Vesicants are blister agents. Which of the following best describes them?

• A. Incendiary devices.
• B. Blister agents.
• C. Nerve agents.
• D. Respiratory irritants.

Answer: (B)

Vesicants cause blistering of the skin and mucous membranes, so they are best described as blister agents. This describes their primary and most recognizable effect—formation of blisters after exposure, with possible eye and airway injury as well. They aren’t incendiary devices, which are designed to start fires. They aren’t nerve agents, which disrupt the nervous system and produce rapid cholinergic symptoms. They aren’t simply respiratory irritants, although inhalation can irritate the airways, the standout feature of vesicants is dermal blistering. In practice, recognizing vesicants means watching for delayed skin symptoms and eye irritation after exposure, followed by immediate decontamination: remove contaminated clothing and wash the skin with soap and water, minimizing friction to avoid spreading the agent, and seek medical care for blistering and eye symptoms.