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How Alexey Navalny survived Novichok
A detailed timeline of an unlikely recovery from a binary chemical weapon poisoning
The Lancet published a timeline of the clinical course of Alexey Navalny's illness. He is a prominent opposition leader in Russia, after recovering over a long period of time in Germany, Navalny returned home and was immediately thrown in jail.
Clinical timeline
On Aug 20, 2020
A 44-year-old previously healthy man became confused 10 min after boarding a flight in Russia. He vomited, collapsed, and became unconscious. The same day the patient had received atropine in the intensive care unit in Omsk, Russia.
31 hours later
German air ambulance medical crew had access to Navalny. The patient had a heart rate of 44 beats per min, a body temperature of 34,4°C, wide pupils. He did not react to external light, had intermittent muscle spasms. The treatment administered was sedation (propofol), lung ventilation with oxygen.
47 hours later
The patient was transferred by a German air ambulance. The patients’ condition slightly improved, with a slight heart rate normalization of 58 beats per min. Sedation was continued.
55 hours later
