STATUS OF USAMRDC CHEMICAL CASUALTY CARE

File: 970101_sep96_decls28_0022.txt
Page: 0022
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







              exposure can favorably modify the course of anthrax in primates. Patients with inhalation
              anthrax pose no risk to medical personnel and do not require isolation.

                     Botulism is a paralytic illness produced under normal circumstances by ingestion of
              food contaminated with one of several serotypes of a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium
              botulinum. On a weight basis, the botulinum toxins are the most lethal known chemical or
              biological agents, and they are absorbed after inhalation exposure. In contrast to the
              chemical warfare nerve agents, which inhibit acetyicholinesterase and lead to the picture of
              chounergic crisis, botulinum toxins inhibit the release of acetylcholine from presynaptic
              terminals and block chohnergic transmission. A dry mouth and dilated rather than
              constricted pupils are seen. Central nervous system toxicity does not occur. 'ne clinical
              illness often includes cranial nerve palsies as well as a descending motor paralysis.
              Respiratory arrest occurs hours after exposure, so that there is more time for evacuation and
              ventilatory support than after severe nerve agent exposure. Unfortunately, the duration of
              required ventilatory support may be months rather than the few hours that often suffice for
              even severe nerve agent casualties. Serotype-specific antitoxins of equine origin may
              favorably modify the outcome of the illness. An experimental vaccine at present does not
              protect against the full range of serotypes.

                     Inhalation exposure to SEB produce a somewhat different short-incubation
              incapacitating illness from that seen with staphylococcal food poisoning. UnHke the food-
              home disease, common findings include cough, chills, fever, leukocytosis, and patchy
itation during the brief illness is characteristic.


              12.    INHAIATION TOXICOLOGY (See FM 8-285, Chapters 5 and 9)

                     Exposure to lung-damaging compounds in modem high intensity conflict poses just
              as great a danger as did exposure during World War I to phosgene. While phosgene, which
              requires a very high Ct to produce injury, is no longer a credible chemical warfare threat
              to soldiers equipped with protective masks, it is the prototype compound of a class of
              products of combustion that all produce potentially lethal adult respiratory distress syndrome
              (ARDS, synonyms noncardiac pulmonary edema or shock lung) with clinical onset hours
              after inhalation exposure.

                     The products of combustion which often result from vehicle, aircraft, or shipboard
              fires include such primary injurious agents as carbon monoxide and cyanide. Examples of
              pulmonary edemagenic compounds such as phosgene which are products of combustion
              include the o)ddes of nitrogen, commonly released from ammunition cookoff bustle hits on
              armored fighting vehicles, as well as the thermal decomposition product of teflon,
              perfluoroisobutylene. 'ne common battlefield smoke mixture HC (FM 8-285, Chapter 9)
              is also a pulmonary edemagen at high concentrations.




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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