Medical management of radiation accidents - manual on the acute radiation syndrome

Abstract

In the Nuclear Fission Safety Program (DG XII Science) of the European Atomic Energy Community, the Commission of the European Communities accepted and supported a Concerted Action called "Medical Treatment Protocols for Radiation Accident Victims as a Basis for a Computerized Guidance System", in short METREPOL (Contract number FI4PCT970067). The work of the Concerted Action started in December 1997. One of the main purposes of this interdisciplinary project was to develop a new approach in the medical management of radiation accidents with respect to diagnostic procedures and therapeutic options based on the recognition and evaluation of health impairments after acute radiation exposure. The work of the group is presented in the form of this manual on the acute radiation syndrome. The acute radiation syndrome (ARS) is very complex, because the interactions and combined effects of damage to different organ systems after radiation exposure are diverse and not yet fully understood. Furthermore, the clinical management of patients suffering from an ARS requires immediate and specialized care. In cases of accidental exposure to ionizing radiation, guidance for appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic procedures is therefore required. This manual is compiled to help assess in the shortest time possible the state and possible outcome of radiation accident victims. It specifies what has to be examined and what should be documented, and it provides a scientific basis for deciding the most appropriate therapeutic interventions.