Pathophysiological aspects of clinical management following toxic trauma

Introduction Exposure to toxic agents may occur as a result of accidental or deliberate release. Accidental release of industrial chemicals may produce small scale incidents or mass disasters such as that which occurred in Bhopal in 1984. Deliberate release occurs when toxic agents are deliberately used as weapons of war or by terrorists. The consequences for medical management systems, of both accidental and deliberate release are considerable. This article considers the clinical presentation of a selection of the most common toxic agents from a pathophysiological standpoint.