Current Perspectives on the Management of Patients Poisoned With Novichok: A Scoping Review.

This article provides a comprehensive scoping review of the current knowledge on managing patients poisoned with Novichok, a class of nerve agents known as the A-series, which inhibit acetylcholinesterase leading to cholinergic toxicity. Despite similarities to other organophosphorus nerve agents, Novichok presents unique challenges due to limited research, safety concerns, and ethical restrictions, resulting in significant uncertainties regarding diagnosis, treatment, decontamination, and long-term effects. The review highlights that while general supportive care and atropine are used, the efficacy of oxime antidotes is questionable, and bioscavengers represent a potential but unproven treatment avenue. It also emphasizes the need for improved awareness among medical personnel and further research, particularly on decontamination methods, biomarker identification, and the agent’s toxicity and prognosis, to optimize patient outcomes.