Decontamination and Management of Human Remains Following Incidents of Hazardous Chemical Release
- U.S. Army Public Health Command
- ORNL
Abstract Objective: To provide specific procedural guidance and resources for identification, assessment, control, and mitigation of compounds that may contaminate human remains resulting from chemical attack or release. Design: A detailed technical, policy, and regulatory review is summarized. Setting: Guidance is suitable for civilian or military settings where human remains potentially contaminated with hazardous chemicals may be present. Settings would include sites of transportation accidents, natural disasters, terrorist or military operations, mortuary affairs or medical examiner processing and decontamination points, and similar. Patients, Participants: While recommended procedures have not been validated with actual human remains, guidance has been developed from data characterizing controlled experiments with fabrics, materiel, and laboratory animals. Main Outcome Measure(s): Presentation of logic and specific procedures for remains management, protection and decontamination of mortuary affairs personnel, as well as decision criteria for determining when remains are sufficiently decontaminated so as to pose no chemical health hazard. Results: Established procedures and existing equipment/materiel available for decontamination and verification provide appropriate and reasonable means to mitigate chemical hazards from remains. Extensive characterization of issues related to remains decontamination indicates that supra-lethal concentrations of liquid chemical warfare agent VX may prove difficult to decontaminate and verify in a timely fashion. Specialized personnel can and should be called upon to assist with monitoring necessary to clear decontaminated remains for transport and processing. Conclusions: Once appropriate decontamination and verification have been accomplished, normal procedures for remains processing and transport to the decedent s family and the continental United States can be followed.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- ORNL work for others
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 1038468
- Journal Information:
- American Journal of Disaster Medicine, Journal Name: American Journal of Disaster Medicine Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 7; ISSN 1932-149X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ACCIDENTS
BODY
CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
DECONTAMINATION
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HEALTH HAZARDS
MAN
MANAGEMENT
MITIGATION
MONITORING
Mortuary affairs
NATURAL DISASTERS
PATIENTS
PERSONNEL
RECOMMENDATIONS
VERIFICATION
chemical warfare agent (CWA)
decontamination
human remains
toxic industrial chemical (TIC)