External Radiation Contamination: Partial Body - Animation

Patient Management:

Replay animation

External Contamination
- External contamination results when radioactive material is deposited on skin, hair, eyes, or other external structures, much like mud or dust.
- External contamination stops when the material is removed by shedding contaminated clothes and/or completely washing off the contamination.
- Types of external contamination
  - Full body: entire person is covered with radioactive material, not necessarily homogeneously
  - Partial body: shielding blocks radioactive material from covering the entire person
  - Wound contamination with radioactive shrapnel
    - With explosion of a Radiological Dispersal Device (Dirty Bomb), radioactive shrapnel or fragments can be propelled through the air and become embedded under the skin or in tissues or organs.
    - Radioactive material can enter the blood stream or the lymphatics (internal contamination).
    - These fragments must be removed with special care.
- How to diagnose
  - Scan with appropriate radiation survey meter