Pediatric exposure vulnerability

Managing pediatric victims of chemical terrorism is an especially difficult challenge. In addition to the obvious physiologic and anatomic differences compared to adults (Table 61.1), there are important psychological and behavioral differences that put children at risk (Rotenberg and Newmark, 2003). Anecdotal reports have claimed that children are likely to be the first to manifest symptoms, to develop more severe manifestations, and to be hospitalized for other related illnesses. In fact, it is anticipated that children will be overrepresented among the initial index cases in a mass civilian exposure to toxic chemicals. Children have many characteristics that make them vulnerable to toxic exposures. The smaller mass of a child automatically reduces the dose of toxic agents needed to cause... 

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