TRANSCRIPT

Medical Response to Nuclear and Radiological Terrorism

February 10, 2004

 

 

 

>> USE OF TRADE NAMES FOR

COMMERCIAL SOURCES ARE FOR

INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND

DOES NOT CONSTITUTE

ABENDORSEMENT BY THE PUBLIC

HEALTH SERVICE OR THE UNITED

STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES.

VIEWS EXPRESSED BY GUEST

PARTICIPANTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY

THE VIEWS OF THE CDC.

CME, CNE, CEU AND CECH

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT IS

AVAILABLE FOR THIS ACTIVITY

BASED ON ONE HOUR OF

INSTRUCTION.

CDC AND OUR SPEAKERS WISH TO

DISCLOSE THEY HAVE NO FINANCIAL

INTERESTS OR OTHER RELATIONSHIPS

WITH THE MANUFACTURE OF

COMMERCIAL PRODUCT, PROVIDERS OF

COMMERCIAL SERVICES OR

COMMERCIAL SUPPORTERS.

PRESENTATIONS WILL NOT INCLUDE

ANY DISCUSSION OF THE UNLABELED

USE OF COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS OR

PRODUCTS FOR INVESTIGATIONAL USE

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NEUPOGEN

AND OTHER ACUTE RADIATION

SYNDROME DRUGS WHICH ARE IMD

APPROVED BUT NOT FDA APPROVED.

\M\M

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>>> HELLO I'M DR. JULIE

GERBERDING, DIRECTOR FOR THE

CENTERS FOR DISEASE and CONTROL

AND PREVENTION.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME FOR

VIEWING THIS BROADCAST.

WE ALL KNOW NOW THE EVENTS OF

SEPTEMBER 11th 2001 STUNNED AND

SHOCKED OUR NATION.

THOSE EVENTS FOREVER CHANGED OUR

WORLD AND WE NOW LIVE IN A TIME

WHEN TERRORISTS MIGHT USE ANY

MEANS TO TRY TO CAUSE HARM TO

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WHETHER

IT'S FLYING A PLANE INTO THE

BUILDING, LACING LETTERS WITH

ANTHRAX OR MOST RECENTLY WITH

RICIN.

WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH THE

CHALLENGE OF PREPARING FOR WHAT

SEEMED JUST A FEW YEARS AGO AS

INCOMPREHENSIBLE, A RADIOLOGIC

ATTACK.

SUCH AN ATTACK COULD BE

DEVASTATING.

NO ONE CAN PREDICT THE

LIKELIHOOD OF A RADIOLOGIC

ATTACK, BUT OUR COUNTRY MUST BE

PREPARED FOR THAT POSSIBILITY.

CDC ASKED FOR YOUR INPUT AND YOU

HAVE VOICED THE NEED FOR

RADIATION.

INCLUDING THE HEALTH EFFECTS

ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE,

DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURE AND

TREATMENTS FOR IMPORTANCE

EXPOSED TO RADIATION.

OVER THE NEXT HOUR YOU'LL BE

HEARING FROM EXPERTS WHO WILL

ADDRESS ALL OF THESE TOPICS.

AS A CLINICIAN I CAN FULLY

APPRECIATE THE DIFFICULTIES WE

FACE IN RESPONDING TO TERRORISM.

I HOPE THIS COURSE WILL HELP

MEET YOUR NEEDS.

CDC WILL DEVELOP OTHER MATERIALS

AS NEW INFORMATION E MERGE.

PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT WILL BE

MOST USEFUL AS WE TAKE THE

NECESSARY STEPS TO PREPAREDNESS.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR INPUT AND

ALL YOUR HARD WORK.

>> HELLO, I'M KYSA DANIELS.

WELCOME TO "MEDICAL RESPONSE TO

NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL

TERRORISM."

WE ARE COMING TO YOU LIVE

CONTROL AND PREVENTION IN

ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO

PROVIDE INFORMATION ON

RADIATION,

THE MANAGEMENT OF RADIOLOGICAL

INJURIES,

AND RADIATION PROTECTION FOR

CLINICIANS.

UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF

THE PROGRAM, PARTICIPANTS WILL

BE ABLE TO

NUMBER ONE,

DISTINGUISH BETWEEN

RADIATION EXPOSURE AND

CONTAMINATION, RECOGNIZE THE

SIGNS AND

SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE RADIATION SYND

RECOGNIZE THE SYMPTOMS OF

CUTANEOUS RADIATION SYNDROMES

AND HOW TO

DECONTAMINATE A PATIENT.

