External Contamination: Wound Contamination
with Radioactive Shrapnel - 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:

• 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