NBC risks : current capabilities and future perspectives for protection : [proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Antidotes, Protectors and Decorporators - a New Approach in the Area of Disarmament: From Military Towards Environmental Purpo

The Advanced Research Workshop in Bucharest from 20. to 22. 04. 1998 covered a broad spectrum of medical and pharmaceutical approaches dealing to maintenaning and restoring of the health of civilians and military personnel exposed to ionizing radiation or biological or chemical agents. The current capabilities and future perspectives for protection against NBC hazards were analyzed from an interdisciplinary perspective. In this context the planning of medical support operations was addressed as were aspects of practical medicine and forwardlooking scientific approaches. The main areas covered were: -general approach and NBC risks -pharmacoprotection and treatment -skin protection and decontamination -pharmaceutical aspects of protectants -environmental aspects of NBC disarmament Acknowledgments The editors would like to express their thanks to NATO for having made this publication possible and all the participants of the conference who contributed their publications. In particular, the editors would like to thank Constantin Mircioiu and his staff for their assistance and support during all stages of the conference and editing. In addition, they are grateful to Harald Kempf and his staff for their editorial assistance in preparing this volume. THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION: HEALTH RISKS -An Analysisfrom a Medical Perspective- T. SOHNS German Armed Forces Medical Academy Neuherbergstr. II, D -80937 Munich Summary: The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction I and long-range means of delivery continues to be a matter of serious concern as it can pose a direct threat to national and international security. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii The Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Health Risks....Pages 1-18 Intervention in a Chemical, Biological or Nuclear Disaster. A Romanian Point of View....Pages 19-37 Are the Civilians Prepared for Chemical and/or Biological Warfare? The Need of a Cooperative Effort for a Simple Guideline....Pages 39-42 Defense Against Biological Terrorism....Pages 43-59 NBC Medical Planning System (NBCMedPlanS)....Pages 61-68 Planning of Medical Support for a Threatened or Actual Biological Environment. Principles, Policies and Procedures....Pages 69-93 Finite Interactions Theory — A Biophysical Approach to Xenobiotic — Membrane Interface Interactions....Pages 95-107 A Theoretical Study of the Interactions of Acetylcholinesterase, Irreversible Inhibitors, and Their Antidotes....Pages 109-125 Electrochemical Properties of Platelets: Clinical and Pharmacological Applications....Pages 127-154 Features of Apoptotic Cell Death in SCL II Cells after Exposure to 2,2-Dichlorodiethylsulfide....Pages 155-159 A New View on the Mechanism of Action of Reversible Cholinesterase Inhibitors as Drugs for Prophylaxis....Pages 161-163 Cholinesterases as Bioscavengers for Protection Against Organophosphate Chemical Warfare Agents....Pages 165-175 Selectivity and Protective Activity of Muscarinic Receptor’s Antagonists in Organophosphates Poisoning....Pages 177-180 Reactivators, from Classic to a New Generation....Pages 181-187 Convulsions in Organophosphate Intoxications: Their Mechanism and Treatment....Pages 189-195 Treatment of Organophosphate Nerve Agents, Current Therapy and Future Prospectives....Pages 197-218 Reactivation of Organophosphorus — Inhibited Human Erythrocyte-Acetylcholinesterase by Oximes in vitro....Pages 219-227 Cholinesterase Status in Organophosphate Poisoned Patients....Pages 229-241 Testing the Antidotal Efficiency in the Treatment of Aflatoxin Poisoning....Pages 243-249 Zeolites as (Potential) Decorporating Agents....Pages 251-259 New Concepts of Prophylaxis and Decontamination of Chemical Warfare Agents....Pages 261-263 Sorption-Mechanical Principle in Skin Decontamination....Pages 265-269 Reduction of the Skin Permeation of Xenobiotics Using Chemical Penetration Retarders....Pages 271-277 Effects of Protective Clothing on the Skin Penetration of Xenobiotics....Pages 279-292 Powders, Ointments and Solutions as First Aid, Nonspecific Antidotes for Organophosphorous Compounds at Skin Level....Pages 293-302 Protective Properties of Standard Combat Clothing Against Skin Penetration of Supertoxic Lethal Chemical Warfare Agents....Pages 303-310 Studies Concerning some Effects of Drugs, Colloid Vectors for Drugs and Decorporators on Blood Global Physico-Chemical Parameters....Pages 311-330 Transdermal Systems with Poly-2-Hydroxyethylmeth-Acrylates and new Biological Models for their Study....Pages 331-348 New Pharmaceutical Forms for Skin Protection....Pages 349-363 New Systems of Polyacrylate Copolymers for Controlled Delivery of Drugs....Pages 365-387 Researches on the Embedding of Decorporators in Microemulsions....Pages 389-400 Controlled Release Microspheres Prepared by using an Emulsion Solvent-Diffusion Technique as a Tool in Design of new Antidotes....Pages 401-410 Micro and Nanoparticles as Drug Carriers....Pages 411-439 A Structure — Property Relationship and Quantitative Approach to the Development of Universal Transdermal Drug Delivery System....Pages 441-458 The Dependence Between Physico-Chemical and Allergenic Properties of Xenobiotics....Pages 459-465 Some Physical Chemical Aspects of Albumin — Alkali Halide Interaction....Pages 467-477 Considerations in Investigations of Military Installation Decommissioning: Determining how Clean is Clean....Pages 479-487 The Comparative Danger of Chemical Weapons and Organophosphorus Pesticides for Aquatic Ecosystem Health....Pages 489-492 Direct Methods in the Evaluation of the Internal Contamination with Radionuclides....Pages 493-511 Retrospective Detection of Exposure to Organophosphates: Analyses in Blood of Human Beings and Rhesus Monkeys....Pages 513-521 Radiochemical Analysis of Environmental Samples in the Era of Disarmament....Pages 523-529 Back Matter....Pages 531-543 This book covers a broad range of medical and pharmaceutical approaches to deal with the maintenance and restoration of the health of civilians and military personnel exposed to ionizing radiation, biological or chemical agents. The current capabilities and future prospects for protection against NBC hazards are subjected to an interdisciplinary analysis. Thus, the planning of medical support operations is addressed, as well as the aspects of practical medicine, and scientific approaches holding promise for the future. The main areas covered are: General approach and NBC risks; pharmacoprotection and treatment; skin protection and decontamination; pharmaceutical aspects of protectants, and environmental aspects of NBC disarmament When estimating risks we must look at two dimensions: firstly the qualitative dimension which examines the characteristics of possible risks and, secondly, the quantitative dimension which allows us to estimate the probability of such an occurrence.