Evaluation of RSDL, M291 SDK, 0.5 Bleach, 1% Soapy Water and SERPACWA: Part 11: Challenge with EA4243 (VR, Russian VX)

An important objective of the Project Solicitation for Agent Therapeutics (Task Area 2.H) was to determine the effectiveness of current medical countermeasures against the acute toxicity of nerve agents. This project evaluated the efficacy of skin decontamination products and barrier skin creams. Doctrine described the use of Skin Exposure Reduction Paste Against Chemical Warfare Agents (SERPACWA) as a barrier skin cream and the M291 Skin Decontamination Kit (SDK), 0.5% hypochlorite solution (household bleach diluted 1 to 10) and1% soapy water solution (liquid dish detergent) to decontaminate intact skin exposed to chemical warfare agents. Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion (RSDL) was approved by the FDA in 2003 and subsequently selected as the Joint Services Personnel Skin Decontamination System (JSPDS) to replace the M291 SDK. This report, the eleventh in a series, directly compares the efficacy of the barrier skin cream SERPACWA and the four listed decontamination products in the haired guinea pig model following exposure to VR (Russian VX, EA4243).