Radiation Syndrome

Not only is TCDO a potent therapeutic agent in acute radiation syndrome, but treatment using TCDO from days 4—11 after TBI increases the survival rate in rats for up to one year, protects against the development of late GI ulcers, and also reduces the development of y-ray-induced leukemias and malignant epitheHal tumors, but not sarcomas (202). The anticarcinogenic effect of TCDO maybe related to the inhibition of PGs, which promote carcinogenesis, or to immunostimulation, which may result in a more effective elimination of malignant cells. 

Acute Radiation Syndrome—The symptoms which taken together characterize a person suffering from the effects of intense radiation. The effects occur within hours or days. 

Specific health effects resulting from an acute dose appear only after the victim exceeds a dose threshold. That is, the health effect will not occur if doses are below the threshold. (Note that this is significantly different from the LNT model used to predict stochastic effects.) After reaching the acute dose threshold, a receptor can experience symptoms of radiation sickness, also called acute radiation syndrome. As shown in Table 3.2, the severity of the symptoms increases with dose, ranging from mild nausea starting around 25-35 rad (0.25-0.35 Gy) to death at doses that reach 300-400 rad (3-4 Gy). Table 3.2 shows that the range of health effects varies by both total dose and time after exposure. 

It is also unlikely that the doses associated with a dirty bomb will produce even the milder acute effects. Although the observation of acute radiation syndrome may be unlikely after a dirty bomb explosion, doses should be kept ALARA to limit the potential for acute and stochastic effects. The entire range of acute radiation syndrome effects will be observed after an attack with a nuclear weapon, as described in Chapter 5. 

As mentioned earlier, the stoppage of fast electrons generates x-rays, which are hazardous to human health. X-rays cause cell damage that can lead to cancer formation or genetic mutations. Even at low dosage, x-ray exposure can cause skin burning and general radiation syndrome. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (March 18, 2005). Acute radiation syndrome A fact sheet for physicians. Retrieved March 11, 2007 from http //www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation... 

Waselenko, J., MacVittie, T, Blakely, W, Pesik, N., Wiley, A., Dickerson, et al. (2004). Medical management of the acute radiation syndrome Recommendations of the Strategic... 

Total or partial whole-body exposure with early prodromal syndrome. Acute radiation syndrome with severity depending on dose. Treatment as noted earlier, possible specialized care. Full blood count and LILA typing prior to transfer to specialized center. 

Clinically observed effects The number of people who suffered clinically observed health effects individually attributable to radiation exposure due to the Chernobyl accident was relatively modest, given the accident s dimensions. A total of 237 persons, all of them workers dealing with the accident, were suspected of suffering clinical syndromes of radiation exposure and were hospitalized, and 134 of them were diagnosed with acute radiation syndrome. Of these, 28 died of the consequences of radiation injuries (three other persons died at the time of the accident two due to non-radiation blast injuries and one due to a coronary thrombosis). Some years after the accident, 14 additional persons in this group died however, their deaths were found to be not necessarily attributable to radiation exposure. 

One hundred and thirty-four cases of acute radiation syndrome (ARS)... 

Depending on the dose, dose rate and route of exposure, radiation can cause Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS), cutaneous injury and scarring, chorioretinal damage (due to exposure to infrared energy), and increased long term risk for cancer, cataract formation (especially due to neutron irradiation), infertility and fetal abnormalities, such as growth retardation, fetal malformations, increased teratogen-esis and fetal death (2). 

Of the remaining metalloids, germanium is a semiconductor which is used extensively in fibre optics. Polonium was discovered by Pierre and Marie Curie, and named after her native land, which at that time did not exist as an independent country (it was under Russian, Prussian, and Austrian partition). We have already referred earlier to the murder of Alexander Litvinenko by lethal polonium-210-induced acute radiation syndrome. 

Also in Chapter 1 we briefly mentioned the case of poisoning of the Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko. Litvinenko, a former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service, FSB and KGB, escaped prosecution in Russia and received political asylum in the United Kingdom. He suddenly fell ill in London on the 1 November 2006, was hospitalised, and died three weeks later, becoming the first confirmed victim of lethal polonium-210-induced acute radiation syndrome. Traces of the polonium-210 were subsequently discovered at various locations in London visited by Mr Litvinenko as well as in Russia and on two British Airways flights. 

Dog (Beagle) 2-22 min once Gastro 47 [LTRB] (anorexia, bloody diarrhea from acute radiation syndrome) Gillett et al. 1987a SrClj... 

Radioactive Strontium. Profound hematological effects were observed in beagle dogs that were exposed once by inhalation to either soluble aerosols containing 90SrCl2, or 90Sr fused to aluminosilicate particles that produced extremely large radiation dose rates and doses in the affected tissues sufficient to induce acute radiation syndrome. 

Large doses of radiation, at the level of several hundred rems, may cause serious injury if received in a short time period (days or hours). This condition is called acute radiation syndrome. Much larger doses can cause death. Doses between the large doses and small doses increase the risk of cancer. 

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