The surgeon and acts of civilian terrorism: Biologic agents

Abstract

B A I m 1 t d iologic agents for use in military actions have been an mportant subject for many decades. The United States nd many other countries have spent large amounts of ilitary resources investigating the use of, and potential efense strategies against, biologic weapons. In 1969, resident Nixon suspended the US program in biologic arfare. In 1972, The Biological Weapons Convention, hich prohibited stockpiling of, and research into, bioogic weapons, was signed by the US and many other ountries (including the former Soviet Union and Iraq). Considerable concern exists that some countries have ontinued to stockpile and develop biologic weapons. he potential use of biologic agents in acts of civilian errorism (ACT) by dissident foreign or domestic politcal groups is perhaps the greatest cause for concern at resent. The anthrax-laden letters sent through the ostal system to US congressmen and others have served s testimony that additional events could occur. The number of different agents that could be used in CT is quite large. With the era of genetic engineering, ven common bacteria could be “weaponized” by geetic manipulation to be used in bioterrorist attacks. ecommendations have been offered by the Governors’ ommittee on Blood Borne Infection and Environmenal Risk (Table 1) and the Committee on Trauma of the merican College of Surgeons (Table 2) to address the ssues of ACT. Surgeons will be involved in the care and anagement of these patients when such an event ocurs, and they will need to have an understanding of the ypes of pathogens or biologic toxins that might be used nd how they should be managed.