Mass Casualty Decontamination for Chemical Incidents Research Outcomes and Future Priorities

The authors reviewed the literature on chemical decontamination in a mass casualty scenario, based on research in vitro and in human volunteers. The authors emphasize the importance of beginning decontamination immediately/removing contaminated clothing and examine the effectiveness of wet and dry decontamination interventions. They also suggest several areas for future research, including chemical vapors, determining safe chemicals to use with human volunteers, and improving assessment of exposure and risk communication.