Weapon of mass destruction
Background
- According to Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Title 18 United States Code (USC) § 2332a, a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) is “any destructive device defined in § 921” (2006). These weapons include any explosive, incendiary, poison gas, bomb, grenade, rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces, missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, mine, or device similar to the above. [1]
- Children at increased risk to WMD
- Increased respiratory rate (minute ventilation)
- Heavier chemicals like SARIN will accumulate at a level where children are exposed to
- Greater surface area to volume ratio
- Small fluid reserves and higher metabolic rates
- Dehydration
- Increased toxicity from same exposure in an adult [2]
Classification of Agents[3]
- Chemical
- Nerve Agents
- Sarin
- Soman
- Tabun
- VX
- Mustard agent (vesicants)
- Nerve Agents
- Biologic
- Radiologic
- Simple device
- Dispersal device
Differential Diagnosis
Mass casualty incident
- Radiation exposure (disaster)
- Dirty bomb
- Bioterrorism
- Chemical weapons
- Mass shooting
- Natural Disaster (e.g. Hurricane, Earthquake, Tornado, Tsunami, etc)
- Unintentional large-scale incident (e.g. building collapse, train derailment, etc)
- Major pandemic
- Explosions
References
- Cornell University School of Law https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2332a
- Schultz, C., & Koenig, K. Weapons of Mass Destruction. In Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice (9th ed.). Philadephia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders.
- Schultz, C., & Koenig, K. Weapons of Mass Destruction. In Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice (9th ed.). Philadephia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders.
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