Medical Considerations for Radiological Terrorism

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the medical considerations for radiological terrorism. Radiological warfare (RW) attack is the deliberate use of radiological materials to cause injury and death. The explosion of a radiological weapon causes damage by the heat and blast liberated at the time of detonation. The proliferation of nuclear material and technology has made the acquisition and terrorist use of ionizing radiation more probable than ever. Currently, there are three threat scenarios for radiological terrorism. The most probable scenario for the near future would be a radiological dispersion device. Such a weapon can be developed and used by any terrorist with conventional weapons and access to radionuclides. This is an expedient weapon in that the radioactive waste material is easy to obtain from any location that uses radioactive sources. These sites can include a nuclear-waste processor, a nuclear power plant, a university research facility, a medical radiotherapy clinic, or an industrial complex.