OBJECTIVE To assess the frequency of hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) suicides and describe the characteristics of victims in the United States (U.S.) since the technique became common in Japan in 2007. METHODS To ascertain the frequency of intentional H(2)S related deaths in the U.S. prior to the start of the Japanese trend in 2007, we searched the multiple-cause-of-death data from the National Vita...

Background: Sulfur mustard (2,2’-bis-chloroethyl-sulfide; SM) has been a military threat since the World War I. SM is the major chemical warfare agent used by Japan during World War II. The clinical picture of poisoning, including cutaneous blisters, respiratory tract damage, ocular lesions and bone marrow depression is well known. In this report, we describe a civilian exposure in August 2003,...

Human error has played a role in several large-scale hazardous materials events. To assess how human error and time of occurrence may have contributed to acute chemical releases, data from the Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES) system for 1996-2003 were analyzed. Analyses were restricted to events in mining or manufacturing where human error was a contributing factor. Th...

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Analysis on accidents from the perspective of population segments shows there is higher incidence among children, adolescents and young adults. Since the characteristics and circunstances of the event are closely related to educational, economic, social and cultural issues, identifying them may contribute towards minimizing the causes, which are often fatal. The aim here w...

Tens of thousands of Iranians were killed and more were physically and/or mentally injured in Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988). During this war the most extensive use of chemical weapons in recent years by Iraq was reported against Iranian veterans and also Iranian and Iraqi civilians. In this study we aimed at finding probable neuropsychological injuries in victims of chemical weapons comparing other...

Tens of thousands of Iranians were killed and more were physically and/or mentally injured in Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988). During this war the most extensive use of chemical weapons in recent years by Iraq was reported against Iranian veterans and also Iranian and Iraqi civilians. In this study we aimed at finding probable neuropsychological injuries in victims of chemical weapons comparing other...

The possibility of a terrorist attack employing the use of chemical or biological weapons of mass destruction (WMD) on American soil is no longer an empty threat, it has become a reality. A WMD is defined as any weapon with the capacity to inflict death and destruction on such a massive scale that its very presence in the hands of hostile forces is a grievous threat. Events of the past few year...