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BUDDY AID.\If you encounter a service member suffering from severe signs of nerve agent poisoning, provide the following aid: 1. Mask the casualty, if necessary. Do not fasten the hood. 2. Administer, in rapid succession, three sets of the nerve agent antidotes. Follow the procedures for administration as described previously in the self-aid section. In addition to administering atropine and 2 PAM CI antidotes for nerve agents as buddy aid, also administer the CANA to a casualty suffering from convulsions. DO NOT administer more than one CANA.
Figure 13-33.\One set of used auto injectors attached to a pocket flap. NOTE: Use the casualty's own antidote auto injectors when providing aid. Do not use your injectors on a casualty. If you do, you may not have anyt antidote available when needed for self-aid. Blister agents or vesicants are likely to be used to produce casualties and force opposition to wear full protective equipment. Blister agents are used to degrade fighting efficiency rather than kill, alhotugh exposure to such agnets can be fatal. More likely they will cause severe blistering and burning of the exposed skin. In either liquid or vapor form, these agents will irritate and blister any part of the body that they touch. blister agents can be effective in small amounts; a drop the size of a pinhead may produce a blister the size of a quarter. These agents are more effective in hot weather than in cold weather. They first affect the moist parts of the body (bends of arms and knees, armpits, and crotch.) People who are sweating are especially subject to severe burns. If you are exposed to blister agents, changes may not occur immediately. One to several hours may pass before your skin starts to turn red. It may be hours or even days later before blisters appear. However, the damage is inflicted during the first few minutes of exposure. That is why speed in applying self-aid is so important. Self aid is explained later in this chapter. Damage to the eyes may be more serious than the effects on the skin. Gases and even liquids may irritate the eyes only mildly at first, or there may be no pain at all. In a few hours your eyes may become painful, inflamed, and sensitive to light. Tears and severe pain will follow, with possible permanent injury. If inhaled into the lungs, blister agents will inflame the throat and windpipe, producing a harsh cough. In a prolonged exposure, this may result in pneumonia and death. Quick detection of blister agents and prompt protection against entry into the eyes, lungs, or skin is vital. Incapacitating agents, or psychochemical agents, can cause mental symptoms. They may also produce physical symptoms such as staggering gait, dizziness, and blurred vision. Some of these agents cause fainting spells and others cause severe muscle weakness. The mental symptoms often resemble alcoholic drunkenness; for example, individuals may act silly, giggle, or become angry and belligerent similar to a "fighting drunk." Incapacitating agents can also cause hallucinations. Many of these incapacitating gases prevent sleep, causing some people to stay awake for days and be mentally confused for the entire period. These agents do not kill, but they can make a person noneffective. Many of them do not produce effects until several hours after inhalation. The effects of incapacitating agents can last from 8 hours to 4 days. Blood agents or cyanogens get their name from the action they have on your blood. If you inhale these agents, your blood cannot furnish enough oxygen to your body's cells. As a result, body tissues suffocate and die. Large amounts of blood agents produce rapid breathing and violent convulsions; mild exposure may produce headache, dizziness, and nausea. Blood agents will cause either a speedy death or there will be a complete recovery within a few hours. Like the nerve agents, blood agents may be quick killers. Speed in putting on a mask is essential. The lungs are the target for choking agents. Choking agents do not harm your skin or digestive system but they will actually choke an unprotected person. If large amounts enter the lungs, they will become filled with fluid and death may result from lack of oxygen. Your protective mask gives you complete protection against all choking agents. The instant you suspect the presence of a chemical agent, carry out these three steps as quickly as possible. 1. Hold your breath; not inhaling before 2. Put on your protective mask 3. Clear your mask (explained later in this chapter) |
 
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