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The Respiratory Toxicity of Chemical Warefare Agents
Citation:
Sciuto, A. AND U. Kodavanti. The Respiratory Toxicity of Chemical Warefare Agents. Edition 2, Chapter 36, Ramesh Gupta (ed.), Handbook of Toxicology of Chemical Warfare Agents, Second Edition. ELSEVIER, AMSTERDAM, Holland, 1:489-518, (2015).
Impact/Purpose:
Chapter 36 provides a comprehensive review of the pulmonary toxicity of chemical warfare agents.
Description:
Inhalation is one of the most important routes of exposure for chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and thus, the lung remains a critical target of injury. Depending on the mode of action by which the CWAs cause injury, the nature of injury, the location being impacted within the respiratory tract, and the temporality of injury can vary. Nerve agents can impact the nervous system and neurons within respiratory tract but the respiratory effects are manifested secondary to neuronal and cardiovascular impairment. Blistering agents can injure upper respiratory tract upon contact. Pulmonary agents such as arsine can have a variety of effects depending on the encountered dose, while chlorine will injure upper respiratory tract and phosgene will cause deep lung edema. The respiratory failure is often a cause of mortality with a variety of CWAs and thus, the understanding of respiratory toxicity becomes an essential aspect for therapeutic interventions. We discuss biochemical and pathological effects of CWAs on the respiratory tract.