Decontamination following deliberate mass-casualty exposures

[wikipedia.org]4 out of 5 stars Decontamination. Houston M, Hendrickson RG. Crit Care Clin 2005:21:653-672. Abstract Looking to finish some Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment (LLSA) tests before the end of the year so I can re-certify in emergency medicine, I discovered that the subspecialty Medical Toxicology reading list modules can be used to comply with these requirements. At this time there are 3 active toxicology reading lists: 2017, 2015 and 2013. In the coming weeks, I will review selected articles from these lists. This  review comes from the October 2005 issue of Critical Care Clinics, which covered the general theme of: “Terrorism and Critical Care: Chemical, Biologic, Radiologic, and Nuclear Weapons.” It deals mainly with external decontamination following CBRN mass casualty exposures, This topic is particularly difficult, as I found when I tried to make sense of it while teaching in the Dept. of Defense Domestic Preparedness Program in the late 1990s. If all staff involved in decontaminating and treating these victims do not grasp some basic principles, developing a coherent response will be impossible. This long article does a very good job of emphasizing some key concepts, including: External decontamination must be accomplished before patients enter the hospital or emergency treatment area Exposure to vapor alone does not require wet decontamination — removal and bagging of patients’ clothing in a well-ventilated area before entry...
Source: The Poison Review - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Medical biological chemical decontamination lifelong learning and self-assessment LLSA nuclear radiological terrorism weapon Source Type: news