Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39632058›Full record

ArticleEmergency medicine journal : EMJ2024

Mass casualty decontamination following a chemical incident: evaluating improvised and interim decontamination protocols in a controlled cross-over volunteer study.

Louise Davidson, Felicity Southworth, Natalie Williams, Thomas James, Emily Orchard, Tim Marczylo, Samuel Collins, Richard Amlôt

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Emergency medicine journal : EMJ, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Mass Casualty Decontamination for Chemical Incidents: Research Outcomes and Future Priorities.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Louise DavidsonBehavioural Science and Insights Unit, UK Health Security Agency, Porton, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8571-7443
Felicity SouthworthBehavioural Science and Insights Unit, UK Health Security Agency, Porton, UK.
Natalie WilliamsBehavioural Science and Insights Unit, UK Health Security Agency, Porton, UK.
Thomas JamesRadiation, Chemical, Climate, and Environmental Hazards, UK Health Security Agency South East, Chilton, UK.
Emily OrchardBehavioural Science and Insights Unit, UK Health Security Agency, Porton, UK.
Tim MarczyloRadiation, Chemical, Climate, and Environmental Hazards, UK Health Security Agency South East, Chilton, UK.
Samuel CollinsGlobal Operations, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK.
Richard AmlôtBehavioural Science and Insights Unit, UK Health Security Agency, Porton, UK richard.amlot@ukhsa.gov.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOn-scene improvised and interim decontamination protocols in the Initial Operational Response to chemical incidents aim for rapid intervention to minimise injury before specialist capabilities arrive. This study examines the effectiveness of UK improvised and interim protocols conducted in sequence.

methodA simulant with methyl salicylate (MeS) in vegetable oil and a fluorophore was applied to participants' shoulders, arms and legs. Participants either received no decontamination or used one of four decontamination protocols: improvised dry, improvised wet, improvised dry followed by interim or improvised wet followed by interim. Remaining simulant on the skin was quantified using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for MeS analysis and UV imaging for fluorophore detection. Additionally, urine samples were collected for 8 hours post application to analyse MeS levels.

resultsSignificantly less simulant was recovered from the skin post decontamination compared with no decontamination. There were no differences in the total simulant recovered across all decontamination conditions. However, significantly more simulant was recovered from the shoulder compared with the arm and leg. Variation in simulant recovery from different application areas was significantly higher in improvised-only conditions than in combined conditions. Decontamination did not affect the amount of MeS excreted in urine over 8 hours.

conclusionThis research supports current practice of starting decontamination as soon as possible after chemical exposure and highlights the importance of implementing interim decontamination following improvised decontamination.

Indexed as

Chemical Hazard ReleaseDecontaminationMass Casualty IncidentsAdultCross-Over StudiesFemaleGas Chromatography-Mass SpectrometryHumansMaleSalicylatesUnited Kingdommethyl salicylateSalicylatesCBRNdisaster planningeffectivenessemergency respondersmajor incident

Identifiers

PMID39632058
PMCPMC11874368

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.