Contents
Definition of radiation sickness
Radiation sickness is a disease that occurs as a result of exposure to the human body of ionizing radiation. The symptomatology of the disease depends on the magnitude of the dose of radiation received, its type, on the duration of the radioactive effect on the body, on the distribution of the dose on the human body.
Causes of radiation sickness
Radiation sickness is caused by various types of radiation and radioactive substances in the air, in food, and also present in water. The penetration of radioactive substances into the body by inhalation of air, while eating with food, absorption through the skin and eyes, during drug treatment by injection or inhalation can be the basis for the onset of radiation sickness.
Symptoms of radiation sickness
Radiation sickness has certain symptoms, which depend on the degree of the disease, its formation, as well as development, and manifests itself in several main phases. The first phase is characterized by the appearance of nausea, vomiting is possible, bitterness and a feeling of dryness appear in the mouth. The patient begins to complain of rapidly onset fatigue, headache and drowsiness. This phase is characterized by low blood pressure, in some cases, fever, diarrhea, loss of consciousness.
The above symptoms appear when receiving a dose not exceeding 10 Gy. Irradiation passing the threshold of 10 Gy is characterized by reddening of the skin with a bluish tinge on the most affected areas of the body. The following symptoms are also characteristic of radiation sickness in the first phase: a change in the pulse rate, a uniform decrease in muscle tone, trembling of the fingers, and a narrowing of tendon reflexes.
After receiving irradiation, the symptoms of the primary reaction disappear for about 3-4 days. The second phase of the disease begins, which has a latent (latent) appearance and lasts from two weeks to a month. There is an improvement in the condition, the deviation of well-being can be determined only by the changed pulse rate and blood pressure. At this phase, there is a violation of coordination during movement, reflexes decrease, involuntary trembling of the eyeballs appears, and other neurological disorders are possible.
After a 12-day period at a radiation dose of more than 3 Gy, patients begin progressive alopecia and other manifestations of skin lesions. At a dose exceeding 10 Gy, radiation sickness immediately passes from the first phase into the third phase, which is characterized by pronounced symptoms. The clinical picture shows damage to the circulatory system, the development of various infections and a hemorrhagic type syndrome. There is an increase in lethargy, consciousness is darkened, cerebral edema increases, muscle tone decreases.
Forms of radiation sickness
The occurrence of radiation sickness from the influence of ionizing radiation on the human body with a range of 1 to 10 Gy and more allows us to classify this disease as occurring in a chronic or acute form. The chronic form of radiation sickness develops in the process of long-term continuous or periodic exposure to the body with radioactive doses of 0,1 to 0,5 Gy per day and a total dose of more than 1 Gy.
Degrees of radiation sickness
The acute form of radiation sickness is divided into four degrees of severity:
The first degree (mild) refers to the amount of exposure with a dose of 1-2 Gy, it manifests itself after 2-3 weeks.
The second degree (moderate severity) includes irradiation with a dose of 2-5 Gy, which manifests itself within five days.
The third degree of exposure (severe) includes the received dose in the range of 5-10 Gy, which manifests itself after 10-12 hours.
The fourth (extremely severe) dose is more than 10 Gy, its manifestation is possible half an hour after exposure.
Negative changes in the human body after irradiation depend on the total dose received by him. A dose up to 1 Gy has relatively mild consequences and can be assessed as a disease in a preclinical form. Irradiation with a dose of more than 1 Gy threatens the development of bone marrow or intestinal forms of radiation sickness, which can manifest itself in varying degrees of severity. A single exposure to a dose of more than 10 Gy, as a rule, leads to death.
The results of constant or single insignificant exposure over a long period (months or years) may manifest consequences in the form of somatic and stochastic effects. Violations of the reproductive and immune systems, changes in the sclerotic nature, radiation cataract, shortened life span, genetic abnormalities and teratogenic effects are classified as consequences of long-term exposure.
Diagnosis of radiation sickness
Diagnosis and treatment of the disease are carried out by such doctors as a general practitioner, oncologist and hematologist. The basis of diagnosis is the signs of the clinical type that appeared in the patient after irradiation. The received dose is detected using dosimetric data and by chromosomal analysis during the first two days after radioactive exposure. This method allows you to choose the right treatment tactics, see the quantitative parameters of the radioactive effect on tissues and predict the acute form of the disease.
Diagnosis of radiation sickness requires a whole range of studies: specialist advice, laboratory blood tests, bone marrow biopsy, and a general assessment of the circulatory system using sodium nucleinate. Patients are prescribed electroencephalography, computed tomography, ultrasound. As additional diagnostic methods, dosimetric tests of blood, feces and urine are performed. In the presence of all of the above data, the doctor can objectively assess the degree of the disease and prescribe treatment.
Radiation sickness treatment
A person who has received radiation must be treated in a special way: take off all his clothes, quickly wash him in the shower, rinse his mouth, nose and eyes, do a gastric lavage and give him an antiemetic. Mandatory in the treatment of this disease is anti-shock therapy, taking cardiovascular, sedative and detoxifying agents. The patient must take drugs that block the symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract.
For the treatment of the first phase of the disease, drugs are used that stop nausea and prevent vomiting. If cases of vomiting are indomitable, chlorpromazine and atropine are used. If the patient is dehydrated, saline will be required. A severe degree of radiation sickness in the first three days after exposure requires detoxification therapy. To prevent collapse, doctors prescribe norepinephrine, cardiamine, mezaton, as well as trasylol and contrical.
Various types of isolators are used to prevent internal and external infections. They are supplied with sterile air, all medical materials, care items and food are also sterile. The skin and visible mucous membranes are treated with antiseptics.
Infectious complications are treated with large doses of antibacterial drugs that are administered intravenously. The fight against bacteria can be enhanced with drugs of a biological type and targeted effects (antistaphylococcal plasma, antipseudomonal plasma, hyperimmune plasma). Usually, antibiotics begin to act within two days, if there is no positive result, the antibiotic is changed and another one is prescribed, taking into account bacteriological cultures of sputum, blood, urine, etc.
In severe radiation sickness, when a deep suppression of immunological reactivity is diagnosed and hematopoiesis is depressed, doctors recommend bone marrow transplantation. This method has limited possibilities due to the lack of effective measures to overcome the tissue incompatibility reaction. The bone marrow of the donor is selected taking into account many factors and following the principles established for allomyelotransplantation. The recipient is preliminarily immunosuppressed.
Prevention of radiation sickness
Preventive measures against radiation sickness consist in shielding those parts of the body that are exposed to radiation. Also, drugs are prescribed that reduce the sensitivity of the body to sources of radioactive radiation. Those at risk are offered vitamins B6, C, P and anabolic-type hormonal agents.
The most effective preventive measures are considered to be the use of radioprotectors, which are chemical protective compounds, but have a large number of side effects.