Chemical warfare - Nerve agent poisoning

Nerve agents are organophosphate anticholinesterases that have commanded a great deal of media attention in the past decade. The general media community itself has limited experience with these agents, but the recent experience in Japan points out that intensivists may be confronted with large numbers of civilian casualties from nerve agent exposure. The purpose of this article is to provide a general review of the history, chemical properties, pathophysiology, and treatment of nerve agent poisoning. The article discusses the four main nerve agents: tabun, sarin, soman, and VX.