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Diagnostics of radiation damage

Alexey Portnov, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024

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After acute irradiation, a laboratory examination, including OAK, a biochemical blood test, a general urine test, is performed. Determine the blood group, compatibility and HLA antigens in case of blood transfusion or, if necessary, stem cell transplantation. Lymphocyte counts are performed 24, 48 and 72 hours after irradiation to assess the initial dose of radiation and the prognosis. A clinical blood test is repeated weekly. This is necessary to control the activity of the bone marrow and, if necessary, depending on the clinical course.

Local radiation injuries *

Irradiated tissue	Side effects
Brain	See the relevant section.
The cardiovascular system	Pain in the chest, radiation pericarditis, radiation myocarditis
Leather	Local erythema with intense burning or stinging, xerosis, keratosis, telangiectasia, vesicles, hair loss (within 5-21 days after irradiation). Dose> 5 Gy: moist gangrene, ulcer formation. Long-term effects: progressive fibrosis, squamous cell carcinoma
Sex glands	Dose <0.01-0.015 Gy: suppression of spermatogenesis, amenorrhea, decreased libido. Dose 5-6 Gy: infertility
Head and neck	Inflammation of the mucosa, dysphagia, thyroid cancer
Musculoskeletal system	Myopathy, neoplastic changes, osteosarcoma
Eyes	Dose 0.2 Gy: cataract
Lungs	Radiation pneumonitis. Dose> 30 Gy: in some cases fatal pulmonary fibrosis
Kidneys	Reduced glomerular filtration rate, decreased renal tubular function. Large doses (latent period from 6 months to 1 year): proteinuria, renal failure, anemia, arterial hypertension. Accumulated dose> 20 Gy for <5 weeks: radiation fibrosis, oliguric renal failure
Spinal cord	Dose> 50 Gy: myelopathy, neurological dysfunction
Fetus	Growth retardation, congenital malformations, congenital metabolic disorders, cancer, fetal death

* First of all from radiation therapy.

The relationship between the number of lymphocytes after 48 hours, the dose of irradiation and the prognosis *

The lowest lymphocytes, cells / μL	The dose of irradiation, Gy	Forecast
1500 (norm)	0.4	A great
1000-1499	0.5-1.9	Good
500-999	2.0-3.9	Unclear
100-499	4.0-7.9	Bad
<100	8.0	Almost always fatal

* Irradiation of the whole body (approximate dose).

Pollution. With radionuclide exposure, the whole body is examined with a Geiger counter to detect external contamination. To detect internal contamination in the nostrils, ears, mouth and wounds, they are wiped with moist tampons, which are then tested with a counter. Urine, feces and vomit should also be checked for radioactivity.

trusted-source [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8],

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