ABSTRACT
The ability of vesicant agents to produce debilitating cutaneous blisters, respiratory problems, and acute visual impairment is well recognized. The primary medical care principles for ocular exposure consist of irrigation followed by prevention of infections and scarring. Better understanding of the clinical ramifications of exposure, medical assistance that can be given to mustard gas victims, and the long-term sequelae to which casualties might be subject can go a long way toward mitigating warfighter concerns. In evaluating patients, medical casualties of sulfur mustard will fall into one of three categories: return to duty, non-life-threatening but not return to duty, or life-threatening injuries. The majority of sulfur mustard casualties experience nonfatal but disabling skin, eye, and respiratory problems-the three key targets affected by exposure to sulfur mustard-often with a prolonged period before full recovery. The fact that wartime sulfur mustard exposure involves external epithelial surfaces rather than primary systemic absorption largely accounts for this important difference in tissues affected.
