Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats

NIAID (2007). NIH Strategic Plan and Research Agenda for Medical Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats U.S. 

Cowan B. S., Broomfield C. a., Stojiljkovic M. P., Smith W. J., A Review of Multi-Threat Mrdical Countermeasures against Chemical Warfare and Terrorism, Military Medicine, 2004, 169, 11, 850-55. 

Cowan, F.M., Broomfield, C.A., Stojiljkovic, M.P., Smith, W.J. (2004). A review of multi-threat medical countermeasures against chemical warfare and terrorism. Mil. Med. 169 850-5. 

Costa, L.G., McDonald, B.E., Murphy, S.D., Omerm, G.S., Richter, R.J., Motulsky, A.G., Furlong, C.E. (1990). Serum paraoxonase and its influence on paraoxon and chlorpyrifos-oxon toxicity in rats. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 103 66-76. Cowan, F.M., Broomfield, C.A., Stojiljkovic, M.P., Smith, W.J. (2004). A review of multi-threat medical countermeasures against chemical warfare and terrorism. Mil. Med. 169 850-5. 

At the request of the Chief of Naval Operations, the Naval Studies Board of the National Research Council has conducted an assessment of naval forces defense capabilities against chemical and biological warfare threats. At issue for the Department of the Navy are these questions—to what extent are capabilities being developed that will enable the naval forces to quickly sense and analyze the presence of chemical and biological agents, withstand or avoid exposure to such agents (through effective protection or countermeasures), and deal with contamination under a broad spectrum of operational conditions and over what time frame will these capabilities be realized The tasks of this assessment were as follows ... 

Formidable technical challenges exist in achieving the countermeasures envisioned for chemical and biological (CB) defense by 2030 projected in Chap. 3 and to enable countermeasures against the type of threats described in Chap. 4. Real scientific breakthroughs will be needed at a fundamental level in order to realize these revolutionary countermeasures in physical protection, detection and diagnostics, decontamination, and medical applications. Much of the research required for this broad strategy must be aimed at new scientific discovery versus research aimed at development of a specific application. 

On the battlefield, knowledge of the chemical or biological agent threat and its medical and physical countermeasures can actually reduce the threat. In World War I, the death rate for chemical casualties was about 3%. Data are not available for the Iran-Iraq War, but informal reports indicate that the death rate for those chemical casualties who reached medical care was probably less than 5%, despite the use of the highly toxic nerve agents against rela-... 

Unlike chemical agents, toxins differ widely in their mechanisms of action. The medical protection of soldiers is therefore difficult seldom will a vaccine or therapy be effective against more than one toxin. (Note We can prepare for a battlefield threat—unlike a terrorist threat—by developing specific medical countermeasures. Vaccines and other prophylactic measures can be given before combat, and therapies can be kept at the ready.) Countermeasures are discussed in general later in this chapter and in detail in specific agent chapters in this textbook. 

---