

The speed of symptom onset is related to radiation exposure, with greater doses resulting in a shorter delay in symptom onset. These syndromes may be preceded by a prodrome. Signs and symptoms Ĭlassically, ARS is divided into three main presentations: hematopoietic, gastrointestinal, and neuro vascular. ARS differs from chronic radiation syndrome, which occurs following prolonged exposures to relatively low doses of radiation. A single event can affect a large number of people, as happened in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. Short term outcomes depend on the dose exposure. Complications like leukemia and other cancers among those who survive are managed as usual. If radioiodine was inhaled or ingested, potassium iodide is recommended.
#Radium poisoning effects skin
Radioactive material remaining on the skin or in the stomach should be removed. This may include blood transfusions, antibiotics, colony-stimulating factors, or stem cell transplant. Treatment of ARS is generally supportive care. Repeated complete blood counts (CBCs) can indicate the severity of exposure. Diagnosis is based on a history of exposure and symptoms. At high doses, this causes DNA damage that may be irreparable. The cells that are most affected are generally those that are rapidly dividing. It is generally divided into three types: bone marrow, gastrointestinal, and neurovascular syndrome, with bone marrow syndrome occurring at 0.7 to 10 Gy, and neurovascular syndrome occurring at doses that exceed 50 Gy. They may involve nuclear reactors, cyclotrons, certain devices used in cancer therapy, nuclear weapons, or radiological weapons. Sources of such radiation can occur accidentally or intentionally. ĪRS involves a total dose of greater than 0.7 Gy (70 rad), that generally occurs from a source outside the body, delivered within a few minutes. In the following hours or weeks, initial symptoms may appear to improve, before the development of additional symptoms, after which either recovery or death follow. Early symptoms are usually nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. Symptoms can start within an hour of exposure, and can last for several months. Supportive care ( blood transfusions, antibiotics, colony stimulating factors, stem cell transplant) Īcute radiation syndrome ( ARS), also known as radiation sickness or radiation poisoning, is a collection of health effects that are caused by being exposed to high amounts of ionizing radiation in a short period of time. Large amounts of ionizing radiation over a short period of time īased on history of exposure and symptoms Later: Infections, bleeding, dehydration, confusion īone marrow syndrome, gastrointestinal syndrome, neurovascular syndrome Radiation causes cellular degradation by autophagy.Įarly: Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite Radiation poisoning, radiation sickness, radiation toxicity Medical condition Acute radiation syndrome
