Toxic Trauma

This book provides practical guidance to emergency personnel and others in the event of having to manage individual or mass chemical casualties as part of their work in a civilian ambulance service or hospital. The text considers the nature and basic science of the hazards faced as well as the practical management of persons exposed to chemicals and toxins (which although of biological origin behave as chemicals in terms of their effects and transmission).  

Individual chapters cover the development and classification of chemical toxic agents, how exposure can occur and how medical personnel should be involved in its management . There is also consideration of the nature of toxic trauma and the pathophysiological processes involved, together with a systematic approach to early and continuing management supported by specific examples of incidents. This guide is a useful practical resource for emergency medical and paramedical personnel involved in the management of mass chemical casualties and with ensuring safe operating procedures within potentially contaminated areas to prevent secondary casualties from a chemical release.   

 

Selected as “Highly Commended” in Public Health at BMA Medical Book Awards for 2015.

“‘This book is helpful for someone who had no previous knowledge of toxic trauma. … This would be ideal for someone to understand the basic theoretical principles of toxic trauma. … The book provides an easy to read overview, which achieves this objective.’” (BMA Medical Book Awards, September, 2015)

“The purpose is to describe toxic hazards, their presentations, their consequences, and strategies to manage them. … the book is aimed at both those who are learning the basics of toxicology and those who are more seasoned practitioners of toxicology who are hoping to design or improve a system to recognize and respond to toxic threats. … This book excels as a reference for those interested in learning about and designing systems to better handle toxic trauma.” (Michael D. Zwank, Doody’s Book Reviews, October, 2014)

“Toxic Trauma is a welcome addition to the literature. … Although written for clinicians, the book contains chapters that should be read by administrators and other health care professionals to ensure they understand and can inform the public in a balanced manner about the logistic considerations, and widespread consequences across systems when an event does occur. Any health care library should consider this book an essential text.” (Michael Nurok, American Journal of Disaster Medicine, disastermedicinejournal.org, Vol. 9 (3), 2014)

David Baker studied medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and worked as a consultant in anaesthesia for the Paris emergency medical service (SAMU) at the Necker University Hospital, specializing in the management of mass toxic incidents. From 2004 he has also worked as a consultant medical toxicologist for the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards of the United Kingdom Health Protection Agency. Since 2005 he has lectured as a visiting professor at Harvard Medical School and is currently a visiting senior lecturer in medical toxicology at King’s College, London. Currently projects include advising the UK government on the provision of advanced emergency care in chemically – contaminated zones, the management of pulmonary injury following toxic agent exposure and investigation of the longer term problems of pesticide poisoning in Sri Lanka. He has lectured in over 40 countries around the world and is the author of numerous journal articles, monographs and textbook chapters. He is a Board Member of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine and has consulted for the World Health Organisation and the International Committee of the Red Cross.