Management of Casualties from Radiation Events

Radiation events such as nuclear war, nuclear reactor incidents, and the deployment of a radioactive dispersal device (dirty bomb) are all significant threats in today’s world. Each of these events would bring significant challenges to clinicians caring for patients with burns and traumatic injuries who are also contaminated or irradiated. The result of a nuclear exchange in a densely populated area could result in thousands of patients presenting with trauma, burns, and combined injury (trauma and burn in an irradiated patient). In this review, we will discuss the three major types of ionizing radiation: alpha, beta, and gamma, and their respective health hazards and biological effects. Additionally, we will discuss the types of burn injuries in a nuclear disaster, caring for the contaminated patient, and managing the combined injury of burn trauma with acute radiation syndrome. The reader will also be left with an understanding of how to prioritize lifesaving interventions, estimate the absorbed dose of radiation, and predict the onset of acute radiation syndrome. While some animal models for morbidity and mortality exist, there is limited modern day human data for patients with combined injury and burns associated with a nuclear disaster due to the infrequent nature of these events. It is extremely important to continue multidisciplinary research on the prevention of, preparedness for, and the response to nuclear events. Furthermore, continued exploration of novel treatments for radiation induced burns and the management of combined injury is necessary.