The drugs used for treating VX exposure includes:
- Atropine is an anticholinergic that blocks acetylcholine (ACh) at muscarinic receptors but not at nicotinic receptors.
- Pralidoxime is an oxime that reactivates acetylcholinesterase (AChE) before there is irreversible binding (“aging”) with...
- Diazepam is a benzodiazepine that is used for seizures and prevention of...
What are the treatment options for VX?
Apr 04, 2018 · Treatment consists of removing VX from the body as soon as possible and providing supportive medical care in a hospital setting. Antidotes are available for VX. They are most useful if given as soon as possible after exposure.
What is VX and what is it used for?
ANTIDOTE: Atropine and pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM Cl) are antidotes for nerve agent toxicity; however, 2-PAM Cl must be administered within minutes to a few hours (depending on the agent) following exposure to be effective. There is also generally no benefit in giving more than three injections of 2-PAM Cl.
What to do if you get VX in your eye?
The drugs used for treating VX exposure includes: Atropine is an anticholinergic that blocks acetylcholine (ACh) at muscarinic receptors but not at nicotinic receptors. Pralidoxime is an oxime that reactivates acetylcholinesterase (AChE) …
How can I recover from VX exposure?
Treatment of VX poisoning. Two antidotes exist for VX poisoning: atropine and pralidoxime chloride, also called 2-PAM. Atropine blocks one type of acetylcholine receptor on the post-synaptic nerve cell membrane. This prevents acetylcholine that is in the synaptic cleft from binding to the receptor.
What is the antidote for nerve agent exposure?
What does VX nerve agent do to the body?
How much VX is lethal?
Is there an antidote for VX?
How does VX work?
METHODS OF DISSEMINATION : Indoor Air: VX can be released into indoor air as a liquid spray (aerosol) or as a vapor when temperatures are high.
How is VX released?
METHODS OF DISSEMINATION : Indoor Air: VX can be released into indoor air as a liquid spray (aerosol) or as a vapor when temperatures are high. Water: VX can contaminate water; it can break down in water to produce other toxic compounds. Food: VX can contaminate food.
Is VX poisonous?
DESCRIPTION: VX is one of the nerve agents, which are the most toxic of the known chemical warfare agents. It is tasteless and odorless. Exposure to VX can cause death in minutes. As little as one drop of VX on the skin can be fatal.
What are chemical resistant gloves?
Chemical-resistant gloves (inner). Chemical-resistant boots with a steel toe and shank. Coveralls, long underwear, a hard hat worn under the chemical-resistant suit, and chemical-resistant disposable boot-covers worn over the chemical-resistant suit are optional items.
What to use to control fires?
For small fires, use dry chemical, carbon dioxide, or water spray. For large fires, use dry chemical, carbon dioxide, alcohol-resistant foam, or water spray. Move containers from the fire area if it is possible to do so without risk to personnel. Dike fire control water for later disposal; do not scatter the material.
What are the effects of nerve agents on the nervous system?
Initial effects depend on the dose and route of exposure. Nerve agents interfere with the normal functioning of the nervous system. Skeletal muscles , certain organs of the body, and the central nervous system (CNS) may all be affected by exposure to the nerve agent. EYE EXPOSURE :
What is the best treatment for a convulsion?
Supplemental oxygenation, frequent suctioning of secretions, insertion of a tube into the trachea (endotracheal intubation), and assisted ventilation may be required. Diazepam (5 to 10 mg in adults and 0.2 to 0.5 mg/kg in children) may be used to control convulsions. Lorazepam or other benzodiazepines may be used, but barbiturates, phenytoin, and other anticonvulsants are not effective. Administration of atropine (if not already given) should precede the administration of benzodiazepines in order to best control seizures. Patients/victims who have inhalation exposure and who complain of chest pain, chest tightness, or cough should be observed and examined periodically for 6 to 12 hours to detect delayed-onset inflammation of the large airways (bronchitis), inflammatory lung disease (pneumonia), accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), or respiratory failure.
What is VX used for?
In the class of nerve agents, it was developed for military use in chemical warfare after translation of earlier discoveries of organophosphate toxicity in pesticide research. In recent years, VX was found to be the agent used in the assassination of Kim Jong-nam. In its pure form, VX is an oily, relatively non-volatile, ...
Is VX a nerve agent?
