The war in Ukraine raises concerns for potential hazards of radiological and nuclear incidents. Children are particularly vulnerable in these incidents and may need pharmaceutical countermeasures, including antidotes and cytokines. Searches found no published study comparing pediatric indications and dosing among standard references detailing pediatric medications for these incidents. This study addresses this gap by collecting, tabulating, and disseminating this information to healthcare professionals caring for children. Expert consensus chose the following references to compare their pediatric indications and dosing of medical countermeasures for radiation exposure and internal contamination with radioactive materials: Advanced Hazmat Life Support (AHLS) for Radiological Incidents and Terrorism, DailyMed, Internal Contamination Clinical Reference, Medical Aspects of Radiation Incidents, and Medical Management of Radiological Casualties, as well as Micromedex, POISINDEX, and Radiation Emergency Medical Management (REMM). This is the first study comparing pediatric indications and dosing for medical countermeasures among commonly used references for radiological and nuclear incidents.

The influence of acetamide herbicide applications on efficacy of CGA-43089 [α-(cyanomethoximino)-benzacetonitrile] in grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] was studied under field conditions. Acetamide herbicides applied preplant and incorporated on a Haynie very fine sandy loam caused more grain sorghum injury in 1979 than in 1978. Reductions in plant population, plant height and yield, along with delay in maturity, were severe for acetochlor [2-chloro-N-(ethoxymethyl)-6′-ethyl-O-acetotoluidide], metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide], and alachlor [2-chloro-2′,6′-diethyl-N-(methoxymethyl)acetanilide]; moderate for diethatyl [N-(chloroacetyl)-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl)glycine], xylachlor [2-chloro-N-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)-N-(1-methylethyl)acetamide], and butam [2,2-dimethyl-N-(1-methylethyl)-N-(phenylmethyl)propanamide]; and did not occur for propachlor (2-chloro-N-isopropylacetanilide) treatments. Acetamide herbicides caused less grain sorghum injury on a Reading silt loam than on a Haynie very fine sandy loam in 1979. CGA-43089 applied as a seed treatment protected grain sorghum grown on soils treated with metolachlor, alachlor, diethatyl, or xylachlor. Metolachlor-triazine combinations at five locations in Kansas reduced yields at two locations. CGA-43089 provided protection from metolachlor injury at those two locations.

The efficacy of the safeners naphthalic anhydride (NA), CGA-92194, and CGA-133205 as protectants of grain sorghum and of NA, R-29148, CGA-154281, and dichlormid as protectants of corn against injury from the chloroacetamide herbicide, SAN 582H, was evaluated under greenhouse conditions. SAN 582H applied alone reduced the shoot growth of ‘Funk G522DR’ and ‘Funk G623’ sorghum, but had no effect on the growth of the ‘GP-10’ genotype of sorghum. Corn (‘Northrup-King 9283’ hybrid) was considerably more tolerant than grain sorghum to SAN 582H. The rate of SAN 582H causing 50% reduction of corn shoot height (GR50) was 5.1 kg/ha as compared to 1.1 kg/ha for grain sorghum. NA applied as seed dressing at 5 or 10 g/kg seed, provided moderate protection to ‘G522DR’ and ‘G623’ sorghum and no protection to corn against SAN 582H injury. Dressing of sorghum seeds with CGA-133205 provided moderate protection to G522DR sorghum, whereas seed-applied CGA-92194 provided moderate protection to G623 sorghum against SAN 582H. The dichloroacetamide safeners R-29148, dichlormid, and CGA-154281 were all effective as protectants of corn against SAN 582H injury. These results demonstrate that, as with other chloroacetamide herbicides, the tolerance of corn and grain sorghum to SAN 582H can be enhanced with the use of safeners of the dichloroacetamide type and oxime ether type, respectively.

BAS 145 138, CGA 154 281, and 1,8 naphthalic anhydride were evaluated as seed treatments to safen 'Silver Xtra Sweet,’ ‘How Sweet It Is,’ ‘Zenith,’ and 'Sweetie 76’ sweet corn against nicosulfuron injury. Nicosulfuron POST injured sweet corn by causing slight leaf chlorosis and leaf base widening in Sweetie 76 and severe plant injury and total yield loss in Silver Xtra Sweet. Naphthalic anhydride or CGA 154 281 provided limited or no safening activity, respectively, and resulted in plant height reduction when applied alone. BAS 145 138 reduced nicosulfuron injury to Silver Xtra Sweet and prevented visible injury from nicosulfuron in How Sweet It Is, Zenith, and Sweetie 76.