IF YOU ARE HAVING TECHNICAL

PROBLEMS RECEIVING OUR SIGNAL,

YOU CAN CALL US HERE AT CDC AT

(800)728-8232.

THE TTY NUMBER FOR THIS

BROADCAST IS (800)815-8152.

DURING TODAY'S PROGRAM, WE WILL

HAVE A PHONE-IN QUESTION AND

ANSWER SESSION.

FOR VOICE

CALLS, THE NUMBER IS

(800)793-8598.

YOU CAN ALSO FAX YOUR QUESTION

OR COMMENT TO US AT

(800)553-6323.

AND FINALLY, OUR TTY NUMBER FOR

QUESTIONS IS ALSO (800)815-8152.

WE WILL ANSWER AS MANY

QUESTIONS AS WE CAN ON-AIR.

IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL

QUESTIONS AFTER THE BROADCAST,

YOU CAN EMAIL THEM TO

RSB@CDC.GOV.

PLEASE INDICATE "MEDICAL

RESPONSE TO NUCLEAR AND

RADIOLOGICAL TERRORISM" IN THE

SUBJECT LINE.

YOU CAN CHECK FOR ANSWERS TO

YOUR E-MAILED QUESTIONS AT THE

CDC EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND

RESPONSE RADIATION EMERGENCIES

WEBSITE -- WWW.BT.CDC.GOV/RADIAT

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT

WILL BE OFFERED FOR A VARIETY

OF PROFESSIONS, BASED ON ONE HOU

OF INSTRUCTION.

A CERTIFICATE

OF CREDIT OR A CERTIFICATE OF

ATTENDANCE WILL BE AWARDED TO

PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETE THE

EVALUATION.

THAT CONTINUING EDUCATION

WEBSITE IS

WWW.PHPPO.CDC.GOV/PHTNONLINE.

I WILL GIVE YOU MORE

REGISTRATION INFORMATION LATER

IN THE BROADCAST.

OUR SPEAKERS WISH TO DISCLOSE

ARE FIRST DR. JANE SMITH, HE IS

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR RADIATION

AND THE DIVISION OF

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS AND HEALTH

EFFECTS NATIONAL CENTER FOR

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HERE AT

CDC.

ALSO DR. FUN FONG WHO IS AN

EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN IN ATLANTA

AND HE'S ALSO THE FORMER

DIRECTOR OF RADIATION MEDICINE

AT THE MEDICAL SCIENCES DIVISION

OF OAK RIDGE ASSOCIATED

UNIVERSITIES.

DR. FONG ALSO IS AUTHOR OF

SEVERAL TEXTBOOK CHAPTERS ON

RADIATION AND NUCLEAR ACCIDENT

MANAGEMENT AND CURRENTLY SERVES

AS THE SENIOR MEDICAL OFFICER OF

THE GEORGIA 3 DISASTER MEDICAL

TEAM.

THANK YOU TO YOU, DR. SMITH AND

DR. FONG, WE APPRECIATE YOU

BEING WITH US TODAY.

DR. SMITH, WE WILL START WITH

YOU FIRST.

GIVE US POSSIBLE RADIOLOGICAL

SCENARIOS WHERE THESE INCIDENTS

COULD RESULT IN EITHER RADIATION

EXPOSURE OR CONTAMINATION.

>> I'D BE HAPPY TO, KYSA PPI IT

WOULD BE MY PLEASURE TO GO OVER

SOME OF THESE ISSUES WITH YOU AS

DR. GERBERDING SAID,

UNFORTUNATELY, TERRORISM IS A

VERY REAL THREAT TO THE U.S. IN

THE 21st CENTURY.

IT'S POSSIBLE THAT RADIATION

COULD BE USED AS AN AGENT OF

HARM AND TO TERRORIZE

COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLE.

SOME OF THESE POTENTIAL

SCENARIOS ARE IN OUR FIRST

GRAPHIC.

FIRST, WE TAKE THE SITUATION OF

A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, THERE

THERE COULD BE A DIRECT ATTACK

OR SOME TYPE OF SABOTAGE ON A

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT WHICH COULD

RESULT AND RELEASE SOME

RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL OFFSITE

FROM THE POWER PLANT AND PRODUCE

SIGNIFICANT RADIATION EXPOSURE

TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE OFF-SITE.

