title: Emergency department management of nerve agent exposure.
abstract: Nerve agents are toxic chemicals developed for use by the military, but used by terrorists against civilian populations. As threats of terrorism increase, it is possible that health care providers will be confronted with multiple victims of nerve agent exposure. Nerve agents are highly toxic forms of organophosphate poisons that potentially could cause harm to anyone who comes in contact. Emergency personnel need to be familiar with the agents, know how to prepare for encountering and treating victims, and know how to protect all people involved from further poisoning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care, Staten Island University Hospital, NY 10305, USA.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Pfaff
mesh_terms: D000931:Antidotes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D016529:Emergency Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D011481:Protective Clothing; D014754:Violence
chemical_list: D000931:Antidotes; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents