Problems in Chemical and Biological
Warfare Incident Management
A number of recognizable problems occur in the medical management
of CBW incidents:
- Failure to recognize CBW agent release
- Failure to implement appropriate HAZMAT procedures to limit the number
of secondary casualties
- Release of the agent, overwhelming the available emergency and medical
resources
- Insufficient planning and training
- Lack of appropriate protective equipment
- Lack of resuscitation skills for early life support
- Lack of specific knowledge for the management of toxic or infectious hazards
- Panic and hysterical reactions from a frightened general public that is
fueled by irresponsible reporting
These problems may be minimized by careful planning, equipping, and training, with
the objective of making a CBW agent release manageable in the same sense as other
mass disasters.
