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Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 18e
| Part 9. Terrorism and Clinical Medicine > |
Chapter 223. Radiation Terrorism
Sections: Radiation Terrorism: Introduction, Further Readings.
Topics Discussed: bioterrorism and disaster preparedness; exposure to radiation from nuclear explosion; radiation.
Excerpt:"Terror attacks using nuclear or radiation-related devices are an unequivocal threat in the twenty-first century and are capable of having unique medical and psychological effects. This chapter will focus on the most probable scenarios of possible attacks and the medical principles of handling such threats.Isotopes of atoms with uneven numbers of protons and/or neutrons are typically unstable; such isotopes discharge particles or energy to matter, a process that is defined as radiation. The main radiation types are alpha, beta, gamma, and neutrons.The treatment of ARS is focused on maintaining homeostasis, giving damaged organs a chance to recover. Aggressive support is given to every damaged system. Treatment for the hematopoietic system includes mainly therapy for neutropenia and infection, transfusion and blood products such as leukoreduced irradiated blood as needed, and hematopoietic growth factors. The value of bone marrow transplantation in this situation is questionable. None of the transplants that were performed among the victims of the nuclear reactor accident in Chernobyl proved successful. Bone marrow transplantation could be considered for casualties with whole-body exposure to 6–10 Gy when the hematopoietic syndrome..."
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