ORGANOPHOSPHATES

Course overview

ORGANOPHOSPHATES (OP) ARE CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES THAT ARE PRODUCED BY THE PROCESS OF ESTERIFICATION BETWEEN PHOSPHORIC ACID AND ALCOHOL. ORGANOPHOSPHATES CAN UNDERGO HYDROLYSIS WITH THE LIBERATION OF ALCOHOL FROM THE ESTERIC BOND. THESE CHEMICALS ARE THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF HERBICIDES, PESTICIDES, AND INSECTICIDES. OPS ARE ALSO THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF NERVE GAS. ACUTE OR CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO OPS CAN PRODUCE VARYING LEVELS OF TOXICITY IN HUMANS, ANIMALS, PLANTS, AND INSECTS. OPS ALSO ARE WIDELY USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF PLASTICS AND SOLVENTS. FROM THE CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE, OPS ARE OF INTEREST BECAUSE OF THE TOXICITY PRODUCED FROM EXPOSURE. NERVE GAS AND OP PESTICIDES (OPP) ARE OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE BECAUSE OF THE CHOLINERGIC SYMPTOMS PRODUCED FROM EXPOSURE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF ORGANOPHOSPHATE EXPOSURE, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.