Management of two patients with intestinal form of acute radiation sickness and extremely severe bone marrow form of acute radiation sickness complicated with disseminated fungous infection

Objective: To present two patients diagnosed as intestinal form of acute radiation sickness (patient A) and extremely severe bone marrow form of acute radiation sickness(patient B) complicated with disseminated fungous infection in China. Methods: On October 21st, 2004, a nuclear accident occurred in Jining, Shandong Province, China. Two individuals were accidentally irradiated by a 60Co source. They were transferred to our hospital, and performed allogeneic stem cell transplantation and soon acquired hematopoiesis recovery; however, refractory disseminated fungous infection occurred in two patients. Results: High dosage of amphotericin B combined with itraconazole and concidas were used to kill fungi. The infection was once controlled, but the radiation injury and infection were still becoming worse even after many kinds of treatment. The patients finally died of multiple organ failure on day 33 and day 75, respectively after the accident. Conclusions: The combination of Ampghotec (amphotericin B) with Caspofungin (concidas) and Itraconazole in the treatment of disseminated fungous infection was effective and with no related toxicity. But during the continuous injury of radiation, we couldn't eradicate the fungous infection. The patients were finally died of multiple organs failure related with radiation and infection. (authors)