Emergency management of radiation accidents

The Joint Committee on Accreditation of Hospitals requires that hospitals have a written procedure to cope with radiation accidents. Emergency personnel, specifically, should be prepared to manage radiation accident victims initially. Guidelines currently in use in over 15 hospitals in the United States include 1) advance notification to the hospital of arrival of such patients; 2) designated treatment area; 3) operating room attire; 4) perform life-saving functions first; 5) cover open wounds and remove clothing; 6) search for contamination with radiation detector, or 7) flush all wounds if no radiation detector is available; 8) wash patient; 9) evaluate internal and external radiation exposure, and 10) obtain medical consultation. For community hospitals, a less elaborate procedure will suffice for adequate handling of radiation accident victims and accreditation.