Treating Victims of Weapons of Mass Destruction

During the 20th century weapons of war became increasingly sophisticated,with the militarization of nuclear atomic forces, chemicals and biological agents: possibly of even greater concern is the threat of such agents being deployed by terrorists. This book was originally published in French in 2004. Subsequent events such as the London bombings in July 2005 have reinforced the importance of doctors and emergency personnel understanding the various agents that could be used, and having the appropriate knowledge to deal with victims of an attack, or even an industrial accident.

The book was coordinated by Chantal Bismuth, who has acted as an advisor for the Minister of Health in France and is an international consultant in toxicology. Her co-editor, Patrick Barriot, is an anesthetist with operational experience in the Paris Fire Brigade and the 11th division of Paratroops who is now responsible for the department of 'Biological risks from new technologies'. The book has been translated into English by Alan Hall.

This book reviews and considers:

* all weapons of mass destruction, both chemical and biological, including the use of bacteria, anthrax and viruses such as variola and influenza
* the pathogenic agent, the human consequences, organizational aspects of care for the victims and best practice for treatment
* the problem of emerging infectious diseases and accidents resulting from research involving genetic engineering
* the effects of nuclear weapons and radiation on humans as well as the features of Gulf War syndrome
* The organization of medical responses to chemical or biological attack.

Treating Victims of Weapons of Mass Destruction will be of interest to all those involved in the security of the civilian population, the organization of rescue services and the treatment of victims.