Abstract
To the Editor. —War in the Middle East has increased fears that chemical or biological weapons (CBW) might be used in battle. Iraq's "supposed use" (Marwick's term 1 ) of mustard gas and tabun, a nerve gas, has been well documented by medical teams from the United Nations 2 and portrayed vividly in a recent Public Broadcasting Service documentary ("NOVA," The Poison Winds of War , 1990). The CBW battlefield is not as safe as we were led to believe by Marwick. 1 Unfortunately, misconceptions concerning the hazards of CBW agents and the ability to defend against them could affect decisions concerning their use. Although there are defensive measures that can protect combatants on a CBW battlefield, they are associated with significant risks and are likely to affect decision making and impair performance. 3,4 The use of mission-oriented protective posture gear, designed to isolate the wearer from the environment, induces severe psychological
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
