Title: Medical Response to Nuclear and Radiological Terrorism
1Medical Response to Nuclear and Radiological
Terrorism
- Stevan Cordas DO MPH
- Clinical Associate Professor TCOM/UNTHSC
2- Consultant Texas Department of Health - WMD
Education - Consultant American Osteopathic Association
Washington Bureau WMD - Certified Occupational Medicine (Toxicology)
- Trained in Cleveland Institute of Nuclear
Medicine - Former U.S. Army Medical Corps
- Steering Committee - Medical Reserve Corps
(Dallas, Tarrant, Denton and Collins County) - Author of WMD AOA DO-online for CME
3What Is Radiation?
Radiation is energy transported in the form of
particles or waves.
4Exposure Vs. Contamination
- Exposure irradiation of the body ? absorbed dose
(Gray, rad) - Contamination radioactive material on patient
(external)or within patient (internal)
5(No Transcript)
6Penetration Abilities of Different Types of
Radiation
Alpha Particles Stopped by a sheet of paper
Radiation Source
Beta Particles Stopped by a layer of clothing or
less than an inch of a substance (e.g. plastic)
Gamma Rays Stopped by inches to feet of
concrete or less than an inch of lead
Neutrons Stopped by a few feet of concrete
CDC
7Radiation Units
Measure of Amount of radioactive material
Ionization in air Absorbed energy per
mass Absorbed dose weighted by type of
radiation
Unit curie (Ci) roentgen (R) rad rem
Quantity Activity Exposure Absorbed
Dose Dose Equivalent
8A Gray (Gy)
- The Gray (Gy) is a unit of absorbed dose and
reflects an amount of energy deposited into a
mass of tissue (1 Gy 100 rads). In this
lecture, the absorbed dose we are referring to is
that dose inside the patient's body (i.e., the
dose which is normally measured with personal
dosimeters). For most purposes, one rem equal one
rad. One mrem is one thousandth of one rem and is
a common means of expressing radiation.
9Radiation Doses and Dose Limits
- Flight from Los Angeles to London 5
mrem - Annual public dose limit
100 mrem - Annual natural background 300 mrem
- Fetal dose limit 500 mrem
- Barium enema 870 mrem
- Annual radiation worker dose limit 5,000 mrem
- Heart catheterization (skin dose) 45,000
mrem - Life saving actions guidance (NCRP-116)
50,000 mrem - Mild acute radiation syndrome
200,000 mrem - LD50/60 for humans (bone marrow dose)
350,000 mrem - Radiation therapy (localized fractionated)
6,000,000 mrem
10Radioactive Material
- Radioactive material consists of atoms with
unstable nuclei - The atoms spontaneously change (decay) to more
stable forms and emit radiation - A person who is contaminated has radioactive
material on their skin or inside their body
(e.g., inhalation, ingestion or wound
contamination)
11Half-life (HL)
- Physical Half-Life
- Time (in minutes, hours, days or years) required
for the activity of a radioactive material to
decrease by one half due to radioactive decay - Biological Half-Life
- Time required for the body to eliminate half of
the radioactive material (depends on the chemical
form) -
12Effective Half-life
- The net effect of the combination of the
physical biological half-lives in removing the
radioactive material from the body - Half-lives range from fractions of seconds to
millions of years - 1 HL 50 2 HL 25 3 HL 12.5
13Potential Types of Weapons
- Stolen nuclear material from a hospital,
industry, university, power plant or disposal
facility - Creation of a dirty bomb Generally thought to
be the most likely scenario. - Nuclear detonation from a device.
