A review of CBRN topics related to military and civilian patient exposure and decontamination

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Titus, BS ◽  
George Lemmer, BS ◽  
Jeremy Slagley, PhD ◽  
Robert Eninger, PhD
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Percent Reduction ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
Emergency Responders ◽  
Toxic Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Aeromedical Transport ◽  
Spread Of Infection ◽  
Secondary Contamination

Chemical and biological (CB) warfare have long been practiced, and although these types of warfare are not acceptable in modern times, this does not prevent them from occurring. This makes it important for societies to be able to appropriately respond to these events, including the best way to decontaminate victims to keep them and emergency responders safe. Decontamination methods such as chemical, physical, wet, and dry methods are discussed, as well as their downsides. Secondary contamination, which played a significant role in the Tokyo sarin attacks, has long been noted by anecdotal evidence, although it has been little studied. Biological agents cause more problems after infection has taken place, and thus preventing the spread of infection is the largest concern. There are many differences between military and civilian populations, and the response to mass casualty attacks differs accordingly. There are several emerging technologies that can make this process easier on all parties, such as bioscavengers, antitoxins, and color changing bleach for visualization. A reliable way to quantify decontamination is also needed, which would allow for better care of victims both in normal hospital situations, as well as during aeromedical transport. In addition, several gaps were identified, such as the lack of scientific basis for 90 percent reduction during decontamination, a way to quantify decontamination, and the lack of studies on toxic industrial chemicals and secondary contamination.

Biological and Phytochemical Screening of Fumaria indica extract on Chemically Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Reference to Biochemical Parameters

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irfan Aziz ◽  
Birendra Shrivastava ◽  
Chandana Venkateswara Rao2 ◽  
Sadath Ali
Keyword(s):  
Free Radicals ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Food Additives ◽  
Ethanolic Extract ◽  
Hepatoprotective Activity ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Toxic Industrial Chemicals

Liver disease or liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer mortality in the world. Hepatitis viral infection, food additives, alcohol, fungal toxins (aflatoxins), toxic industrial chemicals, air and water pollutants are the major risk factors of liver cancer. Moreover, due to high tolerance of liver, HCC is seldom detected at an early stage and once detected treatment faces a poor prognosis in most cases.Fumaria indica possesses hepatoprotective activity as evidenced by the significant and dose dependent restoring the activities of entire liver cancer marker enzymes, diminution in tumor incidence, decrease in lipid peroxidation (LPO) and increase in the level of antioxidant enzymes (GSH, CAT, SOD, GPx and GST) through scavenging of free radicals, or by enhancing the activity of antioxidant, which then detoxify free radicals. These factors protect cells from ROS damage in NDEA and CCl4-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Histopathological observations of liver tissues too correlated with the biochemical observations. Thus, present investigation suggested that the Fumaria indica would exert a chemoprotective effect by reversing the oxidant-antioxidant imbalance during hepatocarcinogenesis induced by NDEA and CCl4. Besides Fumaria indicais very much effective in preventing NDEA-induced multistage hepatocarcinogenesis possibly through antioxidant and antigenotoxic nature, which was confirmed by various liver injury and biochemical tumour markers enzymes. The hepatoprotective activity of a Fumaria indicaof 50 % ethanolic extract was studied using rats. The animals received a single intraperitoneal injection of N-nitrosodiethylamine 200mg/kg body wt followed by subcutaneous injection of CCl4 in a dose of 3 ml/kg body wt. Fumaria indica extract dose dependently and significantly the increase in serum hepatic enzyme levels after NDEAand CCl4 treatment compared to the toxin control group. The results of this study confirmed the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of the Fumaria indicaextract against carbon tetrachlorideand N-nitrosodiethylamine induced hepatotoxicity in rats. In addition to this, studies on molecular aspect of hepatoprotective therapy will give mechanistic information in hepatoprotective therapy and also critical balance should be there between the animal model and clinical research. The hepatoprotective properties of Fumaria indicashould provide useful information in the possible application in hepatic liver disease.

scholarly journals Fast Sensing of Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) Vapors Using a Hand-Held Ion Mobility Spectrometer with Nonradioactive Ionization Source

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 5045
Author(s):  
Victor Bocos-Bintintan ◽  
Ileana Andreea Ratiu
Keyword(s):  
Ion Mobility ◽  
Hydrogen Cyanide ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agent ◽  
Source Model ◽  
Negative Ion ◽  
Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Ionization Source ◽  
Toxic Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Negative Ion Mode

Sensitive real-time detection of vapors produced by toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) always represents a stringent priority. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is definitely a TIC, being widely used in various industries and as an insecticide; it is a reactive, very flammable, and highly toxic compound that affects the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, eyes, nose, throat, and also has systemic effects. Moreover, HCN is considered a blood chemical warfare agent. This study was focused toward quick detection and quantification of HCN in air using time-of-flight ion mobility spectrometry (ToF IMS). Results obtained clearly indicate that IMS can rapidly detect HCN at sub-ppmv levels in air. Ion mobility spectrometric response was obtained in the negative ion mode and presented one single distinct product ion, at reduced ion mobility K0 of 2.38 cm2 V−1 s−1. Our study demonstrated that by using a miniaturized commercial IMS system with nonradioactive ionization source model LCD-3.2E (Smiths Detection Ltd., London, UK), one can easily measure HCN at concentrations of 0.1 ppmv (0.11 mg m−3) in negative ion mode, which is far below the OSHA PEL-TWA value of 10 ppmv. Measurement range was from 0.1 to 10 ppmv and the estimated limit of detection LoD was ca. 20 ppbv (0.02 mg m−3).

Mobile Decontamination Units—Room for Improvement?

