Exposure to which agents causes pain, burns, and blisters on exposed skin and requires irrigation?

• A. Vesicants
• B. Pulmonary agents
• C. Biological agents
• D. Blood agents

Answer: (A)

Vesicants are the agents that cause blistering skin injuries. They produce pain, burns, and blisters on exposed skin and mucous membranes, and the immediate response is rapid irrigation to dilute and remove the chemical and limit tissue damage. These agents, like sulfur mustard or nitrogen mustard, damage skin cells and cause vesication—blister formation—that can occur hours after exposure, so prompt decontamination is essential to reduce severity and prevent spread.

Pulmonary agents primarily irritate or injure the respiratory tract, not cause immediate skin blisters. Biological agents lead to infection or toxin effects in the body, and blood agents disrupt cellular respiration systemically rather than causing localized skin burns. The described skin-focused, blistering injury that requires irrigation fits vesicants best.