Anesthesia providers may be called to treat injuries from chemical weapons or spills, for which prompt treatment is vital. It is therefore important to understand the mechanism of action of nerve agents and the resultant pathophysiology and to be able to quickly recognize the signs and symptoms of nerve agent exposure. This review article addresses the different types of nerve agents that are c...

Agents that affect nerve excitability may be classed in two large groups according to their mode of action: those which block excitability by depolarizing the membrane, and those which cause little or no change in membrane potential but alter excitability by virtue of their ability to affect the mechanisms whereby the nerve membrane conductances are increased upon stimulation. Because of their ...

Organophosphorus nerve agents are the most toxic chemical warfare agents that present a threat to the warfighter. Irreversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, by nerve agents leads to accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) at cholinergic synapses (Taylor, 1996). Currently fielded MARK I nerve agent antidote for treatment of nerve agent poisoning protects against life threa...

Traumatic injuries of the peripheral nerves are very common. Surgical repair of the damaged nerve is often complicated by scar tissue formation around the damaged nerve itself. The main objective of this study is to present the recent data from animal experimental studies where pharmacological topical agents are used at the site of peripheral nerve repair. Some of the most commonly topical agen...

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the ability to convert to different types of cells and after dividing, they can produce their own cells or other cells. Axons of the retinal ganglion cells, from the optic nerve. These cells lose the ability to regenerate themselves before birth. Optic nerve degeneration can result from various causes including increased intraocular pressure, comp...