If a victim is twitching, which agent would you suspect they have been exposed to?

When a victim is exhibiting symptoms such as twitching, it is indicative of exposure to a nerve agent. Nerve agents, which disrupt the normal functioning of the nervous system by inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, lead to an accumulation of acetylcholine. This buildup causes overstimulation of muscles and communications within the nervous system, resulting in symptoms such as twitching, convulsions, and loss of control over bodily functions.

Nerve agents include substances like sarin, VX, and tabun, which can cause rapid and severe reactions in exposed individuals. The presence of twitching in a victim is a clear signal of the overstimulation and disruption caused by these agents, making nerve agents the most appropriate choice when considering this symptom. Other types of agents like choking, blister, and poison gases usually present with different primary symptoms—not characterized by muscle spasms or twitching. For instance, choking agents typically cause respiratory distress, blister agents lead to severe skin and respiratory damage, while poison gases might produce a range of systemic effects but do not specifically correlate with muscle twitching.