eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Warfare - Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives
CBRNE - Incendiary Agents, White Phosphorus: Follow-up
Updated: Oct 21, 2009
Follow-up
Further Inpatient Care
- Direct inpatient care toward further trauma management and burn care. Consider scar revisions associated with burns later in the patient's hospitalization.
Transfer
- Transfer the patient to a trauma center with burn care capabilities if such facilities are not available initially.
Deterrence/Prevention
- Care in handling and use of munitions should serve as the primary prevention of injuries and burns associated with white phosphorus.
Patient Education
- For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Bioterrorism and Warfare Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education articles Chemical Warfare and Personal Protective Equipment.
Miscellaneous
Medicolegal Pitfalls
- Legal issues are associated with inadvertent exposure to the agent and to its inappropriate use in situations other than wartime deployment.
More on CBRNE - Incendiary Agents, White Phosphorus |
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| Differential Diagnoses & Workup: CBRNE - Incendiary Agents, White Phosphorus |
| Treatment & Medication: CBRNE - Incendiary Agents, White Phosphorus |
Follow-up: CBRNE - Incendiary Agents, White Phosphorus |
| References |
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References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. Toxicological Profile for White Phosphorus. 1997. [Full Text].
Geehr EC, Salluzzo RF. Dermal injuries and burns from hazardous materials. In: Sullivan JB Jr,Krieger GR. Hazardous Materials Toxicology, Clinical Principles of Environmental Health. Williams and Wilkins; 1992:415-424.
Harbison RD. Phosphorus. In: Harbison RD. Hamilton and Hardy's Industrial Toxicology. 5th ed. Mosby Yearbook; 1998:194-7.
Konjoyan TR. White phosphorus burns: case report and literature review. Mil Med. Nov 1983;148(11):881-4. [Medline].
Merrifield RB. The automatic synthesis of proteins. Sci Am. Mar 1968;218(3):56-62 passim. [Medline].
Mozingo DW, Smith AA, McManus WF, Pruitt BA Jr, Mason AD Jr. Chemical burns. J Trauma. May 1988;28(5):642-7. [Medline].
Obermer E. Phosphorus burns. Lancet. 1943;1:202.
Pande TK, Pandey S. White phosphorus poisoning--explosive encounter. J Assoc Physicians India. Mar 2004;52:249-50. [Medline].
Rabinowitch IM. Treatment of phosphorus burns. Can Med Assoc J. 1943;48:291-296.
Summerlin WT, Walder AI, Moncrief JA. White phosphorus burns and massive hemolysis. J Trauma. May 1967;7(3):476-84. [Medline].
Further Reading
Keywords
yellow phosphorus, Willy P, hand grenades, mortar rounds, artillery rounds, smoke bombs, munition igniter, chemical burn, munitions, white phosphorus exposure, white phosphorus burn, incendiary agent
Follow-up: CBRNE - Incendiary Agents, White Phosphorus