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    Nerve Agents Poisoning and its Treatment in Schematic Figures and Tables
    Nerve Agents Poisoning and its Treatment in Schematic Figures and Tables
    Nerve Agents Poisoning and its Treatment in Schematic Figures and Tables
    Ebook145 pages1 hour

    Nerve Agents Poisoning and its Treatment in Schematic Figures and Tables

    By Jiri Bajgar

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    Organophosphate compounds, first synthesized in the 1800s, have been used for insecticides, pesticides, and in war and terrorism, such as the 1995 Tokyo subway poisoning. This book provides an in-depth examination of the effects of organophosphates and nerve agents and offers therapeutic and prophylactic countermeasures. Beginning with an overview of milestones in the use of toxic chemicals and chemical warfare agents, the formulae and toxicities of compounds are given, along with tables outlining animal toxicities. Data on various compounds’ inhibitions and subsequent accumulations are also provided. Along with data on organophosphates and nerve agents, possible first aid and medical responses are compared among potential responses in the United States and other countries in the east and west. Using clear schematics and tables, this book provides a detailed account of the most common organophosphates and nerve agents, ideas of how to countermeasure their effects, and offers detailed suggestions for where research needs to proceed in the future. This book will prove useful to students, researchers, and military personnel needing to know more about how to deal with nerve agents.

    • Dedicated to organophosphates/nerve agent, this book contains tables on toxicities in animals and simple figures useable for brief orientation and education
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherElsevier Science
    Release dateMar 15, 2012
    ISBN9780123914828
    Nerve Agents Poisoning and its Treatment in Schematic Figures and Tables
    Author

    Jiri Bajgar

    Assoc. Prof. Jiri Bajgar, M.D., Sc.D.is former Head of the Department of Toxicology (COL. ret), Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove. He is lecturer at the University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Social and Health Studies. Study interests include the effects of CWA, development of new antidotes against nerve agents including clinical testing and teaching pharmacology and toxicology. He is the author of more than 240 publications and 24 books. He has won many awards including the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (1967); Unilever European Fellowship of the Biochemical Society (1969/70); Award of the Czechoslovak Medical Society (1973); European Science Foundation (1993); AACT/AAPCC International Scholarship (1995); Travel Scholarship IITRI Chicago (1996); 1st Prize, Czech Society for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology (2005); IUTOX/SOT Astra Zeneca Award (2007); the Prize of the Rector (University of Defence) for scientific work (2007).

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      Nerve Agents Poisoning and its Treatment in Schematic Figures and Tables - Jiri Bajgar

      References

      1 Introduction

      In the group of organophosphates (OPs), nerve agents are considered the most important chemical warfare agents (CWAs). They are an integral part of chemical weapons (CWs). These highly toxic chemicals represent potential threats to civilian populations, as evident from terrorist attacks in Japan in the 1990s. Therefore, research on their effect, diagnosis, treatment, and prophylaxis of intoxication by these compounds has been one of the main topics within the programs of various laboratories.

      OP nerve agents are inhibitors of cholinesterase. Beyond this main pharmacological property, they have many other effects that involve the activation of multiple noncholinergic neurotransmitter systems in the central nervous system: mutagenic, stressogenic, immunotoxic, hepatotoxic, membraneous, and hematotoxic, depending on the type of compound. Nerve agent–induced effects are usually manifested immediately after high-level or intermediate-level exposures to these CWAs. Nevertheless, numerous studies of both humans and other animals show that survivors of high-level and possibly intermediate-level exposure to nerve agents can experience subtle but significant long-term neurological and neuropsychological outcomes that are detectable months or even years after the recovery from acute poisoning. Thus, exposure to nerve agents leading to acute effects or chronic exposure to nerve agents may well lead to delayed and persistent adverse effects, mostly neuropsychological.

      All of these features document that nerve agents act on the nervous systems, both central and peripheral, and affect cholinergic nerve transmission. However, the cholinergic nervous system is not isolated; it is related to other nerve transmitters and neuromodulators. Therefore, our knowledge of dealing with the action of nerve agents and protecting against them is a significant contribution to neuropharmacology, neurophysiology, and toxicology in general. Although different books already deal with these topics, they are too specialized and do not give a simple and quick overview of the problem.

      The current book attempts to summarize some recent results—in simple forms, mostly in schematic figures and tables—with the aim of facilitating research work in this field for those who are beginning these studies.

      2 Chemical Weapons

      As weapons of mass destruction, the ban of CWs was discussed at the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva. The text of future conventions dealing with CWs was successfully elaborated, and the CWC was signed in Paris in 1993. The CWC entered into force on April 29, 1997, just 180 days after ratification by 65 states who were party to the convention. More than 60% of CW stocks were destroyed. Currently, 188 state parties (and two signatories) are involved. The use of CWs or highly toxic chemicals has not been entirely prevented; terrorists in Japan in 1994 and 1995, for example, used one CW to deadly effect.

      As a unique international document, the CWC eliminates one type of weapon of mass destruction under strict international control. The document contains more than 200 pages with 24 articles and annexes. The preamble (printed as follows in bold italics) specifically cites herbicides as potential

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