VX is a "particularly toxic nerve agent". The potentially fatal dose is only slightly higher than the dose having any effect at all, and the effects of a fatal dose are so rapid that there is little time for treatment. The median lethal dose (LD 50 )—the exposure required to kill half of a tested population—as estimated for 70 kg human males via exposure to the skin is reported to be 5–10 mg (0.00035 oz), and the lethal concentration time (LCt 50 ), measuring the concentration of the vapor or aerosol per length of time exposed, is estimated for VX to be 10–15 mg·min/m 3 for exposure time of two minutes at a minute volume of 15 L (minute volume of 15 L corresponds to slight physical activity like slow walking).
What is VX chemical warfare?
List of chemical warfare agents. v. t. e. VX is an extremely toxic synthetic chemical compound in the organophosphorus class, specifically, a thiophosphonate. In the class of nerve agents, it was developed for military use in chemical warfare after translation of earlier discoveries of organophosphate toxicity in pesticide research.
Is VX a thiophosphonate?
v. t. e. VX is an extremely toxic synthetic chemical compound in the organophosphorus class, specifically, a thiophosphonate. In the class of nerve agents, it was developed for military use in chemical warfare after translation of earlier discoveries of organophosphate toxicity in pesticide research. In recent years, VX was found ...
Is VX a chemical?
VX is an extremely toxic synthetic chemical compound in the organophosphorus class, specifically, a thiophosphonate. In the class of nerve agents, it was developed for military use in chemical warfare after translation of earlier discoveries of organophosphate toxicity in pesticide research. In recent years, VX was found to be the agent used in ...
Where was VX discovered?
VX, short for "venomous agent X", is one of the best known of the V nerve agents and was first discovered at Porton Down in England during the early 1950s based on research first done by Gerhard Schrader, a chemist working for IG Farben in Germany during the 1930s.
When was VX banned?
As a chemical weapon, it is categorized as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations and is banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 , where production and stockpiling of VX exceeding 100 grams (3.53 oz) per year is outlawed.
How to treat VX?
The treatment of VX exposure involves decontamination, oxygen therapy and the administration of an antidote if exposure can be confirmed. However, if exposure is only suspected then decontamination and observation for at least 18 hours is advisable to monitor for any symptoms before other measures are instituted. Decontamination involves thoroughly washing the area of contact with soap and water. In the event of vapor exposure, a person must be removed from the contaminated area and exposed to fresh air. Oxygen therapy should be commenced immediately.
What is a VX nerve agent?
The VX nerve agent, also sometimes referred to as VX nerve gas, is an extremely toxic and highly deadly organophosphate produced for the purposes of warfare. It is part of the V-series of nerve agents where the V stands for venomous. The VX nerve agent is the most well known and more important of the V-series agents.
Is sarin a chemical weapon?
Chemical weapons are a serious concern as some of these agents can be deadly in very small doses and do not need to be dispersed with specialized equipment. One such chemical weapon that has gained recent public attention is the VX nerve agent. It should not be confused with another well known chemical agent, sarin, which is a G-series agent.
How long does it take for VX to kill?
However, even a very small dose of VX can be deadly within minutes to hours. V-series nerve agents are similar to organophosphate pesticides but are much more toxic.
How do nerves work?
It is important to first understand how nerves work in order to understand the effect of V-series nerve agents, and specifically VX, on the body. Nerves are the body’s “transmission cables” carrying messages to different parts of the body. These “messages” are known as impulses and control just about every action and function in the body, ...
How do you know if you have VX?
Therefore not all of the signs and symptoms of VX exposure discussed below may be immediately evident. Death can occur even before some of these signs and symptoms are noticed. Shortness of breath.
What are the symptoms of death?
Death can occur even before some of these signs and symptoms are noticed. Shortness of breath. Difficulty breathing. Chest tightness. Slow breathing and eventually breathing stops (apnea) Muscle twitches, initially in and around the area of contact and eventually throughout the body. Paralysis. Sweating.
BOOKS
Haugen, David M., editor. Biological and Chemical Weapons. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2001.
ELECTRONIC
Chemical Weapons: Nerve Agents. < http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/weap.html > (February 11, 2003).
What was the VX used for?
VX was considered to be an area denial weapon. VX could be used to make airfields and ports contaminated, and could contaminate large amounts of military equipment , such as pre-positioned stockpiles of armoured vehicles (e.g. US POMCUS/REFORGER sites in Western Europe during the cold war).
How does VX work?
VX works like all of the other nerve agents – they attack the human body’s nervous system. VX can be absorbed through the skin or eyes. It can be inhaled, although the most likely way for this to happen is through a spray or aerosol, due to the non-volatile nature of the chemical.
What is VX in the military?
