Chemical-biological warfare: medical logistics and defense

In this article, the authors discuss some of the hard realities of chemical and biological warfare defense in terms of the medical and medical logistics implications. In the opinion of the authors, there are no adequate defensive measures at present which would protect troops and sailors from the effects of either chemical or biological warfare tactics. An overview of the current world situation is presented, as well as some of the clinical and logistical responses to chem-bio war. The effectiveness of vaccinations or other medical approaches to protecting service members from chem-bio attacks is questioned in light of the technology and of the unpredictability in guessing the agent's strain or nature (e.g. viral, bacterial, or chemical). An analysis of Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear, gas masks, and other potential external protection devices reveals them to be inadequate, impractical, or expensive. In short, whether facing known war arsenals or unknown terrorist possibilities, the armed forces of the United States when meeting chemical or biological agents will be hard-pressed to protect and heal themselves, much less the nation's civilian population.