The pre-hospital management of injury following mass toxic release; a comparison of military and civil approaches.

Mass release of toxic substances may occur either accidentally or deliberately in both peace and war. Different approaches to the management of casualties from such an event have been developed by civil and military emergency medical teams, and reflect the different circumstances in which they operate. The nature and classification of toxic hazards is considered and the civil and military operational and medical responses compared. Both systems have different aspects that can contribute to early casualty management in a contaminated environment.