Vesicants detection

When file patient is receiving a vesicant, file nurse monitors file IV site continuously and checks for blood return frequently (every 1-2 mL). Extravasation may occur without warning, or signs may be detected by an alert nurse The earlier file extravasation is detected, file less likely soft-tissue damage will occur. 

Pure vesicants have little or no odor. However impurities can give them an easily detectable and identifiable smell. The odor of sulfur vesicants has been described as similar to garlic, horseradish, onions, or mustard. The odor of nitrogen vesicants has been described as fishy, fruity, musty, or even soap-like. 

A case in which a vesicant is detected in biologic samples. The case can be confirmed if laboratory testing is not performed because either a predominant amount of clinical and nonspecific laboratory evidence is present or an absolute certainty of the etiology of the agent is known. 

Automatic Chemical Agent Detection Alarm (ACADA-M22). The M22 is an advanced, pointsampling, chemical agent alarm system employing ion mobility spectrometry. It is designed to detect standard nerve and vesicant agents. 

Improved chemical agent point detection system (IPDS). The IPDS also employs ion mobility spectrometry and is an improved version of a point detection system. In addition to G and VX nerve agents, the IPDS is designed to detect vesicant agent vapors. Because it is a shipboard instrument, it will be much larger and will need more power than portable IMS devices. 

Shipboard automatic liquid agent detector (SALAD). The technologies to be used in the SALAD have recently been reviewed, but no decision has been made on the final selection. The instrument is designed to be an automated, externally mounted liquid agent detector capable of detecting G-type and VX nerve agents as well as vesicant chemical agents. 

The sulfur-containing, neutral degradation products of mustard and related vesicants can be analyzed by direct UV detection using MEKC. MEKC has... 

Additional inflammatory mediators have been detected in cutaneous tissues as a consequence of SM treatment. These include free arachidonic acid (Lefkowitz and Smith, 2002) and its cyclooxygenase (Dachir et al, 2004 Rikimaru et al, 1991) and lipoxygenase products (Tanaka et al, 1997). Furthermore, the increased capillary permeability observed would allow a variety of circulating inflammatory participants, such as complement components, kininogens, etc., to enter the dermal interstitium (Rikimaru et al, 1991). Clearly, vesicant injury involves a host of inflammatory mediators similar to those seen in other types of wounds, where individual cytokines have been singled out as potential therapeutic targets. 

Inman, A.O., Monteiro-Riviere, N.A., Babin, M., Casillas, R.P. (1999). Detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen in the mouse ear vesicant model following exposure to his(2-chloroethyl)sulfide. Proceedings of the 38th Annual Meeting of the Society of Toxicology, Vol. 48. Oxford University Press, New Orleans, LA, 366 pp. 

A number of adducts to amino acid residues have been identified by Noort and colleagues (1996) and Black et al. (1997a, b). Six different histidine residues, three glutamic acid residues, and both of the N-terminal valines were found. Alkylated cysteine, aspartic acid, lysine, and tryptophan were also detected. While the N1 and N3 histidine adducts were found to be most abundant, it was the alkylated N-terminal valine adducts that were most useful for subsequent quantification. See Detection of DNA and protein adducts of vesicants, below, for analytical details. 

Once incorporated, unbound lewisite is quickly hydrolyzed. Its predominant metabolite is 2-chlorovinylarsonous acid, CVAA (Figure 50.8). Analytical methods to confinn lewisite exposure have, at least in the past, focused on the detection and quantification of CVAA. However, Noort et al. (2002) also pointed out that due to the high affinity of arsenic towards sulfhydryl groups, adducts of lewisite/ CVAA and cysteine residues of proteins are formed. In an in vitro study, incubating " C-labeled lewisite with human blood samples, 90% of lewisite was found in erythrocytes, whereas 25 to 50% of arsenic was bound to globin. From these protein adducts, CVAA can be released to form an adduct with the antidote British Anti-Lewisite (BAL) (Fidder et al, 2000). The authors were also able to identify a specific protein adduct of lewisite formed with the cysteine residues 93 and 112 of P-globin. See Detection of DNA and protein adducts of vesicants, below, for analytical... 

Chlorovinyl dichloroarsine has an irritant action on the eyes and on the respiratory tract. The minimum concentration causing irritation is o-8 mgm. per cu. m. of air that is to say, less than can be detected by odout (Prentiss). The fatal concentration, according to Vedder, is 48 mgm. per cu. m. for 30 minutes respiration. It also has a considerable vesicant action when allowed to remain in contact with the skin for a time. ... 

Nasal irritation by lewisite begins at 8 mg min m and its odor is detected at 20mgminm . Vesication and death from lewisite inhalation is caused at the same Ct as mustard, which is 1500mgminm . The immediately dangerous to life health (IDLH) value of lewisite is 0.003 mg m . Lewisite causes vesication at 14 mg and the LD50 is 2.8 g on the skin. 

Military Vapor Some, but not all. Sulfur Vesicants can be detected... 

Liquids Lewisite can be detected by M8 paper and all Arsenical Vesicants can be detected by M9 paper. 

Liquids Some, but not all components of Sulfur/Arsenical Vesicants can be detected by M8 paper. All components of Sulfur/Arsenical Vesicants can be detected by M9 papers. The APD 2000 provides semi-quantitative identification of sulfur mustard/Lewisite mixtures. Colorimetric tubes are available which can detect thioethers, organic arsenic compounds as well as arsine (AsHg). Detection with PIDs or PIDs may be possible. Detection and identification with FT-IR is possible provided that the appropriate reference spectra are available. 

Liquids Lewisite can be detected by M8 paper and all Arsenical Vesicants can be detected by M9 paper. Arsenical Vesicants can also be detected by the MM-1 in the FOX NBC Reconnaissance System. 

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