- Nuclear reactor sabotage
14Hypothetical Suitcase Bomb
CDC
Chairman Dan Burton Committee Demonstration of
example suitcase nuke made from US nuclear
shell
15Examples of Radioactive Materials
Radionuclide Half-Life
Activity Use Cesium-137 30 yrs
1.5x106 Ci Food
Irradiator Cobalt-60 5 yrs
15,000 Ci Cancer
Therapy Plutonium-239 24,000 yrs 600 Ci Nuclear
Weapon Iridium-192 74 days
100 Ci Industrial
Radiography Hydrogen-3 12 yrs
12 Ci Exit
Signs Strontium-90 29 yrs 0.1 Ci Eye Therapy
Device
16Examples of Radioactive Materials
- Iodine-131 8 days
0.015 Ci Nuclear Medicine
Therapy - Technetium-99m 6 hrs
0.025 Ci Diagnostic Imaging - Americium-241 432 yrs 0.000005
Ci Smoke Detectors - Radon-222 4 days
1 pCi/l Environmental Level
17Trinity Site N.M. 529 AM July 16th 1945
18Types of Radiation Hazards
- External Exposure -
- whole-body or partial-body (no radiation
hazard to EMS staff) - Contaminated -
- external radioactive material on the skin
- internal radioactive material inhaled,
swallowed, absorbed through skin or wounds
Internal Contamination
External Contamination
External Exposure
19Scope of Event
Event
Most Deaths Due to
Number of Deaths
Radiation
None/Few
Radiation
Accident
Few/Moderate
Radioactive
Blast Trauma
(Depends on
Dispersal
size of explosion
Device
proximity of persons)
Blast Trauma
Low Yield
Large
Thermal Burns
(e.g. tens of thousands in
Nuclear Weapon
an urban area even from
Radiation Exposure
0.1 kT weapon)
Fallout
(Depends on Distance)
20Map of Our Nuclear Power Plants
21Facility Preparation
- Activate hospital plan
- Obtain radiation survey meters
- Call for additional support Staff from Nuclear
Medicine, Radiation Oncology, Radiation Safety
(Health Physics) - Plan for decontamination of uninjured persons
- Establish triage area
22Develop Radiological Response Team
- Team Coordinator (leader)
- Emergency physician(s)
- Nurse (s)
- Triage Officer
- Administrator
- Radiation Safety Officer
- Maintenance
- Public Information Officer
- Security
- Laboratory Personnel
- Technical Recorder
23Consult With Radiation Experts
- Radiation Safety Officer
- Health Physicist
- Medical Physicist
- Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors
(www.crcpd.org)
CDC
24Consult With Radiation Experts
- Determining/documenting presence of
radioactivity, activity levels, and radiation
dose - Collecting samples to document contamination
- Assisting in decontamination procedures
- Disposing of radioactive waste
25Detecting and Measuring Radiation
- Instruments
- Locate contamination - GM Survey Meter (Geiger
counter) - Measure exposure rate - Ion Chamber
- Personal Dosimeters - measure doses to staff
- Radiation Badge - Film/TLD
- Self reading dosimeter
(analog digital)
26Biodosimetry Assessment Tool
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute
- www.afrri.usuhs.mil/
27Facility Preparation
- Plan to control contamination
- Instruct staff to use universal precautions and
double glove - Establish multiple receptacles for contaminated
waste - Protect floor with covering if time allows
28Treatment Area Layout
Separate Entrance
CONTAMINATED AREA
Trauma Room
HOT LINE
BUFFER ZONE
Clean Gloves, Masks, Gowns, Booties
CLEAN AREA
29Immediate Medical Management
- Triage
- ARS
- localized/ cutaneous
- combined injury
- Initial stabilization and treatment
- Psychological effects
- Record keeping/ Dose assessment
30Protecting Staff from Contamination
- Universal precautions
- Survey hands and clothing with radiation
meter - Replace gloves or clothing
- that is contaminated
- Keep the work area free of contamination
- Key Points
- Contamination is easy to detect and most of it
can be removed - It is very unlikely that ED staff will receive
large radiation doses from treating contaminated
patients
31Patient Management - Priorities
- Triage
- Medical triage is the highest priority
- Radiation exposure and contamination are
secondary considerations - Degree of decontamination dictated by number of
and capacity to treat other injured patients
32Patient Management - Triage
- Triage based on
- Injuries
- Signs and symptoms - nausea, vomiting, fatigue,
diarrhea - History - Where were you when the bomb exploded
or incident occurred? - Contamination survey
33Psychological Casualties
- Terrorist acts involving toxic agents (especially
radiation) are perceived as very threatening - Mass casualty incidents caused by nuclear
terrorism will create large numbers of worried
people who may not be injured or contaminated
34Psychological Casualties
- Provide psychological support to patients and set
up a center in the hospital for staff - Establish triage (monitoring and counseling)
centers to prevent psychological casualties from
overwhelming health care facilities - Staff counseling centers with physicians with a
radiological background, health physicists with
instrumentation and psychological counselors
35Patient Management - Decontamination
- Carefully remove and bag patients clothing and
personal belongings (typically removes 95 of
contamination) - Survey patient and, if practical, collect samples
- Handle foreign objects with care until proven
non-radioactive with survey meter
36Patient Management - Decontamination
- Decontamination priorities
- Decontaminate wounds first, then intact skin
- Start with highest levels of contamination
- Change outer gloves frequently to minimize spread
of contamination
37(No Transcript)
38(No Transcript)