VX is a chemical warfare agent. It is part of the family of chemical warfare agents known as the nerve agents, because they affect the chemistry of the human nerve system. There are two main families of nerve agents, the G-series and the V-series. The G-series includes such nerve agents as Tabun, Soman, and Sarin.
What is the G series?
There are two main families of nerve agents, the G-series and the V-series. The G-series includes such nerve agents as Tabun, Soman, and Sarin. VX is the principle member of the V-family. The long discontinued pesticide Amiton (VG) is also a member of the family. VX in 1 ton containers, being inspected by OPCW inspectors in the USA.
Is VX a gas?
By this definition, VX is not volatile. VX is a large, heavy molecule and as such should not be referred to as a “gas”.
Is VX a solid?
VX is an oily, syrupy liquid, in all but the coldest of arctic conditions. In the winter at the south pole, it may be solid. It’s high boiling point is higher than it’s decomposition temperature, meaning that you can’t even make it into a gas by boiling, at least in a normal atmosphere. Colourless and odourless.
How long does VX last?
Under some conditions, VX could last for many months.
Is VX a chemical?
VX, whose chemical name is O-ethyl S-diisopropylami nomethyl methylphosphonothiolate, is hard to detect. It is a clear, tasteless and colourless liquid with a consistency something like engine oil. So potent is VX that the UN classifies it as a weapon of mass destruction. The CDC, the US government’s top public health agency, ...
When was VX first used?
VX was first synthesised in the early to mid-1950s by Ranaji Ghosh, a chemist working for Imperial Chemical Industries in Britain. Its toxicity and physical properties were studied by the British military, which passed the formula on to the US military [PDF], according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in Washington.
What was the nerve agent used to kill Kim Jong Nam?
First published on Thu 23 Feb 2017 21.37 EST. Malaysian police have revealed that the nerve agent VX was used to kill Kim Jong-nam when he was attacked at Kuala Lumpur’s international airport.
What is the deadliest nerve agent?
VX is the deadliest nerve agent ever created. Just one drop containing 10 milligrams of VX , absorbed through the skin, is enough to cause “fatal disruption of the nervous system”, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Kim Jong-nam killed by VX nerve agent, say Malaysian police. Read more.
Is VX a weapon of mass destruction?
So potent is VX that the UN classifies it as a weapon of mass destruction. The CDC, the US government’s top public health agency, says its only known use is in chemical warfare.
Does North Korea have chemical weapons?
North Korea claims it has never had a chemical weapons programme. But in fact it is believed to possess between 2,500 and 5,000 tons – behind only the US and Russia – including VX, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative. “The South Korean government assesses that North Korea is able to produce most types of chemical weapons indigenously, ...
What is VX?
VX is a man-made chemical warfare agent that’s classified as a nerve agent, the most toxic and quick-acting of the known chemical warfare agents. Nerve agents are similar to pesticides in terms of how they work and the noxious effects, but they are much more potent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Where is it found?
VX was first produced in the United Kingdom in the early 1950s, according to the CDC.
How does it work?
Like all nerve agents, VX unleashes its toxic effects by preventing the proper operation of an enzyme that acts as the body’s “off switch” for glands and muscles. Without this “off switch,” the glands and muscles are stimulated relentlessly. They may tire and no longer be able to sustain breathing function, according to the CDC.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of VX exposure include blurred vision, confusion, cough, diarrhea, drooling, drowsiness, eye pain, excessive sweating, headache, increased urination, nausea, rapid breathing, runny nose, vomiting, watery eyes and weakness. These symptoms could last for hours after exposure, depending on the amount.
Is there treatment?
Recovery from VX exposure is possible with treatment, which consists of removing the deadly toxin from the body as soon as possible and providing medical care in a hospital setting. An antidote can be administered by injection but it must be used quickly to be effective, according to the CDC.
How does VX work?
When the chemical signal is removed, muscle cells relax. VX and other neurotoxins work by chemically binding to acetylcholinesterase, inhibiting the enzyme.
Is the VX dangerous?
VX is both dangerous to store and handle ; one minor mishap can kill everyone nearby, something at least two members of Gen. Hummel’s USMC Force Recon team know. In the movie, the VX is stored in, as Goodspeed describes, “a really elegant string-of-pearls configuration.”.
What was Kim Jong Nam's weapon?
On February 13, 2017, Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was murdered at a Kuala Lumpur airport with VX nerve agent, a particularly terrible chemical weapon. In an assassination plot that is stranger than fiction, the deadly chemical agent was delivered as a binary compound.
