Rapid Radiation Dose Estimation Techniques for Initial Patient Triage

Emergency responders and health physicists need to make quick decisions on initial analyses and observations when responding to a radiological or nuclear emergency. Health physicists use complicated mathematical equations and dose calculation algorithms to create precise and detailed dose reconstructions, but this is dependent upon the release of information regarding the exposure or contamination scenario. The Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site employs and teaches certain "rules of thumb" dose estimation techniques for both internal and external exposures, which may help in early phase dose reconstruction and for predicting health outcomes by health care providers. This includes using the point source equation and inverse square law to estimate a person's exposure from a source at a given distance, assessing internal inhalation intakes, and estimating internal deposition based on initial uptake measurements from wound or nasal contamination. Biodosimetry techniques can be used to estimate the absorbed dose, with dicentric chromosome assay being the gold standard. Other biodosimetry techniques include evaluating symptoms of acute radiation syndrome and cutaneous radiation injury. The intent for these initial dose reconstruction techniques is not to replace the existing dosimetry techniques but to allow rapid initial patient triage, so that life-saving interventions may be employed immediately.