Unexpected "gas" casualties in Moscow: A medical toxicology perspective

Annals of Emergency Medicine

Volumn 41, Issue 5, 2003, Pages 700-705

  Wax, Paul M ^a,b   Becker, Charles E ^a   Curry, Steven C ^a  

^a BANNER GOOD SAMARITAN MEDICAL CENTER   (United States)

^b Department of Medical Toxicology ^*  (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

CARFENTANIL; FENTANYL DERIVATIVE; HALOTHANE; INHALATION ANESTHETIC AGENT; OPIATE;

ACCIDENT; AEROSOL; ANESTHESIA; ARMY; ARTICLE; CHEMICAL WARFARE; GAS; HUMAN; IMMOBILIZATION; INTOXICATION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RUSSIAN FEDERATION; TOXICOLOGY;

EID: 0037407650     PISSN: 01960644     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1067/mem.2003.148     Document Type: Article

References (33)

1. Lethal Moscow gas an opiate? CBS News Web site. October 29, 2002. Available at: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/29/world/main527298.shtml. Accessed January 3, 2003.
2. Ruppe D. CWC: Experts differ on whether Russian hostage rescue violated treaty. Global Security Newswire. October 30, 2002. Available at: http://www.nti.org/ d_newswire/issues/thisweek/2002_11_1_chmw.html. Accessed January 3, 2003.
3. Moscow mystery "gas." Venik's Aviation Web site. Available at: http://www. aeronautics.ru/news/news002/news059.htm. Accessed January 3, 2003.
4. Myers S. From anxiety, fear and hope, the deadly rescue in Moscow. New York Times. November 1, 2002:Section A; page 1.
5. Anger grows over gas tactics. CNN Web site. October 28, 2002 Available at: http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/10/28/moscow.gas/index.html. Accessed January 3, 2003.
6. Doctors try to solve gas mystery. CNN Web site. October 28, 2002. Available at: http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/10/28/gas/index.html. Accessed January 3, 2003.
7. Russia: More than two days later, gas still a mystery. Radio Free Europe Web site. October 28, 2002. Available at: http://www.rferl.org/nca/features/2002/10/28102002161259.asp. Accessed January 3, 2003.
8. Brown D, Baker P. Moscow gas likely a potent narcotic: drug normally used to subdue big game. Washington Post. November 9, 2002:A12.
9. Russia: US believes Russian gas was an opiate. Global Security Newswire October 29, 2002. Available at: http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/newswires/2002_10_29. html#9. Accessed January 3, 2003.
10. Russia comes clean over gas, demands extradition of Chechen envoy. Center for Defense Information Web site. October 31, 2002. Available at: http://www.cdi.org/russia/229-1.cfm. Accessed January 3, 2003.
11. Russia: Officials raise hostage death toll. NTI Global Security Newswire. November 8, 2002. Available at: http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/thisweek/2002_11_11_chmw.html. Accessed January 3, 2003.
12. Enserink M, Stone R. Toxicology. Questions swirl over knockout gas used in hostage crisis. Science. 2002;298:1150-1151.
13. Higgins MJ, Asbury AJ, Brodie MJ. Inhaled nebulized fentanyl for postoperative analgesia. Anaesthesia. 1991;46:973-976.
14. Worsley MH, Macleod AD, Brodie MJ, et al. Inhaled fentanyl as a method of analgesia. Anesthesia. 1990;45:449-451.
15. Mather LE, Woodhouse A, Ward ME, et al. Pulmonary administration of aerosolized fentanyl: pharmacokinetic analysis of systemic delivery. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1998;46:37-43.
16. Peng PW, Sandier AN. A review of the use of fentanyl analgesia in the management of acute pain in adults. Anesthesiology. 1999;90:576-599.
17. Rosow C. Remifentanil: a unique opioid analgesic. Anesthesiology. 1993;79:875-876.
18. Jaffe AB, Sharpe LG, Jaffe JH. Rats self-administer sufentanil in aerosol form. Psychopharmacol. 1989;99:289-293.
19. Shaw ML, Carpenter JW, Leith DE. Complications with the use of carfentanil citrate and xylazine hydrochloride to immobilize domestic horses. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1995;206:833-836.
20. Kreeger TJ, Seal US. Immobilization of gray wolves (Canis lupus) with sufentanil citrate. J Wildlife Dis. 1990;26:561-563.
21. Baker JR, Gatesman TJ. Use of carfentanil and a ketamine-xylazine mixture to immobilise wild grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). Vet Rec. 1985;116:208-210.
22. Haigh JC, Lee LJ, Schweinsburg RE. Immobilization of polar bears with carfentanil. J Wildlife Dis. 1983;19:140-144.
23. Kearns KS, Swenson B, Ramsay EC. Oral induction of anesthesia with droperidol and transmucosal carfentanil citrate in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). J Zoo Wildlife Med. 2000;31:185-189.
24. Mama KR, Steffey EP, Withrow SJ. Use of orally administered carfentanil prior to isoflurane-induced anesthesia in a Kodiak brown bear. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2000;217:546-549.
25. Van Bever WF, Niemegeers CJ, Schellekens KH, et al. N-4-Substituted 1-(2-arylethyl)-4-piperidinyl-N-phenylpropanamides, a novel series of extremely potent analgesics with unusually high safety margin. Arzneimittel-Forschung. 1976;26:1548-1551.
26. Miller MW, Wild MA, Lance WR. Efficacy and safety of naltrexone hydrochloride for antagonizing carfentanil citrate immobilization in captive Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni). J Wildlife Dis. 1996;32:234-239.
27. Haigh JC, Gates CC. Capture of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) using carfentanil-based mixtures. J Wildlife Dis. 1995;31:37-42.
28. Caspi J, Klausner JM, Safadi T, et al. Delayed respiratory depression following fentanyl anesthesia for cardiac surgery. Crit Care Med. 1988;16:238-240.
29. Lakoski JM, Murray WB, Kenny JM. The advantages and limitations of calmatives for use as a non-lethal technique. The Sunshine Project Web site. Available at: http://www.sunshine.project.org. Accessed January 3, 2003.
30. Kross Corporate Accomplishments. Kross, Inc. Web site. Available at: http:// kross-inc.com/Corporate.asp Accessed January 3, 2003.
31. Tammisto R, Aromaa U. The role of halothane and fentanyl in the production of balanced anaesthesia. ActAnaesth Scand. 1982;26:225-230.
32. 2O anaesthesia in infants and children. Can J Anaesth. 1988;35:379-384.
33. Committee for an Assessment of Non-Lethal Weapons Science and Technology, National Research Council. An Assessment of Non-Lethal Weapons Science and Technology, Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2003.