[Availability of antidotes in the event of accidents or attacks with chemical weapons].
BACKGROUND
In this report, we aimed to determine the availability of six antidotes for victims of accidents or attacks with chemical weapons.


METHODS
Telephone interviews with 6 Catalan hospitals and 8 hospitals from the community of Castilla y León. We evaluated the availability of antidotes in the hypothetical event of a massive intoxication with 600 affected people.


RESULTS
Only 3 out of the 14 hospitals had all 6 antidotes. Only atropine and, in Catalan hospitals, sodium thiosulfate were available in enough quantities to treat all victims. With regard to the remaining antidotes, the percentage of treated patients would have been fewer than 50%. The less available antidote was hydroxocobalamine.


CONCLUSIONS
We have found both qualitative and quantitative deficiencies of antidotes for the treatment of people intoxicated by chemical weapons.
Nogué Xarau
Santiago
S
Unidad de Toxicología Clínica y Servicio de Farmacia. Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain. SNOGUE@clinic.ub.es
Dueñas-Laita
Antonio
A
Nigorra Caro
Margarita
M
García Rodicio
Sonsoles
S
D000059:Accidents; D000931:Antidotes / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000506:poisoning*; D003625:Data Collection; D006761:Hospitals; D013030:Spain
D000931:Antidotes; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents