What is Radiation Syndrome?
Radiation refers to the movement or spread of energy through space or objects. This process can be broken down into two types: ionizing and non-ionizing. Radioactive materials emit ionizing radiation, which can be measured using a unit called sieverts. Being exposed to a lot of ionizing radiation for a long time can lead to a condition known as acute radiation syndrome.
The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements defines acute radiation syndrome as a general term for a range of signs and symptoms that could lead to death within a few hours to some months after exposure. These signs and symptoms show serious damage to particular organs in the body.
Effective care of acute radiation syndrome requires carefully coordinated planning at the governmental, local, and medical levels. This is to ensure the optimal treatment is provided while making the best use of limited resources.
What Causes Radiation Syndrome?
Acute radiation syndrome can happen if you’re directly exposed to or contaminated by radioactive materials. Direct exposure could come from something like a nuclear explosion, whereas contamination could come from consuming food or water tainted with nuclear materials, or if your skin directly contacts such materials.
Acute radiation syndrome can affect different groups of your body’s systems, like your body’s blood-forming system (hematopoietic), your digestive system (gastrointestinal), and your heart and brain (cardiac/neurological systems). These different systems each needed a different level of radiation exposure to start showing symptoms of acute radiation syndrome.
The symptoms from this syndrome don’t all show up at once, and are broken down into three stages: prodrome (initial), latent (quiet period), and manifest (obvious) phases. The amount of radiation you’ve been exposed to, when your symptoms start to show, and which system of your body is affected all depend on your specific situation.
Risk Factors and Frequency for Radiation Syndrome
Emergencies involving radiation or nuclear substances are uncommon, but when they happen, they can affect a large number of people. For example, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 resulted in nearly 6000 children getting thyroid cancer. This cancer was caused by the kids either breathing in or eating radioactive iodine from local contamination. When such an accident occurs, local health centers may find it hard to manage the number of people seeking to be screened and treated. Therefore, it’s necessary for areas with local nuclear power plants to have proper plans in place. Big cities also now have to take into consideration the potential risk of a dirty bomb.
Signs and Symptoms of Radiation Syndrome
If someone has been exposed to radiation (a condition known as acute radiation syndrome), it’s important first to find out as much about the patient’s situation as possible. Information about where it happened, the level of radiation exposure, and any injuries the person has will help medical professionals to determine the best course of treatment. Any instances of vomiting or nausea following exposure should be recorded as this is one of the earliest indicators. Next, a full physical check-up is required. Swabs taken from the mouth and nostrils can be tested for radiation. Document any burn marks or injuries from an explosion if present. It is necessary to check the patient for radiation following the guidelines established by your region. Lastly, any injuries from surgery or trauma should be prioritized based on their severity.
Testing for Radiation Syndrome
If you have been exposed to nuclear or radiation materials, it’s very important that you have some specific blood tests right away. These tests include a complete blood count (CBC), blood type, and testing your electrolyte levels. The CBC test measures different components of your blood, including the types and numbers of white blood cells, which help your body fight off infections. Your doctor will likely suggest repeating the CBC every 6 to 12 hours, so they can closely watch any changes in your white blood cells, especially if they start to decrease.
The speed at which the lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) decrease can tell your doctor a lot about how much radiation you might have been exposed to, as well as how your body is reacting to the exposure. So checking this repeatedly is a crucial part of monitoring your health after exposure to radiation.
Your doctor will also collect swabs from the surface of your mouth or nose to directly test for radiation. The swabs can then be sent to the right labs to check for any signs of radioactive materials.
It’s essential that all these tests are well-documented from the start, as this can help decide what treatment might be needed later on. Also, measurements of the level of radiation you have been exposed to should be taken both before and after any cleaning or decontamination procedures are done. This can help doctors understand how well the decontamination process worked and what next steps should be taken for your care.
Treatment Options for Radiation Syndrome
If a person has been exposed to contamination, it’s vital to protect others by removing and bathing them as soon as possible. In fact, just by taking off contaminated clothing, you can reduce the risk of exposure by 80%. It’s important to address any life-threatening injuries first, ensuring these are treated as quickly as possible, even if the person has been contaminated.
If someone has been exposed to radiation, it’s crucial to take them into surgery within the first 24 hours. This is because exposure to radiation can cause a significant drop in the person’s ability to fight off infections. Keeping the person hydrated, and treating signs of infection as early as possible, can greatly improve their chances of recovery.
A key focus should be on preventing thyroid cancer. To do this, children and pregnant women would be offered potassium iodide. This medication protects the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine, which can lead to cancer. If the mother is still breastfeeding, it’s often advised she stops if she can.
Potassium iodide is especially important if a nuclear power plant accident has occurred. The use of anti-nausea medications can help manage nausea symptoms that often come with radiation exposure. Pain management, especially for burns and other injuries, should also be a priority.
Some exposure cases may require the use of cytokines and colony-stimulating factors. These medications help with moderate exposure cases. Early use of antibiotics can also be helpful.
In larger exposure cases, using a bone marrow transplant has been considered but remains a contentious issue. Additionally, chelating agents, which are substances that bind to and remove certain metals or minerals from the body, may be used but would require consultation with a nuclear specialist.
It’s also critical not to overlook the psychological impact of radiation exposure. This kind of trauma can be more intense in children due to them being uprooted from their homes and routines.
What else can Radiation Syndrome be?
When a person has been exposed to radiation, there are numerous health issues that doctors may need to consider as part of their diagnosis. Here are some of the medical problems that could be caused by radiation:
- Acute gastric dilation (rapid swelling of the stomach)
- Acetaminophen toxicity (harmful effects from taking too much acetaminophen)
- Adrenal insufficiency (when your adrenal glands don’t produce enough hormones)
- Appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix)
- Aspirin toxicity (harmful effects from consuming too much aspirin)
- Central nervous system tumor (brain or spinal cord tumor)
- Digoxin toxicity (dangerous levels of the heart medication digoxin)
- Elevated intracranial pressure (increased pressure inside the skull)
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
- Peritonitis (inflammation of the lining of the abdomen)
