STATUS OF USAMRDC CHEMICAL CASUALTY CARE

File: 970101_sep96_decls28_0017.txt
Page: 0017
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









             6.     LESSONS FROM GULF WAR CHEMICAL CASUALIY CARE

                    Western experience with chemical casualty care has been limited since the end of
             Word War 1, confined mainly to evaluation and treatment of laboratory and production
             workers after accidental exposure to agentl 'Me evacuation to Europe of a substantial
             number of Iranian casualties exposed to sulfur mustard provided an opportunity for
             additional evaluation, as reported by Colonel Jan Willems of Belgium in his review
             article reproduced in part as the second paper in Technical Memorandum 90-2.

                    'ne most important lessons learned came from young Iranian and Iraqi physicians
             who were very well trained in clinical medicine by Western standards. They found
             themselves at the equivalent of battalion aid stations and clearing companies providing
             actual chemical casualty care for the first time with no formal training or experience.
             When these physicians attended international meetings and related their experiences,
             their accounts of leaming chemical casualty care by on-the-job training were strongly
             consistent.

                    These doctors consistently made three key points. First, there was no reason to
             panic in dealing with chemical casualties. After working through initial feelings of fear
             of the unknown and what they might expect, their clinical skills gave them the confidence
             they needed to deal with chemical casualties as yet another expected form of combat
             injury. Second, patient decontamination was critically important to protect medical
             personnel, especially in the case of sulfur mustard exposure with its symptom-free latent
             period of several hours. Until this point was fully appreciated, secondary mustard
 care system out of action
             when it was most needed. Finally, aggressive use of atropine-oiime therapy in severe
             nerve agent exposure often produced strikingly favorable responses in persons who would
             have been considered beyond help by the less experienced. In some contrast to Western
             experience with atropine in severe accidental nerve agent exposure, where 10 to 20 mg
             was normally sufficient, some Iranian physicians would often use as much as 50 to 100
             mg, titrating dose to the same endpoints of control of secretions and adequate air
             exchange as are recommended here.

                    In appreciating the points made, it was clear that the lessons were often learned
             at high human cost. Eventually, both sides developed the necessary knowledge and
             confidence to deal effectively with chemical casualties. No medical collective protection
             systems were used, nor did there appear to be any other high technology requirements to
             make their systems function well. At present it is a fair inference that both Iran's and
             fraq's chemical casualty care capabilities exceed our own. A good way of restating the
             objective of M2C3 is to provide you with the necessary knowledge and confidence to
             build equally good or better capability without paying an equivalent American or allied
             human price.




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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