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Exposure to a First World War blistering agent
  1. HQ Le,
  2. S J Knudsen
  1. United States Air Force, Flight Medicine Clinic and Family Practice Clinic, 436th Medical Group, Dover AFB, USA
  1. Correspondence to:
 Harrison Le
 436 ADOS/SGGF, 300 Tuskegee Blvd, Dover AFB, DE 19902, USA; harrison.le{at}dover.af.mil

Abstract

Sulfur mustards act as vesicants and alkylating agents. They have been used as chemical warfare since 1917 during the first world war. This brief report illustrates the progression of injury on a primary exposed patient to a first world war blistering agent. This case documents the rapid timeline and progression of symptoms. It emphasises the importance of appropriate personal protective equipment and immediate medical response plan with rapid decontamination and proper action from military and civilian medical treatment facilities. This case reports the first US active duty military exposure to a blistering agent in the age of global terrorism.

  • H, sulfur mustard
  • HD, distilled sulfur mustard
  • HT, combination sulfur mustard
  • USAMRICD, US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense
  • vesicant
  • sulfur mustard
  • mustard gas
  • blistering agent
  • decontamination

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Footnotes

  • Competing interests: none declared

  • Ethical approval: written consent from the patient has been obtained before publication of this article.

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