THERE COULD BE A HIDDEN SOURCE

OF RADIATION THAT IS A SOURCE OF

RADIATION STOLEN FROM AN

INDUSTRIAL FACILITY, FOR EXAMPLE

OR A MEDICAL FACILITY.

IT COULD BE HIDDEN IN A PUBLIC

PLACE LIKE A PARK, A CITY PARK

AND EXPOSE PEOPLE WITHOUT THEIR

KNOWLEDGE.

IT COULD EVEN GIVE POTENTIALLY

LETHAL DOSES OF RADIATION TO

PEOPLE.

A DIRTY BOMB HAS RECEIVED LOT OF

PRESS LATELY.

A DIRTY BOMB, OF COURSE, THE

CONVENTIONAL TYPE OF BOMB OR

EXPLOSIVE DEVICE THAT IS LACED

WITH OR CONTAINS RADIOACTIVE

SUBSTANCE, THEN WHEN THE BOMB

WERE TO GO OFF IT WOULD SPREAD

THE RADIO ACTIVE SUBSTANCE OVER

A LARGE AREA, PERHAPS SEVERAL

CITY BLOCKS DEPENDING ON THE

SIZE OF THE BLAST.

THIS WOULD NOT ONLY KILL AND

INJURE PEOPLE, BUT IT WOULD

RADIATE VICTIMS OR EXPOSE PEOPLE

LIKE FIRST RESPONDERS AND IT

WOULD CONTINUE TO EXPOSE PEOPLE

IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE

EXPLOSION.

THE LAST COUPLE OF SCENARIOS

HERE PERHAPS MAY BE HIGHLY

UNLIKELY BUT THEIR CONSEQUENCES

WOULD BE SO DEVASTATING THAT

IT'S JUST SIMPLY PRUDENT OF US

IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY AND IN

PUBLIC HEALTH TO TAKE THEM IN

CONSIDERATION AS WE PLAN.

FIRST WOULD BE AN IMPROVISED

NUCLEAR DEVICE.

THIS WOULD BE A DEVICE THAT

PERHAPS A TERRORIST GROUP WITH

KNOWLEDGE OF NUCLEAR WEAPON

DESIGN, ACCESS TO SPECIAL

NUCLEAR MATERIAL COULD ASSEMBLE.

IT WOULD BE, IF SUCCESSFULLY

DETONATED, IT WOULD BE AN ACTUAL

NUCLEAR BLAST SIMM SIMILAR TO

HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI.

AND OF COURSE, WE STILL HAVE

NUCLEAR WEAPONS THROUGHOUT THE

WORLD TODAY AND WE CAN'T RULE

OUT THE USE OF A POSSIBILITY OF

USE OF ONE OF THOSE.

IN OUR NEXT GRAPHIC WE SHOW A

PICTURE HERE OF -- THIS IS

SEVERAL YEARS OLD.

IT SHOWS THE CHAIR OF THE HOUSE

SUBCOMMITTEE RESEARCH AND

DEVELOPMENT AND HE'S ACTUALLY

SHOWING A HYPOTHETICAL SUITCASE

BOMB.

THIS WAS A NUCLEAR DEVICE SMALL

ENOUGH TO FIT IN A SUITCASE AND

THE CHAIRMAN MADE THE COMMENT

BEFORE THE HEARING THAT THIS

DEVICE WOULD HAVE THE NUCLEAR

YIELD, ABOUT 1/10 OF THAT OF THE

HIROSHIMA BOMB.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RADIATION,

WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS

ESSENTIALLY ENERGY THAT'S

TRANSPORTED IN THE FORM OF

PARTICLES OR WAVES.

WHEN WE AND I ALSO WANT YOU TO

KEEP IN MIND THAT THE TYPE OF

RADIATION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

HERE, IS NUCLEAR IONIZING

RADIATION.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT

MICROWAVES OR RADIATION FROM

CELL PHONE TOWERS OR ANY OF

THIS.

KEEP THIS IN MIND THROUGHOUT THE

ENTIRE BROADCAST AND WE'RE

TALKING ABOUT IONIZING RADIATION

AND WE CLASSIFY THIS RADIATION

BY DIFFERENT TYPES, DEPENDING

UPON ITS PENETRATION ABILITY.

FOR EXAMPLE, ALPHA PARTICLES.

