Radiation sickness

Radiation sickness

overview

Radiation sickness is damage to your body caused by a large dose of radiation, often taken over a short period of time (acute). The amount of radiation absorbed by the body - the absorbed dose - determines how sick you get.

Radiation sickness is also known as acute radiation syndrome or radiation poisoning. Radiation sickness is not caused by common imaging techniques that use low-dose radiation, such as: B. X-rays or CT scans.

Although radiation sickness is serious and often fatal, it is rare. Since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, during World War II, most cases of radiation sickness have occurred after nuclear industrial accidents, such as the 1986 explosion and fire that damaged the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Symptoms

The severity of the signs and symptoms of radiation sickness depends on how much radiation you have absorbed. How much you absorb depends on the strength of the energy radiated, the time of your exposure, and the distance between you and the radiation source.

Signs and symptoms are also influenced by the type of exposure – such as whole body or partial body exposure. The severity of radiation sickness also depends on how sensitive the affected tissue is. For example, the gastrointestinal system and bone marrow are very sensitive to radiation.

First signs and symptoms

The first signs and symptoms of treatable radiation sickness are usually nausea and vomiting. The time between exposure and the onset of these symptoms is an indication of how much radiation a person has absorbed.

After the initial set of signs and symptoms, a person with radiation sickness may have a short period of time without obvious illness, followed by the appearance of new, more serious symptoms.

If you have had mild exposure, it may take hours to weeks for signs and symptoms to appear. But with severe exposure, signs and symptoms can appear minutes to days after exposure.

Possible symptoms are:

• Übelkeit und Erbrechen
• Durchfall
• Kopfschmerzen
• Fieber
• Schwindel und Orientierungslosigkeit
• Schwäche und Müdigkeit
• Haarverlust
• Blutiges Erbrechen und Stuhl durch innere Blutungen
• Infektionen
• Niedriger Blutdruck

When to go to the doctor?

An accident or attack causing radiation sickness would undoubtedly generate a great deal of attention and public concern. If such an event occurs, monitor radio, television or online reports for emergency instructions for your area.

If you know you have been exposed to too much radiation, seek emergency medical attention.

Causes

Radiation is the energy released by atoms either as waves or as tiny particles of matter. Radiation sickness is caused by exposure to a high dose of radiation, such as: B. a high dose of radiation received during an industrial accident.

Sources of high-dose radiation

Possible sources of high-dose radiation are:

• Ein Unfall in einer nuklearen Industrieanlage
• Ein Angriff auf eine nukleare Industrieanlage
• Detonation eines kleinen radioaktiven Geräts
• Detonation eines konventionellen Sprengkörpers, der radioaktives Material verbreitet (schmutzige Bombe)
• Detonation einer Standard-Atomwaffe

Radiation sickness occurs when high-energy radiation damages or destroys certain cells in your body. Regions of the body most vulnerable to high-energy radiation include cells in the lining of your intestinal tract, including your stomach, and the blood cell-producing cells of the bone marrow.

Complications

Radiation sickness can contribute to both short-term and long-term mental health problems, such as: B. Grief, anxiety and fear of:

• Erleben eines radioaktiven Unfalls oder Angriffs
• Trauernde Freunde oder Familie, die nicht überlebt haben
• Umgang mit der Ungewissheit einer mysteriösen und potenziell tödlichen Krankheit
• Sorgen über das mögliche Krebsrisiko aufgrund der Strahlenbelastung

prevention

In the event of a radiation emergency, stay tuned to your radio or television to learn what protective measures local, state and federal authorities recommend. The recommended actions depend on the situation, but you are asked to either stay put or evacuate your area.

Protection in place

If you are advised to stay where you are, whether at home, at work or elsewhere, do the following:

• Schließen und verriegeln Sie alle Türen und Fenster.
• Schalten Sie Ventilatoren, Klimaanlagen und Heizungen aus, die Luft von außen hereinbringen.
• Kaminklappen schließen.
• Bringen Sie Haustiere ins Haus.
• Begeben Sie sich in einen Innenraum oder Keller.
• Bleiben Sie auf dem Laufenden über Ihr Notfallnetzwerk oder lokale Nachrichten.
• Bleiben Sie mindestens 24 Stunden liegen.

Evacuate

If you are advised to evacuate, follow the instructions of your local authorities. Try to stay calm and move quickly and orderly. Additionally, travel light but take supplies with you, including:

• Taschenlampe
• Tragbares Radio
• Batterien
• Erste-Hilfe-Kasten
• Notwendige Medikamente
• Versiegelte Lebensmittel wie Konserven und abgefülltes Wasser
• Manueller Dosenöffner
• Bargeld und Kreditkarten
• Zusätzliche Kleider

Please note that most emergency vehicles and animal shelters do not accept pets. Only take them with you if you are driving your own vehicle and going somewhere other than a shelter.

Sources:

1. Walls RM, et al., Hrsg. Strahlenschäden. In: Rosens Notfallmedizin: Konzepte und klinische Praxis. 9. Aufl. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Elsevier; 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Abgerufen am 22. August 2018.
2. Bersten AD, et al., Hrsg. Umgang mit chemischer, biologischer, radiologischer und nuklearer Exposition. In: Oh’s Intensive Care Manual. 8. Aufl. Elsevier; 2019. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Abgerufen am 29. Oktober 2020.
3. Strahlenbelastung und Kontamination. Merck Manual Professional-Version. https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/injuries-poisoning/radiation-exposure-and-contamination/radiation-exposure-and-contamination. Abgerufen am 15. August 2018.
4. Ciottone GR, Hrsg. Nukleare Detonation. In: Ciottones Katastrophenmedizin. 2. Aufl. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Elsevier; 2016. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Abgerufen am 22. August 2018.
5. Wingard JR, et al. Behandlung von Strahlenschäden bei Erwachsenen. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Abgerufen am 15.12.2018.
6. Häufig gestellte Fragen zu Strahlennotfällen. Zentren für die Kontrolle und Prävention von Krankheiten. https://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/emergencyfaq.asp. Abgerufen am 21. August 2018.
7. Was ist während eines Strahlennotfalls zu tun: Gehen Sie hinein. Zentren für die Kontrolle und Prävention von Krankheiten. https://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/getinside.asp. Abgerufen am 21. August 2018.
8. Holen Sie sich einen Bausatz. Zentren für die Kontrolle und Prävention von Krankheiten. https://www.cdc.gov/phpr/areyouprepared/kit.htm. Abgerufen am 21. August 2018.