39 Patient Management - Decontamination (Cont.)
- Protect non-contaminated wounds with waterproof
dressings - Contaminated wounds
- Irrigate and gently scrub with surgical sponge
- Extend wound debridement for removal of
contamination only in extreme cases and upon
expert advice - Avoid overly aggressive decontamination
- Change dressings frequently
40Patient Management - Decontamination (Cont.)
- Decontaminate intact skin and hair by washing
with soap water - Remove stubborn contamination on hair by cutting
with scissors or electric clippers - Promote sweating
- Use survey meter to monitor progress of
decontamination
41 Patient Management - Decontamination (Cont.)
- Cease decontamination of skin and wounds
- When the area is less than twice background, or
- When there is no significant reduction between
decon efforts, and - Before intact skin becomes abraded.
- Contaminated thermal burns
- Gently rinse. Washing may increase severity of
injury. - Additional contamination will be removed when
dressings are changed. - Do not delay surgery or other necessary medical
procedures or examsresidual contamination can be
controlled.
42Patient Management - Patient Transfer
- Transport injured, contaminated patient into or
from the ED - Clean gurney covered with 2 sheets
- Lift patient onto clean gurney
- Wrap sheets over patient
- Roll gurney into ED or out of treatment room
43Facility Recovery
- Remove waste from the Emergency Department and
triage area - Survey facility for contamination
- Decontaminate as necessary
- Normal cleaning routines (mop, strip waxed
floors) typically very effective - Periodically reassess contamination levels
- Replace furniture, floor tiles, etc. that cannot
be adequately
decontaminated - Decontamination Goal Less than twice normal
backgroundhigher levels may be acceptable
44Data Management
45Injuries Associated With Radiological Incidents
- Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS)
- Localized radiation injuries/ cutaneous radiation
syndrome - Internal or external contamination
- Combined radiation injuries with
- - Trauma
- - Burns
- Fetal effects
CDC
46Radiation Sickness Acute Radiation Syndrome
- Occurs only in patients who have received very
high radiation doses (greater than approximately
100 rem or rads (1 Gy)) to most of the body - Dose 15 rem
- no symptoms, possible chromosomal aberrations
- Dose 50 rem
- no symptoms, minor decreases in white cells and
platelets
47Acute Radiation Syndrome (Cont.)For Doses gt 100
rem
- Prodromal stage
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue
- higher doses produce more rapid onset and greater
severity - Latent period (Interval)
- patient appears to recover
- decreases with increasing dose
- Manifest Illness Stage
- Hematopoietic
- Gastrointestinal
- CNS
Time of Onset
Severity of Effect
48Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS)
- Radiation must be of penetrating type (X-rays,
gamma rays or neutrons) - Most or all of body must be exposed.
- The dose must be from an external source.
- Dose must be delivered in a short time. Not
fractionated.
49The Three ARS Syndromes
- Hematopoetic Between 0.7 Gy and 10 Gy
- Mortality rate is proportional to dosage.
- Death from hemorrhage and infection
- Absence of stem cells with leukopenia and
thrombocytopenia. If they survive, anemia later.
