Pulmonary agents treatment

Animal studies and human case reports have led to several proposed postexposure prophylactic regimens for asymptomatic patients exposed to pulmonary agents, specifically phosgene, to prevent development of complications. Unfortunately, all of these treatments lack evidence in systemic studies, and asymptomatic patients may find at least one of the treatments unacceptable ... 

Discuss specific decontamination and treatment of victims of a pulmonary agent attack. 

If you suspect an attack by a pulmonary agent, you should not enter the scene unless you are wearing at least Level G PPE. Removal of the victims from additional exposure is critical. Those exposed must be decontaminated prior to treatment and transport. Their clothing should be removed as soon as they are out of the area of exposure. Clothing will absorb the agent and off-gas. The patient should... 

Vesicant agents, such as mustard, require no special treatment once the bums have occurred. Copious washing is quite effective when used early for Hquid contamination of the eyes, and soap and water removes the Hquid agent from the skin. Bums resulting from mustard agent are treated like any other severe bum. The pulmonary injuries are treated symptomatically antibiotics are used only if indicated for the control of infection. 

Untoward effects of both E and NE (usually to a lesser degree) are anxiety, headache, cerebral hemorrhage (from vasopressor effects), cardiac arrhythmias, especially in presence of digitaUs and certain anesthetic agents, and pulmonary edema as a result of pulmonary hypertension. The minimum subcutaneous lethal dose of E is about 4 mg, but recoveries have occurred after accidental overdosage with 16 mg subcutaneously and 30 mg intravenously, followed by immediate supportive treatment. 

Aerosolised medicines have been used for centuries to treat respiratory diseases, with inhalation therapy for the airways focused primarily on the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The development of new products for delivery to the lungs for these respiratory diseases includes new steroids and beta agonists plus combination products featuring both agents. New classes of anti-asthma medication are also being developed for inhalation with the aim of delivering them directly to the inflamed airways. 

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