Diagnostics and treatment of nerve agent poisoning—current status and future developments

Although 193 states have committed to the Chemical Weapons Convention and 98% of the declared chemical weapons stockpiles have been destroyed so far, nerve agent poisoning remains a lingering threat. The recent dissemination of sarin in Syria, the assassination of Kim Jong‐Nam in Malaysia, and the assault on Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom underline the need for effective treatment. The current therapeutic options of a muscarinic receptor antagonist, an oxime, and an anticonvulsant have been unchanged for decades. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies, for example, bioscavengers and receptor‐active substances, are promising concepts that have to be examined for their benefits and limitations. In order to facilitate rapid diagnosis in challenging clinical situations, point‐of‐care diagnostics and detection are of importance. Therapeutic guidance concerning the duration and success of the current oxime therapy via determination of the cholinesterase status can contribute to an optimal use of resources. In summary, the challenges of current and future therapies for nerve agent poisoning and key diagnostic devices will be discussed. Organophosphorus‐based nerve agent poisoning remains a lingering threat, which underlines the need for effective treatment. Current therapeutic options have been unchanged for decades. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies, such as bioscavengers and receptor‐active substances, need to be examined for their benefits and limitations. Our review focuses on current and future therapeutic developments and highlights diagnostic challenges for nerve agent exposure.