Nerve Agents

Excerpt

Nerve agents represent a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in toxicology and emergency medicine. Patients affected by nerve agents present primarily with symptoms of cholinergic excess namely increased secretions, respiratory distress, and paralysis. Diagnosis is clinical, and management is aggressive supportive care with the timely use of antidotes atropine and pralidoxime. Physicians must be familiar with nerve agents to diagnose and treat patients afflicted with this deadly toxidrome properly.