Citation

Hoffman A, Eisenkraft A, Finkelstein A, Schein O, Rotman E, Dushnitsky T. Mil. Med. 2007; 172(6): 607-610.

Affiliation

Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Medicine Branch, Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer Military Base, Ramat Gan, Israel 02149.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Association of Military Surgeons of the United States)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

17615841

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: On March 20, 1995, sarin gas was used in Tokyo by members of the Japanese "Uhm-Shinrikiu" cult, killing 12 and injuring >5,500 innocent people. Most of the casualties were mildly injured. This article reviews the neurological follow-up data for some of the victims over the past decade. METHODS: We reviewed the published literature regarding neurological follow-up of the victims, dividing the data according to the time elapsed after the attack. RESULTS: The digit span test, finger-tapping test, and computerized posturography were the only performance tests that showed statistically significant differences between the victims and the control groups in some of the surveys. The main sequela 7 years after the attack was post-traumatic stress disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The results emphasize the need for a national preparedness program for such mass casualty events, led by national health systems. This should include long-term, neurological, follow-up monitoring with performance tests and a post-traumatic stress disorder screening test.

Language: en