ABSTRACT
Los gases lacrimógenos (GL) son métodos de control de manifestaciones públicas por los órganos represivos, muy utilizados y efectivos globalmente. El objetivo de esta revisión es actualizar información técnica sobre los gases lacrimógenos, añadiendo aspectos más recientes legales, éticos, médicos y preventivos del uso y abuso de estos agentes químicos durante las acciones de las fuerzas policiales y represivas. Las fuentes de información secundarias seleccionadas son portales generales con el buscador Google, académicos (Google académico), PubMed y de las organizaciones gubernamentales y no gubernamentales, también se incluyen hemerotecas de artículos periodísticos sobre su uso desde 2000 hasta 2014. La exposición aguda a (GL) se expresa con manifestaciones clínicas de afección respiratoria, irritación de los ojos y de la piel, requiriendo en la mayoría de los casos medidas generales de atención fuera del hospital. Sin embargo, en casos de personas con co-morbilidades respiratorias, alérgicas, glaucoma y del corazón, acarrean mayores consecuencias que requieren atención médica y hospitalaria. Se han reportado fatalidades relacionadas al uso y abuso de los agentes químicos. Desde el punto de vista de salud pública existe controversia sobre su uso, y definitivamente causan consternación en los afectados y los abusos de su utilización en manifestaciones pacíficas. Se hace un listado de recomendaciones ante exposiciones durante manifestaciones, como prevenir intoxicaciones severas y dar los primeros auxilios...
Tear gases (TG) are methods for public control used by police forces. The objective of this review is to update technical information about tear gas, adding more recent legal, ethical, medical and preventive aspects of the use and abuse of these chemicals during the actions of the police and repressive forces. Selected secondary sources of information are Google, Academic Google, PubMed and of governmental and non-governmental organizations, also included are newspaper archives about its use from 2000 to 2014. Acute exposure to (GL) is expressed with clinical manifestations of respiratory conditions, irritation of the eyes and skin, requiring in most cases general ambulatory measures of care. However, in persons with respiratory, allergic, glaucoma and heart comorbidities, they carry greater consequences requiring hospital care. Fatalities have been reported related to the use and abuse of chemical agents. From the viewpoint of public health there is a controversy about its use, and definitely cause consternation in the affected in peaceful demonstrations. A list of recommendations is made about how to prevent severe intoxications and give first aid...
Subject(s)
Humans , Tear Gases/adverse effects , Tear Gases/radiation effects , Riot Control Agents, Chemical/analysis , Chemical Warfare Agents/adverse effects , Glaucoma , Respiratory Tract Diseases , Skin Irritancy TestsABSTRACT
Sulfur mustard, Bis [2-chlorethy1] sulfide [HD], is one of the first chemical warfare agents to be used on a large scale. Anti inflammatory treatments might have the potential to prevent some aspects of the primary development of HD-induced lesions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate treatment effects of topically applied betamethasone [B] and diclofenac-Na [D] on the conjunctival epithelial lesions following HD exposure. A total of 36 rabbits were used. Animals were randomly divided to three control groups: [1] normal; [2] solution; [3] HD and three experimental groups: [4] betamethasone; [5] diclofenac-Na and [6] betamethasone-diclofenac-Na [BD]. In each group six animals were examined. Right eye of all animals was selected for experiment. In the experimental groups betamethasone and diclofenac-Na were applied after using HD solution. Application of drugs was performed 3 times a day for 2 weeks. Slit-lamp examinations were performed before exposure and subsequently at days 1, 2, 5, 7, and 14 by professional ophthalmologists. Animals were sacrificed after two weeks with chloroform. The eyes were enucleated. Specimens of palpebra were obtained for histological examination. There was not any significant difference between normal and solution groups. HD caused a significant decrease in goblet cells and cell infiltration in conjunctiva, injection and chemosis. All experimental groups were better than the HD group. Betamethasone in combination with diclofenac-Na was more effective than betamethasone and diclofenac-Na alone in decreasing eye injuries. Combination of betamethasone and diclofenac-Na are potential candidates for the treatment of ocular lesions following HD exposure
Subject(s)
Animals, Laboratory , Diclofenac , Betamethasone , Mustard Compounds/adverse effects , Mustard Compounds , Conjunctival Diseases/drug therapy , Conjunctival Diseases/prevention & control , Chemical Warfare Agents/adverse effects , Anti-Inflammatory Agents , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal , Histological Techniques/statistics & numerical data , RabbitsABSTRACT
During Iran-Iraq war between the years 1980-1988, several chemical warefare agents were used which the most common was Mustard gas [SM]. The side effects of mutation and tumor-formation of sulfur mustard in humanbeings and animals are well described. The aim of current study is to determine the late-onset complications in Iranian veterans exposed by SM in formation of skin tumors. During this retrospective descriptive-analytic study, 9605 chemically injured patients who were examined by dermatologists and their characteristics were studied. Sixty-two out of 9605 of chemically injured patients exposed to sulfur mustard after 10-15 years from exposure had skin tumors. Four of them were malignant and diagnosed as BCC and the others were benign.Lipoma and Becker nevus where the most common benign lesions. The results showed that no significant difference between prevalence of BCC in the chemically injured patients and the general population based on previous reports and as far as the age range and frequency of exposure was considered [P>0.05]
Subject(s)
Humans , Chemical Warfare Agents/adverse effects , Mustard Gas/adverse effects , Mutation/etiology , Neoplasms/classification , Carcinoma, Basal Cell , Lipoma , Nevus , PrevalenceABSTRACT
Bronchiectasis following inhalation of chemical gases, mainly ammonia, has been occasionally reported in literature. The widespread use of sulfur mustard gas, as a warfare agent by Iraqi forces, during the Iran-Iraq war, has resulted in chronic lung diseases including bronchiectasis, among Iranian veterans exposed to this agent. In this cross-sectional clinical study, we present 16 proven cases of bronchiectasis following a single episode of inhalation of sulfur mustard gas. Both diffuse and focal forms of bronchiectasis were encountered in this group of patients. In the majority of patients, pulmonary function tests showed either obstructive or mixed obstructive and restrictive patterns. The lesions were more frequently in the lower lung lobes. Bronchiectasis is a relatively common chronic pulmonary sequela of sulfur mustard gas injury. The observation that only a subset of victims exposed to mustard gas have developed bronchiectasis underlines the hypothesis that individual susceptibility is important for development of bronchiectasis
Subject(s)
Humans , Mustard Gas/poisoning , Bronchiectasis/chemically induced , Lung Diseases/chemically induced , Chemical Warfare Agents/adverse effectsABSTRACT
El documento es una investigación sobre las actividades de EEUU en relación a un programa activo de armas químicas en Panamá desde por lo menos 1930 hasta 1968. El estudio describe como desde 1930 hasta 1946, este programa estaba enfocado en la defensa del Canal. Y como desde 1943 hasta 1968, el programa intentaba probar municiones químicas bajo condiciones tropicales. La investigación abarca desde los registros de varias pruebas de diversas armas químicas; el almacenamiento de agentes químicos y municiones, así como las pruebas de estas armas en la áreas ocupadas por el Comando Sur; las disposiciones legales en torno a este tema; el supuesto desarrollo de los agentes biológicos en Panamá; y posteriormente plantea conclusiones y recomendaciones