Noticed the thread on VX and have pasted this to hopefully clear the air. This is a rather lengthy posting and addresses more than you asked, sorry

Nerve Agents

There is no "nerve gas". Nerve agents are liquids, sprays, or vapors. Nerve agents are classified in two groups. The "G" agents; GA, GB, and GD, are non-persistent chemical weapons developed by the Germans in World War II. VX is a persistent nerve agent.

Terrorists have employed nerve agents with modest success in the past. Aum Shinrikyo, a Japanese religious sect, deployed Sarin (GB) in an apartment complex in 1994 and in a Tokyo subway in 1995. In the first attack, 300 persons became ill with 7 fatalities reported. The 1995 subway attack caused 5,000 people to seek medical attention with 12 fatalities. More than 80% of those who sought medical care suffered no effect from the exposure.

The Sarin (GB) used in the Tokyo subway was NOT deployed in an effective manner. Rather than dispersing the agent in an aerosol, it was left in jars to spill on the ground. In a terrorist event, for non--persistent agents to be effective, they must be aerosolized in a confined space like a subway or a ventilation system of a building.

The military can employ a nerve agent through area bombardment with artillery or missiles or direct aerial application by bombing or sprays. Heavy application of the agent is required to achieve a lethal concentration in an open area. When these non-persistent agents are deployed in the open, they are degraded by UV light and simply evaporate in a short period of time.

Persistent nerve agent--VX--is a liquid of low volatility that evaporating slowly, well, persists. Sorry. The properties of VX are more akin to diesel fuel than a more volatile liquid such as water. It does not evaporate quickly and contaminates your clothing and skin when you walk through the area where VX has been applied.

All nerve agents have two types of effects on the body; muscarinic and nicotinic. The muscarinic effect is on the "glands" and the nervous system. For nerve transmission to occur, an enzyme, acetylcholine is released by the nerve ending and stimulates the gland or muscle that the nerve controls. The nerve impulse is terminated as acetylcholine is "reactivated" by acetylcholinesterase. Nerve agent prevents the "reactivation " of acetylcholine with a resulting continued stimulation of the glands and nerves.

Nicotinic effects of a nerve agent are those exerted on the striated or skeletal muscle. These effects are twitching and jerking of the muscles, seizures, and paralysis. These effects may initially be local following skin exposure or generalized following inhalation of a nerve agent.

The effect of an inhaled nerve agent occurs in a few seconds following exposure. Immediate muscarinic effects of exposure to nerve agent are increased salivation, water eyes, and a runny nose; shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and increased mucous production; diarrhea, urination, and chest tightness. The nemonic "SLUDGE" facilitates recall of these effects.

SLUDGE

S Salivation, sweating
L Lacrimation
U Urination
D Defecation, drooling, diarrhea
G Gastric upset and cramps
E Emesis


Nerve agents are very deadly, a single drop of nerve agent on the skin, untreated, and you will die. Simple as that. The treatment for nerve agent exposure is simple. The first and most important step in treatment is decontamination. Simply removing a victim's clothing will remove as much as 85% of the chemical agent. A detergent scrub and fresh water rinse to remove any residual chemical from the skin allows medical treatment of the casualty to begin.

Atropine injection is the mainstay of treatment for nerve agent injury. Atropine blocks the muscarinic effects of the nerve agent and prevents the "gland" effects of watery eyes, runny nose, diarrhea, and the deadly lung effects of increased mucous secretion and bronchospasm (wheezing). The nervous system effects are also blocked, preventing seizures.

The second therapeutic agent utilized is 2-PAM Chloride (2-pyridine Aldoxime Methyl Chloride). 2-PAM Chloride acts like a crowbar to break the bond between the enzyme acetylcholinesterase and nerve agent that prevents normal nerve functioning.

Atropine and 2-PAM Chloride automatic injectors comprise the Mark-1 nerve agent antidote kit utilized by the military.