STATUS OF USAMRDC CHEMICAL CASUALTY CARE

File: 970101_sep96_decls28_0015.txt
Page: 0015
Total Pages: 24

Subject: STATUS OF USAMRDC CHEMICAL CASUALTY CARE                        

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003201

Folder Title: STATUS OF USAMRDC CHEMICAL CASUALTY CARE SUPPORT                                                

Document Number:       1001

Folder Seq  #:         67







                    3.     Chemical Agents Are So Deadly That Treatment Is Hopeless: Not
             surprisingly, this mindset is still held by many otherwise astute health professionals. We
             all responded with horror to the news f'@ of unprotected civilian dead from the Gulf
             War, and we appreciate that newer chemical agents are several orders of magnitude
             more lethal on a weight basis than the agents of World War I. The actual facts are,
             however, that in warfare, chemical agents cause far more living than fatal casualties.
             From the first use of a CW agent chlorine gas, by the Germans in April 1915 at Ypres,
             Belgium, down to the last battles of the Gulf War in 1988 involving nerve agents and
             mustard, the percentage of fatalities as a total of chemical casualties has consistently
             been less than 5 percent. Why does the percentage of fatalities remain low even with
             the newer, more deadly agents? Part of the explanation is that soldiers, as opposed to
             civilians, have at least partial physical protection that limits their exposure. In addition,
             consider that news films naturally focus on the most dramatic events. Even after a nerve
             agent attack where unprotected persons in the area of maximum exposure may die, all
             around the perimeter of that area, a much greater number of persons are at risk of
             incapacitating, nonfatal exposure that may impair vision or cause sweating, tremors,
             cramping and bronchospasm. The consistent experience is that the capability to perform
             effective chemical casualty care is critical in limiting disability and promoting rapid
             recovery of large numbers of living casualties. Health professionals, soldiers, and
             commanders naturally focus on issues and tasks where they believe they can have an
idence is compelling that
             gaining proficiency in chemical casualty care is a task well worth the effort.

                    To conclude, there are three kinds of defenses against chemical warfare agents.
             The first and most effective is detection and avoidance (if avoidance of a contaminated
             area is consistent with the mission). The second kind of defensive measure involves
             physical protection, either personal or collective, for those who must operate in a
             contaminated area. The physiologic stresses of our current personal physical protection
             in a hot desert setting, for example, are well known. Finally, medical prevention and
             treatment of chemical casualties as considered in this course, offers a third and final
             form of defense against a chemical threat.


             5.     THE IRAQI THREAT

                    Of the more than 20 countries with a known chemical warfare capability, 6 are
             located in the Middle East. The most advanced chemical capability and experience in
             the region is Iraq's.

                    Iraq, and to a lesser degree, Iran, made extensive use of several chemical warfare
             agents during the Gulf War. Neither side is known to have used biological warfare
             agents in that conflict. Much of our ability to assess Iraqi capabilities is based on solid,
             openly reported Gulf War information.



                                                         4

Document 24 f:/Week-36/BX003201/STATUS OF USAMRDC CHEMICAL CASUALTY CARE SUPPORT/status of usamrdc chemical casualty care:12249609312729
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003201
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = STATUS OF USAMRDC CHEMICAL CASUALTY CARE SUPPORT
Folder Seq # = 67
Subject = STATUS OF USAMRDC CHEMICAL CASUALTY CARE
Document Seq # = 1001
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 24-DEC-1996