Nerve agents – a clear and present danger to mankind
Journal Title: Scripta Medica (Banja Luka) - Year 2019, Vol 50, Issue 3
Abstract
This editorial is written on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the infamous sarin and VX terrorist attacks in Japan, in order to increase the awareness of the potential terrorist use of nerve agents and to urge the preparedness to cope with its consequences. Nerve agents are extremely toxic organophosphorus acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, divided in three known groups: G-, V- and A-agents. G-agents tabun, sarin and soman were synthesised in Nazi Germany (1938-1944), V-agents including VX by the British in the 1950s and A-agents or Novichok agents between 1971 and 1993 in the Soviet Union. The use or alleged use of tabun and sarin was mentioned in connection with the Iraq-Iran war (1980-1988) and the Syrian conflict in 2013 and 2017. Sarin and VX were used for terrorist purposes by the Japanese religious sect AUM Shinrikyo in 1994 and 1995. The assassination of Kim Jong Nam with VX took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malesia in 2017, while the 2018 Salisbury and Amesbury poisonings in the UK were ascribed to the so-called Novichok agent A234. Milder cases of poisoning with nerve agents is accompanied by predominantly muscarinic symptomatology and more massive intoxications with mainly nicotinic and central symptoms. Treatment consists of use of atropine, oximes and anticonvulsants.
Authors and Affiliations
Miloš P. Stojiljković
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP673203
- DOI 10.5937/scriptamed50-23266
- Views 249
- Downloads 0
Dermal regeneration with MilliGraft® kit of nanofat: the micrograft of adipose tissue. A clinical assessment study
The simple filtration by means of the MilliGraft ® Kit of a disaggregated lipoaspirate allows to extract the class of cells defined as progentors with characteristics of adult stem cells present in the nanofat exclusivel...
Nerve agents – a clear and present danger to mankind
This editorial is written on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the infamous sarin and VX terrorist attacks in Japan, in order to increase the awareness of the potential terrorist use of nerve agents and to urge the...
Renin-angiotensin and kallikrein-kinin systems in diabetic retinopathy
This brief review describes how two complex systems, the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and the kallikrein-kinin system (KKS), affect the retina. It emphasises the important physiological actions of components of these s...
The effects of certain gasotransmitters inhibition on homocysteine acutely induced changes on rat cardiac acetylcholinesterase activity
Background/Aim: Hyperhomocysteinaemia is linked to higher level of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in brain, but there is insufficient information on influence of homocysteine (Hcy) and gasotransmitters on cardiac AChE. Thus...
New dawn fades: from imaging to quantitative imaging biomarkers and beyond
In the modern ages of rapid technological and computational advances, development of numerous novel diagnostic imaging techniques have enabled not only visual detection of disease processes, but also provided the tools t...