Right of Boom refers to impacts following a radiological/nuclear
explosion which is in the Medical and Health domain. An
improvised nuclear detonation (IND) is the highest impact
terrorism event. It also has the highest potential for saving
lives, hundreds of thousands of lives. Yet medical and health
preparedness activities rarely address radiological emergencies
and the unique attributes of radiological exposure and
contamination. Hospitals and local jurisdictions that plan for
medical surge of contaminated patients will save thousands of
lives without endangering their workforce or disrupting other
operations.
Materials including the
presentation, recording, and
Q & A document are now available from this ASPR TRACIE
webinar. The session focused on the impact of different
radiological incidents and planning strategies for each.
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.
The REAC/TS course brochure for FY2017 (October 2016 – September
2017) has been posted to the ORISE Website and
on-line registration is now available. These courses are held at
the REAC/TS Facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
REAC/TS is also available to conduct one or two day training
programs at your location. Please e-mail
(reacts@orau.org) or
call (865.576.3131) for additional information.
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
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.
This fact sheet was developed by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) and provides basic information about
Radiation and Potassium Iodide (KI).
