What are the symptoms of nerve gas?
Regardless of the route of exposure, nerve agents can cause the following characteristic effects:
- pinpoint pupils of the eye.
- excessive production of mucous, tears, saliva and sweat.
- headache.
- stomach pain, nausea and vomiting.
- chest tightness and shortness of breath.
- loss of bladder and bowel control.
- muscle twitching.
How do you treat exposure to nerve gas?
It is important that anyone treating a contaminated person should wear appropriate personal protective equipment to avoid exposure. Nerve agent poisoning can be treated with the antidotes atropine and pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM chloride).
Can you survive VX nerve agent?
Recovery from VX exposure is possible with treatment, but the antidotes available must be used quickly to be effective.
Can you smell nerve agents?
Nerve agents are generally colorless to amber-colored, tasteless liquids that may evaporate to a gas. Agents Sarin and VX are odorless; Tabun has a slightly fruity odor and Soman has a slight camphor odor.
What happens if you inhale nerve gas?
Symptoms may start immediately if you have inhaled or been exposed to higher amounts of nerve gas: Runny nose and eyes. Small pupils or blurry vision. Coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, or shortness of breath.
What happens when you breathe nerve gas?
The nerve gas acts directly on the diaphragm (smooth muscle) to paralyze it and it also inhibits the firing rate of neurons in an area of the brainstem that controls breathing.
How do you test for nerve agent poisoning?
The OrganoTox test is a rapid, point-of-care assay capable of detecting clinically relevant organophosphate (OP) poisoning after low-level exposure to sarin, soman, tabun, or VX chemical nerve agents. The test utilizes either a finger stick peripheral blood sample or plasma specimen.
What are examples of nerve gas?
Two examples of nerve gases that have gained some notoriety through their powerful physiological effects are Sarin and VX. Even in small quantities, nerve gases inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase and disrupt the transmission of nerve impulses in the body.
How toxic is VX?
VX is the most toxic nerve agent known. Just 0.4 milligrams of the substance can kill an adult weighing 100 kilograms (220 pounds) when taken orally and 8.6 milligrams can kill an adult when the substance comes into contact with the skin.
What does nerve agent smell like?
It can cause seizures, paralysis, respiratory failure and death. The nerve agent Soman smells like Vapo-Rub or camphor. When it’s heated up, it turns into a deadly gas.
What does VX do to the body?
VX is a yellowish, odourless and tasteless liquid that disrupts the body’s nervous system to lethal effect. Ten milligrams is enough to kill a person through skin contact although it can also kill through inhalation. One of the women involved in the attack subsequently fell ill too.
What are the symptoms of nerve agent vaporization?
Symptoms of exposure to nerve agent vapor may include: eye burning, tearing, pain and dim vision; runny nose, cough and difficulty breathing; headache, lightheadedness, confusion and weakness; sweating; stomach aches and diarrhea; and, muscle twitching. Symptoms can quickly progress to sudden collapse, convulsions, and even death.
How do you know if you have nerve agent poisoning?
If you see several people suddenly become ill, you should suspect a nerve agent release. Symptoms of exposure to nerve agent vapor may include: eye burning, tearing, pain and dim vision; runny nose, cough and difficulty breathing; headache, lightheadedness, confusion and weakness; sweating; stomach aches and diarrhea; and, muscle twitching.
What are the respiratory effects of nerve agent inhalation?
Inhalation of nerve agent vapors causes respiratory tract effects within seconds to minutes. Symptoms include excessive rhinorrhea and bronchial secretions, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing due to constriction of bronchial muscles and mucous secretions. Respiratory failure may occur due to CNS depression.
What are the effects of nerve agents?
All the nerve agents cause their toxic effects by preventing the proper operation of an enzyme that acts as the body’s “off switch” for glands and muscles. Without an “off switch,” the glands and muscles are constantly being stimulated. They may tire and no longer be able to sustain breathing function.