Violence... The story so far

Oct 2002; Aug 2003; Sept 2004

Links to symptoms

• Center for Disease Control
• American Medical Association
• American Academy of Pediatrics

• Anthrax
• Botulinum
• Hemorrhagic Fever
• Influenza
• Plague
• Smallpox
• Tularemia

• Sarin
• Ricin or Abrin
• VX
• Mustard Gas
• Phosgene
• Cyanide
• Chlorine
• Links

• blurred vision;
• confusion;
• diarrhea
• drooling and excessive sweating;
• drowsiness;
• eye pain;
• headache;
• increased urination;
• pin-point-sized retinas;
• respiratory difficulty and failure;
• runny nose;
• small, pinpoint pupils;
• nausea, vomiting, and/or abdominal pain;
• vomiting;
• watery eyes;
• weakness.

Ricin:

Death from ricin poisoning could take place within 36 to 48 hours of exposure, whether by injection, ingestion, or inhalation. If the person lives longer than 5 days without complications, s/he will probably live.

Inhalation:

First few hours:

• aching muscles;
• coughing;
• difficulty breathing;
• nausea;
• tightness in the chest.

Next few hours,

• excess fluid would build up in the lungs;
• the body’s airways (such as lungs) would become severely inflamed (swollen and hot);
• breathing would become even more difficult;
• the skin might turn blue.

Ingestion:

• death could result;
• internal bleeding of the stomach and intestines;
• liver, spleen, and kidneys might stop working;
• vomiting and bloody diarrhea.

Injection:

• death from multiple organ failure could result;
• eventually, the liver, kidneys, and spleen would stop working;
• massive bleeding from the stomach and intestines;
• muscles and lymph nodes near the injection site die.

Note: The actual clinical manifestations of a ricin (or abrin) exposure may be more variable than described above.
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A fatal dose of vx nerve gas causes convulsions, respiratory paralysis, and death within several minutes. VX is the most deadly of the nerve gases.

• increased heart rate;
• increased salivation;
• nausea;
• vomiting.

Speed of onset: 1-12 hours or so depends on degree of exposure, usually not fatal.

• digestive tract: abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting;
• eyes: irritation, pain, swelling, and tearing;
• respiratory tract: runny nose, sneezing, hoarseness, bloody nose, sinus pain, shortness of breath, and cough;
• skin irritation to blisters.

• coughing;
• burning sensation in the throat and eyes;
• watery eyes;
• blurred vision;
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath;
• nausea and vomiting;
• skin contact can result in lesions similar to those from frostbite or burns;

• coughing up white to pink-tinged fluid (a sign of pulmonary edema);
• difficulty breathing;
• heart failure;
• low blood pressure.

People exposed to a small amount of cyanide by breathing it, absorbing it through their skin, or eating foods that contain it may have some or all of the following symptoms within minutes:

• dizziness
• headache
• nausea and vomiting
• rapid breathing
• rapid heart rate
• restlessness
• weakness

Exposure to a large amount of cyanide by any route may cause these other health effects as well:

• convulsions;
• low blood pressure;
• loss of consciousness;
• lung injury;
• respiratory failure leading to death;
• slow heart rate.

• blurred vision;
• burning pain, redness, and blisters on the skin if exposed to gas, skin injury similar to frostbite if exposed to liquid chlorine;
• burning sensation in the nose, throat, and eyes;
• watery eyes;
• chest tightness;
• coughing;
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath (may appear immediately if high concentrations of chlorine gas are inhaled, or may be delayed if low concentrations of chlorine gas are inhaled);
• fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) within 2 to 4 hours;
• nausea and vomiting.

None of the symptoms or symptom clusters described above are necessarily sufficient for a diagnosis. Seek medical assistance as soon as possible.