Abstract
Objective: To elucidate the effect of sarin vapor on pupil size and erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity (AchE). Design: Retrospective observational survey. Setting: Emergency department of an urban teaching hospital. Patients: 80 patients who were exposed to sarin in a terrorist attack in Tokyo subways. Measurements and results: Pupil size and AchE activity on the day of exposure were measured. Among the 8O patients, the pupils were miotic ( < 3 mm) in 50 patients (62.5%), while AchE activity was below the normal range ( < 1.2 U) in 34 patients (42.5%). AchE was significantly lower in the miotic group than in the group with normal pupils (1.0 ± 0.5 U vs 1.5 ± 0.3 U, p < 0.01). In the miotic group, AchE activity was lower than normal in 32 patients (64.0%) but was decreased in only 2 patients in the normal pupil group (6.7%) (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Miosis is a more sensitive index of exposure to sarin vapor than erythrocyte AchE. Systemic poisoning is apparently less likely to develop if the patient's pupil size is normal on arrival at the hospital.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1005-1007 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Intensive Care Medicine |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1997 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Acetylcholinesterase
- Cholinesterase
- Miosis
- Nerve agent
- Organophosphate
- Sarin
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
Cite this
Relationship between pupil size and acetylcholinesterase activity in patients exposed to sarin vapor. / Nozaki, H.; Hori, S.; Shinozawa, Y.; Fujishima, Seitaro; Takuma, K.; Kimura, H.; Suzuki, M.; Aikawa, N.
In: Intensive Care Medicine, Vol. 23, No. 9, 1997, p. 1005-1007.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Relationship between pupil size and acetylcholinesterase activity in patients exposed to sarin vapor
AU - Nozaki, H.
AU - Hori, S.
AU - Shinozawa, Y.
AU - Fujishima, Seitaro
AU - Takuma, K.
AU - Kimura, H.
AU - Suzuki, M.
AU - Aikawa, N.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - Objective: To elucidate the effect of sarin vapor on pupil size and erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity (AchE). Design: Retrospective observational survey. Setting: Emergency department of an urban teaching hospital. Patients: 80 patients who were exposed to sarin in a terrorist attack in Tokyo subways. Measurements and results: Pupil size and AchE activity on the day of exposure were measured. Among the 8O patients, the pupils were miotic ( < 3 mm) in 50 patients (62.5%), while AchE activity was below the normal range ( < 1.2 U) in 34 patients (42.5%). AchE was significantly lower in the miotic group than in the group with normal pupils (1.0 ± 0.5 U vs 1.5 ± 0.3 U, p < 0.01). In the miotic group, AchE activity was lower than normal in 32 patients (64.0%) but was decreased in only 2 patients in the normal pupil group (6.7%) (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Miosis is a more sensitive index of exposure to sarin vapor than erythrocyte AchE. Systemic poisoning is apparently less likely to develop if the patient's pupil size is normal on arrival at the hospital.
AB - Objective: To elucidate the effect of sarin vapor on pupil size and erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity (AchE). Design: Retrospective observational survey. Setting: Emergency department of an urban teaching hospital. Patients: 80 patients who were exposed to sarin in a terrorist attack in Tokyo subways. Measurements and results: Pupil size and AchE activity on the day of exposure were measured. Among the 8O patients, the pupils were miotic ( < 3 mm) in 50 patients (62.5%), while AchE activity was below the normal range ( < 1.2 U) in 34 patients (42.5%). AchE was significantly lower in the miotic group than in the group with normal pupils (1.0 ± 0.5 U vs 1.5 ± 0.3 U, p < 0.01). In the miotic group, AchE activity was lower than normal in 32 patients (64.0%) but was decreased in only 2 patients in the normal pupil group (6.7%) (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Miosis is a more sensitive index of exposure to sarin vapor than erythrocyte AchE. Systemic poisoning is apparently less likely to develop if the patient's pupil size is normal on arrival at the hospital.
KW - Acetylcholinesterase
KW - Cholinesterase
KW - Miosis
KW - Nerve agent
KW - Organophosphate
KW - Sarin
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030696033&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030696033&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s001340050447
DO - 10.1007/s001340050447
M3 - Article
C2 - 9347376
AN - SCOPUS:0030696033
VL - 23
SP - 1005
EP - 1007
JO - Intensive Care Medicine
JF - Intensive Care Medicine
SN - 0342-4642
IS - 9
ER -