THEY CAN BE STOPPED VERY EASILY,

NOT PENETRATING AT ALL.

ACTUALLY A DEAD LAYER OF SKIN

WOULD STOP ALPHA PARTICLES.

THEY ARE HARMFUL, IF -- HOWEVER,

THEY ARE BROUGHT INTO THE BODY,

SAY BY WAY OF INHALATION.

AND THEN BETA PARTICLES ARE MORE

PENETRATING, LORE ENERGY BETA

PARTICLES MIGHT BE STOPPED BY A

THICK LAYER OF CLOTHE.

THEY WOULD REQUIRE A SUBSTANCE

OF PLASTIC, AN INCH OR SO OF

THAT.

WITH BETA PARTIC ELSE GETTING ON

THE SKIN THERE COULD BE SEVERE

SKIN DAMAGE IF THEY WERE THERE,

IF THE MATERIAL CONTAINING THE

EMITTING DATA PARTICLES WERE ON

THE SKIN FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD

OF TIME.

GAMMA RAYS AND NEUTRONS

REPRESENT VERY PENETRATING TYPES

OF RADIATION.

THEY MIGHT REQUIRE UP TO A FEW

FEET OF CONCRETE IN ORDER TO

STOP.

ONE POINT I WANT TO MAKE ABOUT

THE -- ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT

TYPES OF RADIATION IS THAT THEY

ACTUALLY OCCUR NATURALLY IN THE

ENVIRONMENT SO WE'RE BEING

EXPOSED TO VERY LOW LEVELS OF

THAT TYPE OF RADIATION

CONSTANTLY.

HOWEVER, WE CAN DO DETECT THE

RAID YAGDS, WHETHER IT'S THE LOW

LEVEL ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND

OR IF IT'S HIGHER LEVELS LIKE WE

MIGHT HAVE IN AN EVENT.

OF COURSE, DETECTING THIS TYPE

OF RADIATION REQUIRES

APPROPRIATE INSTRUMENTATION,

DEMONSTRATED HERE ARE SOME

SURVEY METERS THAT COULD BE USED

FOR THAT.

THEY ARE LIGHTWEIGHT.

THEY'RE RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE

AND EASY TO USE IF YOU HAVE THE

PROPER TRAINING.

NOW, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IN THE

NEXT FEW GRAPHICS SOME TERMS

THAT YOU WILL HEAR FREQUENTLY

THIS AFTERNOON.

THEY ARE BASIC CONCEPTS DEALING

WITH RADIATION, BUT SOMETIMES

THEY ARE CONFUSED SO I WANT TO

MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO UNDERSTAND

THEM.

AS WE SAID BEFORE, RADIATION

REPRESENTS THE TRANSPORT OF THE

ENERGY.

ALPHABETTA, GAMMA, NEWT RORNGS

ET CETERA.

A RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL IS A

SUBSTANCE THAT CONTAINS ATOMS

THAT EMIT RADIATION

SPONTANEOUSLY.

WHEN WE LOOK AT EXPOSURE TO RAID

YAGDS, WHAT WE ARE SPEAK OF IS A

RADIATION OF THE BODY.

THAT IS THE BODY'S BEEN EXPOSED

TO A SOURCE OF RADIATION.

THE ENERGY FROM THAT RADIATION

CAN BE ABSORBBED BY THE BODY.

THIS LEADS TO AN ABSORBBED DOSE

WHICH IS MEASURED IN UNITS SUCH

AS GRAY OR RED.

FOR HIGH ABSORBBED DOSES ONE CAN

GET SEVERE EFFECTS AND MOST OF

THE FOCUS THIS ARV WILL BE ON

THESE ACUTE EFFECTS THAT WE GET

FROM HIGH LEVELS OF ABSORBBED

DOSE.

NOW, CONTRAST EXPOSURE WITH

CONTAMINATION.

CONTAMINATION REFERS TO

RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL THAT MIGHT

BE ON SOMEONE, THE PATIENT, FOR

EXAMPLE.

IT MIGHT OB THEIR CLOTHING.

IT MIGHT OB THEIR SKIN.

WE REFER TO THAT AS EXTERNAL

CONTAMINATION.

OR IT CAN BE WITHIN THE PATIENT

IN WHICH CASE IT WOULD BE

INTERNAL CONTAMINATION.

IT MIGHT GET INSIDE THE PATIENT,

FOR EXAMPLE, BY INHALATION.

