EFFECTS OF NERVE AGENTS. —You should consider nerve agents to be the most dangerous because of their ability, even in small amounts, to cause casualties. Their detection by the senses is unlikely since they are colorless, tasteless, and virtually odorless, They cause no irritation on initial contact or on entry into the body. Nerve agents can cause casualties almost immediately when vapor is inhaled, when liquid is absorbed by the eyes or wounds, or when you consume contaminanted food and water. Speed, both in donning your mask and in removing of con- tamination from exposed skin, is imperative. You can inhale a lethal dose in 5 to 10 seconds. Symptoms will occur in about 1 minute, in- capacitation in 1 1/2 minutes, and death in about 6 minutes. At the first sign of a NERVE AGENT in the atmosphere, stop breathing and put on your protective mask immediately. If possible, hold your breath until the mask is on and properly adjusted. Wear the mask constantly until you are sure no nerve agent is present in the air and the all-clear signal is given. NOTE: The MCU-2/P gas mask is replacing the Mk5. This new mask provides an improved field of vision, better voice communications, lower breathing resistance, and is more comfort- able to wear than the Mk5 gas mask. If a liquid nerve or blister agent gets on the skin, you should remove it at once using the M-258A1 decontamination kit. Information on how to use the M-258A1 kit can be found in Basic Military Requirements, NAVEDTRA 12043. After decontaminating the affected area, continue with your combat duties. You should examine the contaminated area occasionally for local sweating and muscular twitching. If none develops in the next half hour and you have no tightness in your chest, your self-aid was successful and you can forget it. However, if these symptoms do occur, inject one atropine injection and one 2-PAM chloride injection in the outer thigh at once. Wait 10 minutes; if symptoms persist, administer another atropine injection and another 2-PAM chloride injection. Wait 10 minutes; if symptoms persist, administer another atropine injection only. You cannot give more than three injections unless under the direct supervision of medical personnel. However, under realistic conditions this may not be possible, so the senior person on the scene must make a decision. If a drop or splash of liquid nerve agent should get into your eyes, instant action is necessary to avoid serious injury. WARNING Do not use the M-258A1 kit to decon- taminate the eyes, wounds, or mouth as the decontaminating agent is poisonous and a caustic hazard. Quickly open a container of uncontaminated water, tilt your head back so the eyes look straight upward, and slowly pour the water into the eyes so the irrigation will last not less than 30 seconds. This irrigation must be done in spite of the presence of nerve agent vapor. Hold your breath as much as possible during this procedure. If you cannot hold your breath long enough to complete rinsing the eyes with water for 30 seconds, rinse as long as possible and put on your mask before breathing. After taking several breathes with the mask on, remove the mask and complete the decontamination, As soon as the irrigation is completed, put on the protective mask at once. Watch the pupil of the contaminated eye during the next minute, using a mirror if one is available; or else have someone nearby watch it for you. If the pupil rapidly gets smaller, inject one atropine and one 2-PAM chloride injection at once into the outer thigh. If the pupil does not get smaller, there is no nerve agent contamination. Do not use the antidote until you are sure the symptoms are those of nerve agent poisoning. 7-26 MCU-2/P protective mask.