Dosimetry and therapy of skin contaminations

This study has been developed to provide guidance to physicians on the handling of skin contaminations in some accidental circumstances. The first stage of diagnosis and consequently of the possible therapy in order to avoid or mitigate radiodermatitis is to appreciate the importance of the contaminations and to foresee their local consequences. Two theoretical cases have been considered: a) strictly superficial contamination; b) deep contamination with homogeneous penetration of the contaminant into the epidermis. The superficial and deep theoretical distributions correspond respectively to the lower and upper absorbed doses in the basal layer. Tables of dose equivalent rates and committed dose equivalents to the skin are supplied for a large number of radionuclides likely to be met in the nuclear industry as well as in various fields of research, medicine and pharmacology using radioactive techniques. Besides these theoretical dose factors, the practitioner will find monitoring procedures, dose calculations and practical data concerning decontamination