IT MIGHT GET THERE BY EATING OR

DRINKING A SUBSTANCE OR IT COULD

GET THERE THROUGH A WOUND AND

THE RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION

COULD BE DELIVERED BY THE DRUG

BLOODSTREAM THROUGHOUT THE BODY.

IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF GRAPHICS

WE'LL DEMONSTRATE WHAT WE MEAN

HERE.

HERE'S A SOURCE OF RADIATION.

LET'S SAY THIS IS A VERY

PENETRATING GAMMA RADIATION AND

YOU CAN SEE BY THE SQUIGGLY

ARROWS THERE.

THE PERSON IS BEING EXPOSED FROM

THIS RADIATION SOURCE BUT THIS

RADIATION SOURCE ALSO HAS

RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL IN IT.

NOW WE SEE THE PARTICLES THAT

ARE COMING OUT.

THAT MIGHT GET INTO THE AIR.

OFTEN RADIO ACTIVE MATERIAL CAN

BE ATTACHED TO DUST PARTICLES IN

THE AIR, FOR EXAMPLE.

SO NOW THE PERSON IS BEING BOTH,

EXPOSED BY THE SOURCE, BUT ALSO

BEING CONTAMINATED BY THE

RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL.

SO YOU SEE THERE'S A DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN BEING JUST EXPOSED AND

BEING CONTAMINATED.

ONE CAN BE EXPOSED WITHOUT BEING

CONTAMINATED.

IF ONE IS CONTAMINATED AND THIS

SHOWS A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN

CONTAMINATED BY RADIOACTIVE

SUBSTANCE.

THE RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCE WITH

BE ALPHA, BETA, EMITTING PARTIC

ELSE, FOR EXAMPLE.

IT CAN BE EASILY WASHED OFF,

THIS CONTAMINATION.

DR. FONG WILL TALK MORE ABOUT

THAT LATER.

HAD YOU EVER, EACH AFTER BEING

WASHED OFF THE PERSON CAN STILL

HAVE INTERNAL CONTAMINATION

WITHIN HIM.

THIS PERSON, FOR EXAMPLE HAS

INHALED A LARGE AMOUNT OF

MATERIAL LIKE DUST OR DEBRIS

THAT WAS RADIOACTIVE, HAD

RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL IN IT AND

THIS HAS GOTTEN INSIDE HIS

LUNGS.

SO THIS, OBVIOUSLY, CANNOT BE

WASHED OFF, BUT IT'S SOMETHING

THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO

CONSIDERATION AS WE MANAGE

PATIENTS WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED

TO AND CONTAMINATED WITH RAID YO

YATION, RADIO ACTIVE MATERIAL.

ONE IMPORTANT POINT I'D LIKE TO

MAKE WITH SERVE THAT THE

IMPORTANCE OF WORKING WITH

PARTNERS WHO ARE RADIATION

EXPERTS, BOTH AS WE PREPARE FOR

RADIATION EMERGENCIES AND IF AN

EVENT HAPPENS ITSELF, THESE

RADIATION EXPERTS ARE INVAL

AUBLE IN WORKING WITH THE

MEDICAL COMMUNITY.

RADIATION SAFETY OFFICERS IN

YOUR LOCAL FACILITY OR AT AYE

YOUR NEARBY FACILITY LIKE AN

ACADEMIC CENTER COULD BE

AVAILABLE.

THEY HAVE SOME MINIMUM LEVEL OF

TRAINING AND OFTEN THEY ARE

HEALTH PHYSICISTS OR MEDICAL

PHYSICISTS THEMSELVES.

HEALTH PHYSICISTS AND MEDICAL

PHYSICISTS IN A LARGE

METROPOLITAN AREA ARE USUALLY

AVAILABLE.

IF YOU LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE YOU

MAY NOT KNOW OF ANY MEDICAL

PHYSICISTS THAT YOU MIGHT

PARTNER WITH, WE WOULD RECOMMEND

ONE OF OUR PARTNERS THE

CONFERENCE OF RADIATION CONTROL

DIRECTORS.

THIS IS A NON-PROFIT

ORGANIZATION OF SPECIALISTS AND

RADIATION PROTECTION.

