Medical management of mass radiological casualties

Full text: Radiation accidents, are extreme situations involving one or many individuals. The general public and also emergency workers could be overexposed to radiation or be contaminated as a consequence of malicious acts involving radioactive material. The international view is that the likelihood of use of radiological and nuclear terrorism is low, but the impact could be high. This represents a new challenge for emergency responders and medical community. Without adequate preparedness for radiation emergencies, medical management of situation could be ineffective. Experience has shown that in many radiation emergencies, the severity and extent of the health consequences could be restricted by general response and, in particular medical triage. This article looks at the medical management of radiation accidents to derive principles for organizing and acting the medical community in cases of mass radiation accidents