Internal Radiation Contamination - Animation

• External Contamination
  • Full Body
  • Partial Body
  • Wound Contamination with Radioactive Shrapnel
• Internal Contamination
  • Via Respiratory Tract
  • Via Digestive Tract
  • Via Radioactive Dust in Open Wounds
• Incorporation

Patient Management:

• Internal Contamination
  • Internal contamination results when radioactive material is taken into the body via inhalation or ingestion or open wounds.
  • Internal deposition of radioisotopes in organs results in local exposure at that location.
  • Internal contamination continues until the radioactive material decays, is flushed from the body by natural processes, or is removed by medical countermeasures.
  • How to diagnose
    • If after external decontamination, an appropriate radiation survey meter continues to identify significant residual radioactivity, suspect internal contamination.
    • Swab each nostril separately to help estimate level of internal (lung) contamination
    • Collect ≥70 mL spot urine sample for isotope measurement
      • Instructions for sample collection, labeling, packaging and shipping (HHS/CDC)
    • Consider total body radiation survey with modified hospital nuclear medicine equipment