THEY WORK IN STATE AND LOCAL

GOVERNMENTS, FOR THE MOST PART,

AND THEIR WEBSITE, WHICH WE HAVE

THERE, WWW.CRCPD.ORG PROVIDES

CONTACTS SO THAT YOU CAN FIND

OUT MORE ABOUT WHERE TO GET HELP

P. SOME OF THE THINGS THESE

EXPERTS CAN HELP YOU WITH IS

DETERMINING AND DOCUMENTING THE

PRESENCE OF RADIOACTIVE ACTIVITY

ACTIVITY LEVELS AND RADIATION

DOSE, COLLECTING SAMPLES TO

DOCUMENT CONTAMINATION,

ASSISTING IN DECONTAMINATION

PROCEDURE, PROVIDING ADVICE AND

COUNSEL ON THAT IN PARTICULAR

AND HELPING OUT WITH PROVIDING

COUNSEL AND GUIDANCE ON THE

DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE.

THIS HAS BEEN A VERY QUICK

OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE BASIC

CONTENTS -- CONCEPTS OF

RADIATION WHICH DR. FONG WILL

USE IN HIS MORE E TENSIVE TALK

THAT FOLLOWS, THE LAST FEW

GRAPHICS AT END OF THE BROADCAST

WILL PROVIDE A NOON NUMBER OF

WEBSITES FOR OUR VIEWERS TO

LEARN MORE IN-DEPTH ABOUT

RADIATION FUNDAMENTALS WHICH

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TOUCH ON

HERE.

>> IT WAS COMPREHENSIVE ON

EXPOSURE AND CONTAMINATION.

>> THANK YOU, DR. SMITH.

NEXT, DR. FONG WILL BE

DISCUSSING THE CLINICAL ASPECTS

OF RADIOLOGICAL INCIDENTS.

DR. FONG.

>> THANK YOU, KYSA.

THIS WILL BE THE BRIEFEST OF

INTRODUCTIONS, FOR THE AUDIENCE

IT WILL GIVE PEOPLE A REAL

UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE

GETTING AT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT

RADIATION FOR INSTANCE, WITH

REGARD TO, IN PARTICULAR,

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.

I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS FIRST

OF ALL, NUMBER ONE, HOW DO WE

PROTECT THE PATIENTS AND STAFF

FROM RADIATION.

HOW DO WE DEAL WITH INITIAL

MANAGEMENT OF THE PATIENT?

TALK ABOUT ACUTE RADIATION

SYNDROME.

TALK ABOUT EXTERNAL AND LOCAL

EFFECTS OF RADIATION AND TALK

ABOUT INTERNAL CONTAMINATION AND

HOPEFULLY THAT WILL GIVE THE

AUDIENCE A FAIR IDEA OF WHAT I

WILL BE TALKING ABOUT.

IF I CAN HAVE THE FIRST GRAPHIC.

WHAT TYPE OF INJURE REESE ARE WE

TALKING ABOUT WITH RADIOLOGICAL

INCIDENTS.

WE'RE THE SYSTEMIC EFFECTS OF

RADIATION.

WE CAN HAVE LOCALIZED RADIATION

INJURIES ALSO KNOWN AS THE

CUTANEOUS RADIATION SYNDROME.

IT CAN HAVE EXTERNAL AND

INTERNAL CONTAMINATION AND

COMBINED INJURIES THAT IS A

RADIATION INJURY COMBINED WITH

TRAUMA OR BURNS WHICH ARE MORE

CONVENTIONAL INJURIES AND WE CAN

ALSO HAVE FETAL EFFECT WHICH IS

COULD OCCUR WITH RADIOLOGICAL

INCIDENTS.

WE SHOULD MENTION HERE ALONG

WITH BASIC DISASTER MEDICINE

PRINCIPLES THAT AS THESE EVENTS

MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELATED TO

TRUE DISASTER EVENTS, THAT THERE

IS PROBABLY SOME CLOSE LINKAGE,

PERHAPS, AND THERE WILL BE A

SIGNIFICANT PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT

PARTICULARLY IF THERE WERE A

TERRORIST SITUATION.

ALSO WITH DISASTER SITUATIONS,

THERE WILL BE A VICTIM AND

HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS THAT

CAN BE UNDER TREMENDOUS

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS.

WE HAVE REPORTS COMMONLY OF

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

AND THIS SHOULD BE OBSERVED AND

NOTED AND PLANNERS SHOULD BE

AWARE OF THIS.

