Blister Agents

Excerpt

Sulfur mustard (dichlorethylsulphide) and nitrogen mustard are blistering agents, or vesicants, that have been used in chemical warfare dating to before the nineteenth century. Their historical use is most often remembered in the first and second world wars. The harbinger of sulfur mustard exposure is a subtle smell of onions, horseradish, or garlic. When exposed to sulfur mustard, skin and mucous membranes blister, causing painful and disfiguring burns and airway and pulmonary injury and edema. Systemic manifestations can occur with the higher dose or longer duration of exposure. Treatment is mostly supportive and requires definitive care at burn specialty centers for optimal wound management and skin grafting, as needed.