Book excerpt: The emergency medicine expertise you need to prepare for--and manage--any type of bioterrorist attack! Written by emergency room physicians for emergency room physicians, Toxico-terrorism covers every essential aspect of the emergency medical response to microbial, radiological, and chemical agents of terrorism. Turn to any page, and you'll find lifesaving clinical strategies for the management of patients who have been exposed to a biologic, chemical, or nuclear agent. Features A logical, building-block organization filled with key tables and synoptic boxes Important coverage of pre-hospital and EMS issues Insights into the means of transmission, the modes of dispersal, and how secondary infection and/or contamination can occur Overview of bioterror-specific signs and symptoms A section on emergency department preparedness that reviews critical topics such as nursing triage, hospital/facility security, pharmacy preparedness, and hospital staff issues Up-to-date information on labs, microscopy, and radiology Key diagnostic criteria for all agents Thorough coverage of treatment strategies for all agents discussed in the book Infection control modalities Survey of prophylaxis strategies Valuable section on public health considerations