The protection of critically ill patients in a military chemical warfare environment.

Abstract

We describe two instances where patients were being cared for in a critical care area of a military field hospital during the recent conflict in Iraq. Both were critical care patients when chemical weapon attack alarms sounded and we describe the measures taken to protect them from this threat. Both made uneventful recoveries but one case highlights the need to develop a method of giving oxygen enriched air to the spontaneously ventilating patient. We describe an improvised method of delivering oxygen through a standard UK military respirator using equipment that is readily available in a field hospital, and suggest that a more permanent solution is required.