oct 23, 2008·Nucleic Acids Research·Eric W SayersJian Ye
Jul 1, 2010·Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju·Ante Vucemilović
Mar 1, 2012·Accounts of Chemical Research·Guillaume MerceyPierre-Yves Renard
Sep 5, 2013·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Anne Gulland
Oct 5, 2013·Chemico-biological Interactions·Horst ThiermannKai Kehe
Oct 9, 2013·Nature Medicine·Elie Dolgin
Nov 30, 2013·Biomedical Microdevices·Hsih Yin TanSum Huan Ng
Jul 6, 2015·BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth·Mary Carolan-OlahGillian Krenzin
Sep 8, 2015·Current Protocols in Chemical Biology·Nicole M IversonGerald N Wogan
Jan 1, 2002·Medical Journal, Armed Forces India·S PiplaniI D Gupta
Jul 31, 2016·Talanta·Chunxiao YanZequn Yan
Jul 31, 2016·Journal of Chromatography. B, Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences·Amanda S Appel, Brian A Logue
Apr 18, 2018·Prehospital and Disaster Medicine·Claudie BolducValerie Homier

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Apr 26, 2018·The New England Journal of Medicine·Gregory R Ciottone

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology
S ChauhanV Karthik
The Israel Medical Association Journal : IMAJ
Shmuel C Shapira, Joshua Shemer
© 2022 Meta ULC. All rights reserved