Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism: TICs & TIMs

Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism
Training Support Package
Participant Guide
Slide 6
Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism:
TICs & TIMs
Clinical Syndromes of the CNS
Too much inhibition = Sedation/coma
Excitation Inhibition
Module Two - The Clinical Neurotoxicology of Chemical Terrorism
6
Chemicals (drugs) typically cause sedation or coma by enhancing our inhibitory tone, not
by reducing excitation.
Too much inhibition causes sedation. A person who is sedated is not alert. They are
usually sleepy and may be difficult to arouse. With increasing sedation patients may be
comatose. This may be confused for sleeping but the typical person who is sleeping can
usually be awoken with some sort of stimulation. The comatose patient can not be
awoken. If this coma is caused by a drug or chemical, the patient may not awaken until
the chemical leaves the body or wears off. In extreme cases someone who is comatose
may slow down their breathing to such an extent that they are not longer getting enough
oxygen. This may result in death and is a common cause of death after some drug
overdoses.
December 2008 Version 2.0 Page 74