Showing papers on "Cyanide published in 2024"

Asphyxiant (Cyanide) Attack

Abstract: Cyanides are used as chemical intermediates and are part of the plastic and metal industry, representing a potential risk of exposure in civilian settings. Furthermore, there are two volatile liquid cyanides defined as chemical warfare agents (CWAs), hydrogen cyanide (North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] designation AC), and cyanogen chloride (NATO designation CK). Cyanide has the potential to be the ideal weapon. It is easy to access, efficient for causing mass casualties, can generate mass social disruption, the specific antidotes are not easy to apply to mass casualties, and lastly, it does not need too much technological or scientific knowledge to use it effectively. Even more, data retrieved from the Global Terrorism Database hosting information on more than 200,000 terrorist attacks report at least 30 incidents involving cyanide worldwide. Therefore within this chapter are the actions required to prepare for this type of attack before it happens, highlights of scene management in the prehospital setting, suggestions for hospital settings, decontamination measures, and chemical warfare mass casualty triage recommendations. Moreover, there is a description of the different antidotes approved for the treatment of the poisoning and the ones being developed and the supportive measures to be implemented from the acute exposure phase to cyanide up to the patient’s discharge from the emergency department or the inpatient ward.