50Acute Radiation Syndrome (Cont.)Hematopoietic
Component - latent period from weeks to days
- Dose 100 rem
- 10 exhibit nausea and vomiting within 48 hr
- mildly depressed blood counts
- Dose 350 rem
- 90 exhibit nausea/vomiting within 12 hr, 10
exhibit diarrhea within 8 hr - severe bone marrow depression
- 50 mortality without supportive care
51Acute Radiation Syndrome (Cont.)Hematopoetic
Component - Latent Period From Weeks to Days
- Dose 500 rem
- 50 mortality with supportive care
- Dose 1000 rem
- 90-100 mortality despite supportive care
52Andrews LymphocyteNomogram
- Confirms suspected radiation exposure
- Determines significant hematological involvement
- Serial CBCs every 3 - 4 hours
From Andrews GA, Auxier JA, Lushbaugh CC The
Importance of Dosimetry to the Medical
Management of Persons Exposed to High Levels of
Radiation. In Personal Dosimetry for Radiation
Accidents. Vienna, International Atomic Energy
Agency, 1965, pp 3- 16
53The Three ARS Syndromes
- Gastrointestinal
- Usually occurs with exposure to 10 and 100 Gy
(1000 to 10,000 rads) - Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
- Death within two weeks with complications of
infection (always have the hematopoetic syndrome
as well), electrolyte imbalance, dehydration,
hemorrhage. - Survival uncommon.
54Acute Radiation Syndrome (Cont.)Gastrointestinal
and CNS Components
- Dose gt 1000 rem - damage to GI system
- severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea (within
minutes) - short latent period (days to hours)
- usually fatal in weeks to days
- Dose gt 3,000 rem - damage to CNS
- vomiting, diarrhea, confusion, severe hypotension
within minutes - collapse of cardiovascular and CNS
- fatal within 24 to 72 hours
55The Three ARS Syndromes
- Cardiovascular Syndrome
- Usually with extremely high dosage. gt 50 Gy or
5000 rads. Some symptoms possible at 20 Gy. - Cerebral edema, vasculitis, meningitis with
convulsions, coma and death - Cardiovascular collapse
- Death in 3 days or less
56Treatment of Large External Exposures
- Estimating the severity of radiation injury is
difficult. - Signs and symptoms (N,V,D,F) Rapid onset and
greater severity indicate higher doses. Can be
psychosomatic. - CBC with absolute lymphocyte count
- Chromosomal analysis of lymphocytes (requires
special lab)
57Treatment of Large External Exposures
- Treat symptomatically. Prevention and management
of infection is the primary objective. - Hematopoetic growth factors, e.g., GM-CSF, G-CSF
(24-48 hr) - Irradiated blood products
- Antibiotics/reverse isolation
- Electrolytes
- Seek the guidance of experts.
- Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/ Training
Site (REAC/TS) - Medical Radiobiology Advisory Team (MRAT)
58Other Treatment Methods
- Minimize intake.Reduce and/or inhibit
absorption.Block uptake.Use isotopic
dilution.Promote excretion.Alter chemistry of
the substance.Displace isotope from
receptors.Chelate.
59Treatment of Internal Contamination
- Radionuclide-specific
- Most effective when administered early
- May need to act on preliminary information
- NCRP Report No. 65, Management of Persons
Accidentally Contaminated with Radionuclides
Radionuclide Treatment Route Cesium-137 Prussia
n blue Oral Iodine-125/131 Potassium
iodide Oral Strontium-90 Aluminum
phosphate Oral Americium-241/ Ca- and Zn-DTPA IV
infusion, Plutonium-239/ nebulizer Cobalt-60
60Blocking Radioactive Iodine
- The dominant initial internal contaminant after a
reactor accident, nuclear weapons test, or any
incident involving fresh fission products is
likely to be 131I. - Block thyroid if radioactive iodine is a factor
or if you are unsure. Give potassium Iodide 130
mg immediately to an adult then continue for 7
days.
61Special Considerations
- High radiation dose and trauma interact
synergistically to increase mortality - Close wounds on patients with doses gt 100 rem
- Wound, burn care and surgery should be done in
the first 48 hours or delayed for 2 to 3 months
(gt 100 rem)
62Cutaneous Radiation Syndrome
- May occur as part of the ARS
- May occur from beta rays or X-rays without ARS
- May be due to contamination of patients skin or
clothing from radioactive particles.
