What is a nerve gas attack?

A single droplet of VX or Sarin, if inhaled or in contact with the skin, can be absorbed into the bloodstream and paralyze the nervous system, leading to respiratory failure and immediate death. Sarin was used in 1995 in a lethal attack in the Tokyo subways by members of AUM Shinrikyo.

What does Sarin do to the body?

Exposure to high doses of sarin can result in tremors, seizures, and hypothermia. A more severe effect of sarin is the build-up of ACh in the central nervous system (CNS) which causes paralysis and ultimately peripherally-mediated respiratory arrest, leading to death.

What does nerve agent look like?

Nerve agents are generally colorless to amber-colored, tasteless liquids that may evaporate to a gas. Agents Sarin and VX are odorless; Tabun has a slightly fruity odor and Soman has a slight camphor odor.

How do you treat exposure to nerve gas?

Nerve agent poisoning can be treated with the antidotes atropine and pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM chloride). Atropine has anticholinergic properties that are particularly effective at peripheral muscarinic sites, but are less effective at nicotinic sites.

How does nerve gas cause death?

Kim Jong-nam died in less than 20 minutes. Eventually, victims die either through asphyxiation or cardiac arrest. Unlike street drugs, nerve agents cannot be made in your kitchen or garden shed; they are toxic even in tiny amounts. The chemicals work by disrupting the central nervous system.

Does VX gas exist?

VX is not found naturally in the environment. The only known use of VX is as a chemical warfare agent. By participating in the United Nations International Chemical Weapons Convention treaty, the United States agreed to destroy its stockpile of aging chemical weapons.

Is death by sarin gas Painful?

Though the victims look peaceful and generally intact in death, don’t be deceived, the painful, terrifying symptoms from the exposure to chemical weapons set in almost instantly, often with deadly results.

What is the antidote for nerve gas?