Radiation Incidents and Emergency Preparedness

Course overview

Radiation emergencies are high-hazard, low-frequency events and are one of the least understood and most frightening. EMS and ED staff believe they are not prepared to deal with radiological incidents. A mass-casualty incident from radiation is likely to generate large numbers of victims requiring decontamination. These events will also generate large numbers of "worried well" who will further complicate the incident. This module provides information about radiological contamination and medical care after an incident that involves radiation sources. It explains the basic principles of radiation and possible scenarios for radiological incidents and discusses injuries, radiological contamination routes, presenting signs and symptoms and treatments associated with radiological incidents.