63Cutaneous Radiation Syndrome
- Inflammation
- Erythema usually with itching at first
- Dry desquamation, epilation,
- Moist desquamation
- Ulceration, blisters,
- Basal cell layer damaged, sebaceous and sweat
glands destroyed. Hyperpigmentation later - Delayed onset of about days to weeks.
64Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation
- Deterministic effects
- occur when the dose is above a given threshold
(characteristic for the given effect) - severity increases with the dose
- many cells must die or have their function
altered - examples erythema, fibrosis, marrow depletion,
cataract. - Stochastic (probabilistic)
- have no known threshold
- probability of occurrence increases with dose
- may result from alteration in only one or a few
cells - examples carcinogenic - various neoplasms,
- genetic - various hereditary
disorders.
65 Radiation Effects
Early (Deterministic only)
Late
Local Radiation injury of individual
organs Functional and/or morphological changes
within hrs-days-weeks
Systemic
Deterministic (Above DQ, cummul.) - Rad.
Dermatitis - Rad. Cataracta - Teratogenic
(DQ,F0,1Sv)
Stochastic
Acute radiation disease Acute radiation
syndrome (LD50/60 3.5Sv LD 5 Sv)
(Probability increases with dose) - Tumors,
leukemia - Genetic effects
66Localized Radiation Effects - Organ System
Threshold Effects
- Skin - No visible injuries lt 100 rem
- Main erythema, epilation gt500 rem
- Moist desquamation gt1,800 rem
- Ulceration/Necrosis gt2,400 rem
- Cataracts
- Acute exposure gt200 rem
- Chronic exposure gt600 rem
- Permanent Sterility
- Female gt250 rem
- Male gt350 rem
67Time of Onset of Clinical Signs of Skin Injury
Depending on the Dose Received
- Symptoms Dose range Time of onset
- (Gy) (day)
- Erythema 3-10 14-21
- Epilation gt3 14-18
- Dry desquamation 8-12 25-30
- Moist desquamation 15-20 20-28
- Blister formation 15-25
15-25 - Ulceration gt20 14-21
- Necrosis gt25 gt21
- Ref. IAEA-WHO Diagnosis and Treatment of
Radiation Injuries. - IAEA Safety Reports Series, No. 2, Vienna, 1998
68Longer Term Considerations Following Radiation
Injury
- Neutropenia
- Pain management
- Necrosis
- Plastic/reconstructive surgery
- Psychological effects (PTSD)
- Counseling
- Dose assessments
- Possible increased risk of cancer
- Consult Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/
Training Site (REAC/TS) for advice for further
treatment www.orau.gov/reacts/, 865-576-1005.
69Chronic Health Effects From Radiation
- Radiation is a weak carcinogen at low doses
- No unique effects (type, latency, pathology)
- Natural incidence of cancer 40 mortality
25 - Risk of fatal cancer is estimated as 4 per 100
rem - A dose of 5 rem increases the risk of fatal
cancer by 0.2 - A dose of 25 rem increases the risk of fatal
cancer by 1
70Stochastic Effects of Radiation Exposure
- Frequency is proportional to dose
- No threshold dose
- No method for identification of the appearance of
this effect of ionizing radiation in
individuals - Increase in occurrence of stochastic effect can
be proved with epidemiological method only
71Human Data on Radiation Cancerogenesis
72 Cancer Deaths Attributable to A-bombs
- In 86,572 survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
A-bombing 7,827 persons died of cancer in
1950-90 - Observed Expected Excess ()
- All tumors 7578 7244 334 (4.4)
- Leukaemia 249 162
87 (35.0) - All cancers 7827 7406
421 (5.4) - Ref Pierce et al, Rad.Res. 146 1-27, 1996
73Cancer mortality of nuclear industry workers
74Latency Periods for Radiation-induced Cancer
75Teratogenic Effects of Radiation
- Mental retardation
- Highest risk during major neuronal migration, on
8-15 weeks. Incidence increases with dose. At 1
Gy fetal dose 75 experience severe retardation - At 16-25 weeks, fetus shows no increase in mental
retardation at doses lt 0.5 Gy - IQ - Risk factor associated with diminution of IQ
is 21-33 points at 1 Gy to fetus on 8-15 weeks. - Microcephaly
- Observed in 30 children of 1000 exposed in
Hiroshima and Nagasaki pregnant women - The effect lt0.3 Gy is not significantly
different of control
76Fetal IrradiationNo Significant Risk of Adverse
Developmental Effects Below 10 Rem
Period of Development
Weeks After Fertilization
Effects
- Little chance of malformation.