AND THIS TYPE OF EVENT W

POTENTIAL WMD EVENT, THE COMMON

LINKAGE IS THAT THERE MAY BE

LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE

CONCERNED WITH THEIR HEALTH

WITHOUT ANY APPARENT INJURIES

AND THAT MAY BE A VERY

SIGNIFICANT PART OF WHAT MEDICAL

PERSONNEL WILL HAVE TO DEAL

WITH.

ALSO ANOTHER ISSUE IS EXPOSURE

OF RADIATION IN THE CASE OF

PREGNANCY.

AND FOR THAT, WE HAVE MORE

INFORMATION AT THE CDC WEBSITE

THAT YOU SEE BELOW.

HOW SHOULD WE TALK ABOUT DEALING

WITH RADIATION PRINCIPLES WITH

CLINICAL STAFF?

WE SHOULD GO BACK TO THE

PRINCIPLES THAT RADIATION

WORKERS HAVE USED AND THAT IS

TIME, DISTANCE AND SHIELDING.

MEDICAL PERSONNEL CAN USE AND

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FIRST, TWO

TIME AND DISTANCE.

WE CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME

THAT WE WORK WITH CONTAMINATED

PATIENTS AND INCREASE THE

DISTANCE WHENEVER ALLOWABLE TO

DEAL WITH CONTAMINATED PATIENTS.

THE SHIELDING ASPECT IS A LITTLE

BIT DIFFERENT HERE.

GAMMA RADIATION IS MORE

PENETRATING THAN THAT OF OUR

COMMON X-RAY RADIATION WHICH WE

MEDICAL PERSONNEL WORK WITH ALL

OF THE TIME AND AS SUCH THE LEAD

APRONS AND LEAD SHIELDING THAT

WE NORMALLY USE, IS NOT THOUGHT

TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE IN THE CASE

OF RADIATION RESPONSE.

THEREFORE, SHIELDING IS NOT OF

MUCH SIGNIFICANT USE.

HOWEVER, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE

EQUIPMENT IS VERY USEFUL AND TO

RELIEF MEDICAL PERSONNEL'S MINDS

IT CAN BE SIMPLY THOUGHT OF AS

USING THE SAME GEAR THAT YOU

WOULD BE USING FOR A TRAUMA

RESPONSE.

THAT IS, BODY FLUID ISOLATION,

BARRIER PROTECTIONS AND IF

PARTICULARS ARE CONCERNED, ONE

CAN USE IN 95 MATH.

ADDITIONALLY, THE THIRD FEATURE

THAT WE SHOULD USE IN THE

MEDICAL PERSONNEL ARMAMENT IS

CONTAMINATION CONTROL.

AND WE SHOULD SHOW AN EXAMPLE OF

BASIC, BASIC CONTAMINATION

CONTROL THAT ONE -- THAT HEALTH

CARE PERSONNEL CAN FOLLOW.

SO ONCE AGAIN, USE STANDARD

PRECAUTIONS.

YOU WANT TO USE THE STANDARD

TRAUMA GEAR, WATERPROOF

PROTECTION, TRAUMA APE RONCE ARE

ACCEPTABLE.

SURGICAL CARPS VERY PERMISSIBLE.

FACE SHIELDS ARE VERY ADEQUATE

HERE IN THIS CASE AND IN 95,

IT'S PREFERRED.

IT'S AVAILABLE.

WE WANT TO SERVE A HAND AND

CLOTHING FREQUENTLY.

WE TOP OF THE PLACE CONTAMINATED

GLOVES OR CLOTHING AS THEY GET

CONTAMINATED IF TIME ALLOWS AND

ALSO IF TIME ALLOWS IT'S A GOOD

IDEA TO KEEP THE WORK AREA FREE

OF CONTAMINATION BECAUSE IT

REDUCES THE BACKGROUND OF

RADIATION IN THE AREA AND

REDUCES HEALTHCARE PERSONALEL TO

LESS EXPOSURE.

HERE IS A DIAGRAM OF THE TYPICAL

CONTAMINATION CONTROL AREA.

THIS IS KNOWN AS A RADIATION

EMERGENCY AREA.

THIS IS AN AD HOC OR IMPROVISED

AREA WHERE WE -- OUR HEALTHCARE

PERSONNEL DECIDED THIS IS WHERE

WE WILL TAKE CARE OF A

CONTAMINATED PATIENT.

YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A LINE DRAWN

HERE, A HOT LINE DELINEATING

WHERE RADIATION IS TO BE DEALT

WITH AND TO BE CONFINED.

