TRIAGE of Irradiated Personnel

Abstract : AERRI was tasked by the Army Office of the Surgeon General to answer operational questions concerning three issues related to the triage of irradiated personnel deployed forward. These issues, and the workshop participants' consensus responses, are: (1) Effects of radiation injuries on exposed personnel, assuming Level I and Level II medical care and facilities. Individuals receiving over 1.5 Gy should be evacuated; those receiving less than this amount may return to duty. Even at this level, 30% of exposed personnel may be too ill to return to duty. Those who recover will experience varying degrees of persistent fatigue and weakness. Dose assessment at this level is best served by physical dosimetry. (2) Describe these effects in previously exposed personnel. Physical dosimetry is required for personnel who are at risk of a second exposure; no animal model completely predicts the effects of either protracted or multiple radiation exposure in humans. Fatigue and weakness in multiply exposed personnel will be cumulative.