Is VX a gas?
VX is not a gas, as depicted in the show, but a thick, heavy oil that is tasteless and odorless, with the consistency of honey. As Sam Goodspeed said in the movie, “It's one of those things we wish we could disinvent,” and he is not that far from the truth.
What is VG in biology?
O-ethyl-S- [2- (diethylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate. What Ghosh and Newman discovered was the first in the V-series of nerve agents, a toxin that would eventually be called VG. VG is about one-tenth as toxic as VX, which is similar to sarin (another chemical seen in the movie).
How do electrical signals propagate?
Electrical signals propagate along the neural wiring but they are not all connected to each other. Instead, they are separated by gaps or synapses. The synapse is the gap between two neurons. As electrical signals cannot propagate across this gap, special chemicals called neurotransmitters are needed.
What is acetylcholine used for?
The drug is often used to treat bradycardia (slow heart rate), and to decrease saliva production during surgery. The chemical blocks acetylcholine from binding with receptors, which means that it can also be used as a treatment for nerve gas exposure.
What is nerve agent?
Nerve agents are a class of chemicals grouped together based on their common mechanism of action, which is interruption of vital nerve transmissions to various organs.1,2 Nerve agents are usually organophosphates (OP)—esters of phosphoric acid—which, as a group, can range in toxicity from relatively harmless to lethal at certain dosages.2 Indeed, many commonly used insecticides in the United States contain organophosphates.2
When was the first nerve agent discovered?
The first nerve agent of military relevance was inadvertently discovered in 1937 by the German chemist Gerhard Schrader while he was conducting research on ethyl-N-dimethyl-phosphoroamidocyanate, now more commonly known as tabun (GA). After his discovery of GA’s toxicity and lethality, Dr. Schrader reported his findings to the German War Ministry, which went on to weaponize GA, sarin (GB), and soman (GD)—known collectively as the G-series.2 In the late 1940s, researchers in England produced a group of nerve agents known as the V-series, which includes the chemical weapon VX, or O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate.2
Overview
Medical aspects
Early symptoms of percutaneous exposure (skin contact) include local sweating and muscular twitching at the area of exposure, followed by nausea or vomiting. Early symptoms of exposure to VX vapor include rhinorrhea (runny nose) and/or tightness in the chest with shortness of breath (bronchial constriction). Miosis(pinpointing of the pupils) may be an early sign of agent exposure, but is not u…
Physical properties
VX is an odorless and tastes similar to bovine semen. ref>"CDC | Facts About VX". emergency.cdc.gov. 2019-05-16. Retrieved 2022-04-27.</ref> chiral organophosphorous chemical with a molecular weight of 267.37 g/mol. Under standard conditions it is an amber-coloured liquid with a boiling point of 298 °C (568 °F), and a freezing point of −51 °C (−60 °F). Its density is similar to that of water. It has a log Pvalue of 2.047, meaning it is relatively hydrophobic with about 100-…
Mechanism of action
VX is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. It works by blocking the function of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Normally, when a motor neuron is stimulated, it releases the neurotransmitter acetylcholine(ACh) into the space between the neuron and an adjacent muscle cell, the synaptic cleft. When acetylcholine binds to nicotinic receptors at the neuromuscular junction, it stimulates muscle contraction. To avoid a state of constant muscle contraction, the …
Chemistry
VX is chiral at its phosphorus atom. The individual enantiomers are identified as SP-(−)-VX, and RP-(+)-VX (where the "P" subscript highlights that the chirality is at phosphorus).
VX is produced via the transester process, which gives a racemic mixture of the two enantiomers. This entails a series of steps whereby phosphorus trichloride is
History
The chemists Ranajit Ghosh and J. F. Newman discovered the V-series nerve agents at the British firm ICI in 1952, patenting diethyl S-2-diethylaminoethyl phosphonothioate (agent VG) in November 1952. Further commercial research on similar compounds ceased in 1955 when its lethality to humans was discovered. The U.S. started production of large amounts of VX in 1961 at Newport Chemical Depot.
In popular culture
One of the best-known references to VX in popular culture is its use in the 1996 film The Rock, which centers on a threatened VX attack on San Francisco from the island of Alcatraz. The film uses artistic license, notably with VX being ascribed corrosive powers it does not possess, permitting an early scene in which a VX victim is shown with his face melting, rather than dying through asphyxiation. It is also shown as being bright green, a colour often used in Hollywood t…
See also
• Dugway sheep incident
• List of Rainbow Codes
• Novichok agent