The efficacy of the safeners naphthalic anhydride (NA), R-29148, benoxacor, and dichlormid as protectants of corn against injury from the methyl ester of tribenuron was evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Tribenuron applied alone reduced the root length of both ‘Pioneer 3180’ and ‘Northrup-King 9283’ corn. The concentration of tribenuron causing 50% reduction of corn root length (GR50) was 1 μM. NA applied as a seed dressing at 0.5 and 1.0% (w/w) was the most effective of the four safeners tested and provided excellent protection to both corn hybrids against 1, 2, and 4 μM tribenuron. Soaking corn seeds in an aqueous solution of R-29148 containing 0.5,1, or 2 mM protected ‘Pioneer 3180’ against 1 μM of tribenuron. The safening efficacy of R-29148 against tribenuron injury to ‘Northrup-King 9283’ corn was limited. Dichlormid and benoxacor, were less effective as tribenuron safeners and offered partial protection to both corn hybrids. Individual applications of the synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO) at 0.1 and 0.2 mM did not affect the growth of corn seedlings. PBO synergized the activity of all concentrations of tribenuron, but only on the ‘Northrup-King 9283’ hybrid. These results demonstrate that the tolerance of corn to tribenuron can be enhanced with the use of safeners such as NA and R-29148, and that oxidative reactions may be involved in the metabolism of tribenuron by corn.

Studies in growth chambers indicated that CGA-43089 {α-[(cyanomethoxy)imino] benzeneacetonitrile} applied at a rate of 1.25 g/kg of seed reduced the phytotoxicity of metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide], bensulide [o,o-diisopropyl phosphorodithioate S-ester with N-(2-mercaptoethyl) benzenesulfonamide], EPTC (S-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate), UBI-S734 {2-[(1,2,5-dimethylphenyl)ethylsulfonyl] pyridine N-oxide} and MBR-18337 {N-[4-(ethylthio)-2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl] methanesulfonamide} to grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] during seed germination and seedling emergence. The protected sorghum tolerated metolachlor over a wider range of rates than it tolerated the other herbicides. CGA-43089 did not protect sorghum from the phytotoxicity of trifluralin (α,α,α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine). Of seven other oximes tested as seed treatments, dimethylglyoxime, benzophenone oxime, pyridine-2-aldoxime, benzoin-α-oxime, and methyl thioacetohydroxamate showed promise for increasing the tolerance of grain sorghum to metolachlor. In general, higher rates of these oximes than the rate of CGA-43089 were required for equivalent protection of sorghum.

Field studies were conducted in 1989 and 1990 to determine if corn seed treated with naphthalic anhydride (NA) at 0.5% (w/w) would result in a reduction in corn injury caused by clomazone applied preplant incorporated (PPI) or preemergence (PRE) at 0.56 and 0.70 kg a.i. ha–1. NA significantly reduced corn injury, especially where clomazone was incorporated. Plant population, height, ear number, and grain yield also were higher in plots where NA was used. In most instances, corn injury was less and plant population, height, ear number, and grain yield were higher in plots where clomazone was applied PRE compared with PPI.

The management of ethylene glycol poisoning is reviewed, with a focus on the use of the new antidote fomepizole. Ethylene glycol is a widely used industrial agent that is also easily obtained commercially, usually as radiator antifreeze. Ingestion of as little as 30 to 60 mL can result in death or serious permanent disability. Traditional management of poisoning includes the use of ethanol, with or without hemodialysis. Activated charcoal is not indicated, and gastric lavage may be beneficial only in the first hour after ingestion. Cofactors such as pyridoxine and thiamine may be beneficial in patients deficient in these vitamins. A new antidote, fomepizole, has recently been approved for use in Canada. Like ethanol, it is a competitive inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase. Potential benefits of fomepizole include its ease of administration and lack of serious adverse effects. Fomepizole may be recommended over ethanol in situations in which avoidance of ethanol-induced side effects is imperative or when ethanol is not readily available. Further studies are required to verify its comparative efficacy and cost-effectiveness compared to ethanol.

Kamedo is a Swedish Disaster Medicine study organization that sends observers to disaster areas anywhere in the world to study recent events, collect useful information, and identify problems relative to the practice of Disaster Medicine. The results of these investigations are published in the KAMEDO Reports, and the English versions will be published in Prehospital and Disaster Medicine.

Three of the recent reports follow: 1) KAMEDO Report 69: Ebolus Virus Epidemic in Zaire, 1995; 2) KAMEDO Report 70: The German Rescue and Emergency Organizations: a) Industrial Chemical Fire, Memmingen, Germany 23 January 1997; b) Fire at the Düsseldorf Airport, 01 April 1996; and c) Bus Accident on the Autobahn in Rosenheim, Germany; and 3) Terrorist Attack with Sarin, 20 March 1995. In addition, a catalog listing all of the KAMEDO Reports available in English is provided.