Physiologic Effects of Nerve Gas

On March 20, 1995, a group of terrorists launched a chemical attack on the Tokyo Metro, one of the world's busiest commuter transport systems, at the peak of the morning rush hour. The chemical weapon was sarin nerve gas. What do we know about this weapon, its devastating impacts on the body, and how to treat its victims? Dr. Richard Weisman, research associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and coordinator of their Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Program, reviews the critical facts about nerve gas and our current clinical understandings.