Medical Aspects of Chemical Warfare (2008) - The Black Vault

Chemical Defense Equipmentgerous chemicals. This detector comes in the form of asimply operated kit using individual reagent tubes todetect a variety of specific industrial chemicals. Suchdetectors can be supplied to units operating in an areawith a known hazard from industrial chemicals. 30TIC and TIM detector technology is constantlybeing upgraded as developers seek devices that areeasier to use, provide more accurate readings, andcan identify a wider array of hazards. The NationalInstitute of Justice’s Guide for the Selection of ChemicalAgent and Toxic Industrial Material Detection Equipmentfor Emergency First Responders 31 is more practicalthan technical and provides information on a varietyfactors to be considered when purchasing detectionequipment, including sensitivity, detection states, andportability.DECONTAMINATION EQUIPMENTThe physical properties of chemical agents arehighly variable. Chemical agents range from nerveagent vapor, which usually dissipates in a few minutesto a few hours, to vesicants such as mustard, whichcan remain active for weeks (or in some cases, years;buried and recovered World War I mustard projectilesare often still toxic). These various propertiesmake timely decontamination of skin and personalequipment that has been exposed to agent, especiallyliquid agent, imperative. Skin decontamination shouldideally take place within 2 minutes, and equipmentdecontamination should be completed within 1 hour.For more detailed information on decontaminationand decontamination equipment used for the thoroughdecontamination of patients, refer to Chapter 16, Decontaminationof Chemical Casualties.Personnel DecontaminationPersonnel decontamination, performed to reducethe level of contamination so it no longer presents ahazard to the individual, consists of removing contaminatedclothing and decontaminating the skin. Toexpedite this procedure, personnel decontaminationkits are used to remove gross contamination. Thoroughdecontamination, which is conducted by specializeddecontamination units, is provided to troops to reducethe requirement for wearing complete IPE. Additionally,when both crews and equipment are contaminated,combined complete personnel and equipment decontaminationoperations are scheduled as the situationand mission permit, bearing in mind the lengthy timerequired for such an operation. During this completedecontamination commanders can give their soldiersrest and a change of IPE. 33 The personnel decontaminationitems described below would be used to quicklydecontaminate the skin of an exposed individual. Openwounds, however, should be decontaminated withwater or saline. 32–35M291 Skin Decontamination KitThe M291 kit consists of a wallet-type pouch containingsix individual packets. Each packet contains anon-woven fiber-fill laminated pad impregnated withthe decontamination compound (Ambergard XE-555resin [Rohm and Haas Co, Philadelphia, Penn]) thatreacts with chemical agents to absorb and neutralize ina single step (Figure 17-27). Decontamination is accomplishedby opening the packet and scrubbing the skinsurface with the applicator pad until an even coatingof the resin is achieved. As the pad is scrubbed overthe exposed/contaminated skin area, the chemicals arerapidly transferred into, trapped, and retained in theinterior of the resin particles. The presence of acidicand basic groups in the resin promotes the destructionof trapped chemical agents. The kit can also be used todecontaminate the outside of protective masks, butylrubber gloves, and the hood of individual protectiveequipment. 36 The powder should be kept away fromwounds, the eyes, and the mouth. The M291 kit has a10-year shelf life from the manufacture date stampedon the upper right corner of each packet. Expired orunserviceable kits can not be used for training; theymust be discarded according to organization standingoperating procedures. 32–35Fig. 17-27. The M291 skin decontamination kit.Photograph: Courtesy of the Chemical Casualty Care Division,US Army Medical Research Institute of ChemicalDefense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.581