- Most probable effect, if
- any, is death of embryo.
- Reduced lethal effects.
- Teratogenic effects.
- Growth retardation.
- Impaired mental ability.
- Growth retardation with
- higher doses.
- Increased childhood
- cancer risk. ( 0.6 per 10 rem)
lt2 2-7 7-40 All
Pre-implantation Organogenesis Fetal
77Key Points
- Medical stabilization is the highest priority
- Train/drill to ensure competence and confidence
- Pre-plan to ensure adequate supplies and survey
instruments are available - Universal precautions and decontaminating
patients minimizes exposure and contamination
risk - Early symptoms and their intensity are an
indication of the severity of the radiation
injury - The first 24 hours are the worst then you will
likely have many additional resources
78(No Transcript)
79The Three Basic Ways to Reduce Radiation Exposure
- TIMEDecrease the amount of time you spend near
the source of radiation.DISTANCEIncrease your
distance from a radiation source.SHIELDINGIncrea
se the shielding between you and the radiation
source. Shielding is anything that creates a
barrier between people and the radiation source.
Depending on the type of radiation, the shielding
can range from something as thin as a plate of
window glass or as thick as several feet of
concrete. Being inside a building or a vehicle
can provide shielding from some kinds of
radiation.
80Personally, What You Should Do! Radiological
Attack
- Avoid inhaling dust as it could be radioactive.
- If an explosion occurs outdoors and you are
informed that radiation is involved, if you are
outdoors, cover nose and mouth and seek indoor
shelter as soon as possible. - If you inside an undamaged building, stay there.
Close windows and doors and shut down ventilation
system. Exit when told that it is safe after
testing.
81Personally, What You Should Do! Radiological
Attack
- If an explosion occurs inside your building,
cover nose and mouth and evacuate as soon as
possible. - Decontaminate by removing clothing and showering.
- Relocate outside the contaminate zone.
- Obey public officials.
- This is the scenario of a dirty bomb.
82Personally, What You Should Do! Actual Nuclear
Attack
- Move out of the path of a nuclear fallout cloud
as quickly as possible (10 minutes or less) if
you are in the blast zone and can do so. Find
medical help ASAP.
83Reproduced with permission
Prepared by the Radiological Emergency Medical
Preparedness Management Subcommittee of the
National Health Physics Society Ad Hoc Committee
on Homeland Security. Jerrold T. Bushberg, PhD,
ChairKenneth L. Miller, MS Marcia Hartman, MS
Robert Derlet, MDVictoria Ritter, RN, MBA
Edwin M. Leidholdt, Jr., PhD ConsultantsFred
A. Mettler, Jr., MD Niel Wald, MD William E.
Dickerson, MD Appreciation to Linda Kroger, MS
who assisted in this effort.
84Other Resources
- Additional slides by permission Istvan Turai MD
PhD, International Atomic Energy Commission - CDC Video Medical Response to Nuclear and
Radiological Terrorism - REACT/
- REAC/TS (Oak Ridge Radiation Emergency Assistance
Center/Training Site) DOE/OROC (865) 576-1005
http//www.orau.gov/orise.htm
85Always Contact Local Public Health Department
- Tarrant County Public Health 1101 S. Main Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76104 - 817-321-4700
- Dallas County Department of Health Human
Services2377 N. Stemmons Freeway Dallas, Texas
75207-2710 - 214-819-2004.
86We will Always Remember
87Thank You for Coming Stevan Cordas DO
MPH www.drcordas.com