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 425-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Ribordy ◽  
David Rocksén ◽  
Uno Dellgar ◽  
Sven-Åke Persson ◽  
Kristina Arnoldsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Exposure Limits ◽  
Publication Type ◽  
Toxic Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Environment Effects ◽  
Short Term Exposure ◽  
Technical Solutions ◽  
And Training ◽  
Accident Site

AbstractIntroductionMobile decontamination units are intended to be used at the accident site to decontaminate persons contaminated by toxic substances. A test program was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of mobile decontamination units.ObjectiveThe tests included functionality, methodology, inside environment, effects of wind direction, and decontamination efficacy.MethodsThree different types of units were tested during summer and winter conditions. Up to 15 test-persons per trial were contaminated with the imitation substances Purasolve ethyl lactate (PEL) and methyl salicylate (MES). Decontamination was carried out according to standardized procedures. During the decontamination trials, the concentrations of the substances inside the units were measured. After decontamination, substances evaporating from test-persons and blankets as well as remaining amounts in the units were measured.ResultsThe air concentrations of PEL and MES inside the units during decontamination in some cases exceeded short-term exposure limits for most toxic industrial chemicals. This was a problem, especially during harmful wind conditions, i.e., wind blowing in the same direction as persons moving through the decontamination units. Although decontamination removed a greater part of the substances from the skin, the concentrations evaporating from some test-persons occasionally were high and potentially harmful if the substances had been toxic. The study also showed that blankets placed in the units absorbed chemicals and that the units still were contaminated five hours after the end of operations.ConclusionsAfter decontamination, the imitation substances still were present and evaporating from the contaminated persons, blankets, and units. These results indicate a need for improvements in technical solutions, procedures, and training.RibordyP, RocksénD, DellgarU, PerssonS, ArnoldssonK, EkåsenH, HäggbomS, NerfO, LjungqvistA, GrythD, ClaessonO. Mobile decontamination units—room for improvement?. Prehosp Disaster Med.2012;27(4):1–7.

scholarly journals Putting the Theoretical to Practical Use

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s161-s161
Author(s):  
Eli Jaffe
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Mass Casualty Incident ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Life And Death ◽  
Emergency Responders ◽  
Mature Students ◽  
Daunting Task ◽  
The Mean ◽  
First Time

Introduction:Managing an MCI (Mass Casualty Incident) can be a daunting task for emergency responders. Effective management can be a matter of life and death but can be directly impacted by the feelings of the incident commander.Aim:Students were trained to be incident commanders, then following the course were given a survey. In the days following the training, an MCI occurred involving a train full of passengers. The students were then given another survey to assess their readiness following the practical use of their studies.Methods:Students were given a survey to determine their mean level of confidence in managing MCIs prior to training, and following the training. Following the training, there was an increase in confidence. After the training, there was an MCI in which their theoretical knowledge was put to the test.Results:The pre-training self-efficacy mean scores of younger students (M=3.5, SD+0.23) increased after the training (M=3.8, SD+0.28) and rose even more following the presentation of the Turin train accident (M=4, SD+0.26). While a similar increase in self-efficacy was found among the more mature students post-training compared to the level prior to the training (M=3.7, SD+0.44 versus M=3.4, SD+0.56), the mean self-efficacy score of the mature students decreased following the presentation of the Turin train accident to the pre-training level (M=3.4, SD+0.51).Discussion:Mean scores of self-efficacy and confidence in managing MCIs were found to be higher among medical students that were previously trained in coping with MCIs compared to medical students who participated in such a training program for the first time.

scholarly journals Efficient identification of hydrophobic MOFs: application in the capture of toxic industrial chemicals

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 529-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peyman Z. Moghadam ◽  
David Fairen-Jimenez ◽  
Randall Q. Snurr
Keyword(s):  
Metal Organic Frameworks ◽  
Large Database ◽  
Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Toxic Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Hydrophobic Materials ◽  
Henry's Constants ◽  
Metal Organic ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Computational Strategy

A novel and quick computational strategy is developed based on water Henry's constants to distinguish different levels of hydrophobicity among metal–organic frameworks. The technique is applied to a large database of MOFs to identify hydrophobic materials.

Analysis of Emergency Health Care Workforce and Service Readiness for a Mass Casualty Event in the Republic of Ireland

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (02) ◽  
pp. 243-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tener Goodwin Veenema ◽  
Fiona Boland ◽  
Declan Patton ◽  
Tom O’Connor ◽  
Zena Moore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Republic Of Ireland ◽  
Emergency Responders ◽  
Mass Casualty Event ◽  
Service Readiness ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Professional Disciplines

ABSTRACTObjectiveUltimately, a country’s capacity for a large-scale major emergency response will be directly related to the competence of its health care provider (HCP) workforce and communication between emergency responders and hospitals. The purpose of this study was to assess HCP preparedness and service readiness for a major emergency involving mass casualties (mass casualty event or MCE) in Ireland.MethodsA cross-sectional study using a 53-item survey was administered to a purposive sample of emergency responders and HCPs in the Republic of Ireland. Data collection was achieved using the Qualtrics® Research Suite. Descriptive statistics and appropriate tests of comparison between professional disciplines were conducted using Stata 13.ResultsA total of 385 respondents, registered nurses (43.4%), paramedics (37.9%), medical doctors (10.1%), and administrators/managers (8.6%), participated in the study. In general, a level of knowledge of MCEs and knowledge of clinical response activities and self-assessed clinical competence varied drastically across many aspects of the survey. Knowledge and confidence also varied across professional disciplines (P<0.05) with nurses, in general, reporting the least knowledge and/or confidence.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate that serious deficits exist in HCP knowledge, skills, and self-perceived abilities to participate in a large-scale MCE. Results also suggest a poor knowledge base of existing major emergency response plans. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:243–255)

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document