Vesicant burns.
(1) Of the 120,000 victims of sulphur mustard gas in World War I there were only 2-3% fatalities, and few long term effects. (2) The interactions of sulphur mustard with the skin are complete within a few minutes of exposure. Once the victim has been decontaminated there is no risk to the attendant and there is no active agent in the blister fluid. (3) The rate of wound healing is slow for sulphur mustard burns, but in general the wounds heal satisfactorily. (4) There is no specific therapy for poisoning by sulphur mustard.
Department of Military Surgery, Royal Army Medical College, Millbank, London.
S G
SG
Mellor
P
P
Rice
G J
GJ
Cooper
D020261:Arsenic Poisoning; D001152:Arsenicals; D001768:Blister / Q000139:chemically induced; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing
D001152:Arsenicals; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; C035965:lewisite