Knudson G B
Department of Pathology, Letterman Army Medical Center, Presidio of San Francisco, CA 94129-6700.
Mil Med. 1991 Jun;156(6):267-71.
Our concern over possible use of weapons of mass destruction against U.S. forces in the Middle East has increased because Iraq has violated the Geneva Protocol of 1925 and the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, attempted to acquire nuclear capability and delivery systems, and is reported to be developing biological weapons. The Army Medical Department has had no experience, since World War I, in the management and treatment of mass casualties contaminated by chemical agents, and has never treated casualties resulting from the use of nuclear or biological weapons used against our soldiers. Management and diagnosis of casualties will be complicated by their possible exposure to a mixture of chemical warfare and biological warfare agents. Triage is an essential aspect in the management of mass casualties since the number of injured patients will exceed the maximum medical capability to treat each patient on arrival. All levels of medical support must be prepared to protect themselves, their equipment and supplies, and their patients from contamination. In contaminated operations on the integrated battlefield, it will be of utmost importance to incorporate flexibility and innovation to match the medical and tactical situation.
我们对中东地区可能针对美军使用大规模杀伤性武器的担忧加剧，因为伊拉克违反了1925年的《日内瓦议定书》和1972年的《生物武器公约》，试图获取核能力及运载系统，且有报道称其正在研发生物武器。自第一次世界大战以来，陆军医务部在管理和治疗受化学制剂污染的大批伤员方面毫无经验，也从未治疗过因针对我们士兵使用核或生物武器而导致的伤员。伤员可能接触到化学战剂和生物战剂的混合物，这将使伤亡人员的管理和诊断变得复杂。伤员分类是大批伤员管理的一个重要方面，因为受伤患者的数量将超过到达时对每个患者进行治疗的最大医疗能力。各级医疗保障必须做好准备，保护自身、其设备和物资以及患者免受污染。在一体化战场上的受污染行动中，融入灵活性和创新以适应医疗和战术形势将至关重要。