YOU CAN SEE AT THE BUFFER ZONE,

THERE'S A STEP OFF ANDAD THERE'S

A CHECKPOINT HERE WHERE PEOPLE

WITH RADIATION SURVEY METERS

WOULD USE TO MAKE SURE THAT NO

RADIATION LEAVES THAT HOT AREA.

AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE CLEAN

AREA THERE'S PLENTY OF EQUIPMENT

FOR MORE PERSONNEL PROTECTIVE

EQUIPMENT FOR PEOPLE TO DON IN

THE EVENT THAT MORE PERSONNEL

NEEDED TO BE ROTATED IN OR OUT

OR PEOPLE NEEDED TO CHANGE

CLOTHING.

FOR PREGNANT STAFF THERE IS A

LIMIT FOR WORKING WITH

RADIATION.

THAT IS .5 RAD OR 5 MILLIRAY AND

THAT'S APPROXIMATELY A LITTLE

MORE THAN WHAT WE NORMALLY

RECEIVE DURING THE FULL YEARS OF

EXPOSURE.

HOWEVER IT'S PROBABLY EASIEST TO

REASSIGN PREGNANT STAFF TO

CONTACT AREAS WHERE CONTAMINATED

PATIENTS ARE NOT ASSIGNED WHERE

RADIATION EXPOSURE LEVELS MAY

NOT BE PRECISELY KNOWN.

THERE IS ALSO ONCE AGAIN A

PRENATAL RADIATION EXPOSURE FACT

SHEET AT THE WEBSITE THAT YOU

SEE BELOW.

DEALING WITH STAFF STREP.

AS WE SAY THIS CAN BE A DISASTER

RESPONSE OR MULTIPLE CASUALTY

INCIDENT RESPONSE AND A LITTLE

PREPLANNING GOES A LONG WAY.

IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO

ESTABLISH AN INFORMATION CENTER

BOTH FOR MEDICAL PERSONEL AND

FOR VICTIMS.

VICTIMS' RELATIVES WILL WANT TO

KNOW WHERE THEIR RELATIVE IS AND

WHERE AND HOW THE PROGRESS IS

BEING CON TA DUCTED AND HEALTH

CARE PERSONNEL WILL ALSO WANT TO

KNOW ABOUT WHERE THEIR

PARTICULAR LOVED ONCE ARE AND IF

THERE ARE ANY NEEDS THAT THEY

HAVE AS WELL.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO TRAIN THE

STAFF ON RADIATION BASICS AND

GIVE STAFF AN IDEA OF THOU DEAL

WITH RADIATION EVENT.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO TRAIN

REGULARLY, IF POSSIBLE.

AFTER THE EVENT.

THESE EVENT CBS QUITE STRESSFUL

AS WE SAID BEFORE.

PARTICULARLY IF THERE ARE

SERIOUS INJURIES INVOLVED AND

IT'S IMPORTANT TO DEBRIEF

PERSONNEL IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE

EVENT.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY

PEOPLE THAT MIGHT NEED COUNSEL

ANDGING AND OFFER COUNSELING TO

THOSE WHO NEED -- WHO NEED

COUNSELING HERE.

IT'S WELL KNOWN IN DISASTER

MEDICINE HISTORY THAT ORDINARY

PEOPLE CAUGHT IN EXTRAORDINARY

SITUATIONS THAT ARE STRESSFUL

CAN DEVELOP POST-TRAUMATIC

STRESS DISORDER.

THIS MUST BE RECOGNIZED AND

IDENTIFIED.

IN REGARDS TO THE MOST SERIOUS

SCENARIO THAT WE'VE EVER SEEN IN

THE HISTORY OF RADIATION

RESPONSE WE CAN THINK OF IN 1986

CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT.

IN THIS CASE IT WOULD BE OF

INTEREST TO RESPONDERS TO KNOW

THAT THE MEDICAL PERSONNEL AT

THE SITE RECEIVED LESS THAN 10

MILLIGRAY OF RADIATION, THAT

WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY ONE RAD

OR THE EQUIVALENT OF ONE CT TO

THE HEAD.

AND THAT'S THE WORST-CASE

SCENARIO THAT WE'VE SEEN IN

MEDICAL CARE HISTORY IN RESPONSE

TO RADIATION EVENTS.

OKAY.

LET'S SHIFT GEARS A LITTLE BIT