Radiological / Nuclear

Radiation Emergencies - Information for Clinicians
Emergency services physicians and nurses will be among the first clinicians to see and treat victims of radiation emergencies. Clinicians of all specialties will be responsible for providing care and information to:

• Patients admitted to the hospital
• Patients presenting for follow-up care
• Concerned individuals
• Others with questions about health effects related to the emergency

• Visit the CDC Website for Radiation Emergency Response  

The federal Department of Health and Human Services has developed a new online diagnosis and treatment toolkit designed for health care providers, primarily physicians, who may have to provide medical care during a radiation incident.

The information includes easy-to-follow procedures for diagnosis and management of radiation contamination and exposure; guidance for using medical countermeasures; and a variety of other features to facilitate medical responses.

• Visit the Radiation Event Medical Management website

• Message from CHA

The following two FAQ documents are provided from California Department of Public Health:

• Frequently Asked Questions for Health Care Facilities - Radiation from Japan's Impact from Japan’s Nuclear Emergency

• Frequently Asked Questions - Radiation

RSNA - Radiological Society of North America

• Medical Response to a Major Radiological Emergencies - Radiological Journal

Department of Homeland Security

• Modeling Effects of a Nuclear Improvised Device
• Radiation Quick Reference Guide

NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

• NYC Hospital Guidance for Responding to a Contaminating Radiation Incident

Kaiser Permanente

• Questions and Aanswers about the Risk for Radiation Exposure

Hospital Disaster Management Training (HDMT)

• Radiological Incidents PowerPoint Presentation
• Using a Geiger Counter to detect radiation
• Geiger Counters and Dosimeters 

Health Physics Society (HPS)

• Environmental and Background Radiation - Frequently Asked Questions

Medical Emergency Response to Radiological Incidents

• Administration of Decorporation Drugs to Treat Internal Radionuclide Contamination

National Academies and the US Department of Homeland Security

• Radiological Attacks
• Nuclear Attacks

National Council on Radiation Protection & Measurements (NCRP)

• Responding to a Radiological or Nuclear Terrorism Incident 

The Radiation Injury Treatment Network (RITN)

• RITN Reference Library

Through the management of the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS), the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) positions the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as an international leader in emergency medical response to radiation incidents.

• Visit the Radiation Event Medical Management website

CDC has developed "Radiological Terrorism: A Tool Kit for Emergency Services" through audience research, significant gaps in knowledge and skills among clinicians regarding their ability to respond to a radiological emergency, particularly one related to terrorism and involving mass casualties. This is a critical need since clinicians in hospital emergency departments would serve as the first receivers of casualties, and other clinicians would present to the emergency department in order to assist. There are numerous issues related to disaster and mass casualty management that are unique to dealing with radiation exposure and contamination, and CDC understands the need to provide education and information to help clinicians better manage such an event.

The tool kit includes several items that may be useful for emergency services clinicians.

• "Radiological Terrorism: A Tool Kit for Emergency Services Clinicians" 

This fact sheet was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and provides basic information about Radiation and Potassium Iodide (KI).

Access CDC's fact sheet on Potassium Iodide (KI)