Information for Clinicians

Emergency services physicians and nurses will be among the first clinicians to see and treat victims of radiation emergencies. Clinicians of all specialties will be responsible for providing care and information to:

• Patients admitted to the hospital
• Patients presenting for follow-up care
• Concerned individuals
• Others with questions about health effects related to the emergency

To help clinicians develop plans and response capacity for radiation emergencies, CDC has the following resources:

Patient Management

• Staff Protection (PPE)
• Triage
• Medical Management: Decontamination
• Medical Management: Acute Radiation Exposure
• Medical Management: Internal Contamination
• Medical Management: Cutaneous Radiation Injury
• Medical Management: Countermeasures

Guidelines and Recommendations

• Acute Radiation Syndrome [PDF – 540 KB]
• Cutaneous Radiation Injury [PDF – 2.4 MB]
• Neupogen^® (Filgrastim): General Information for Clinicians
• Prenatal Radiation Exposure
• Pocket Guide: Radiological Terrorism Emergency Management
• Interim Guidelines for Hospital Response to Mass Casualties from a Radiological Incident [PDF – 527 KB]

Training

• Just-in-Time Training for Hospital Clinicians
• Medical Countermeasures for Radiation Exposure and Contamination
• Medical Response to Mass Casualties
• Psychological First Aid in Radiation Disasters
• Radiation Basics Made Simple
• Screening People for External Contamination

Related Links

• International Atomic Energy Agency
• RadNet – Tracking Environmental Radiation Nationwide
• World Health Organization
• Radiation Emergencies and Your Health
• Types of Radiation Emergencies
• Strategic National Stockpile
• Isotopes of Interest
• Tool Kit for Public Health Professionals
• Using Hospital Equipment to Assess Internal Contamination
• Guidance on Caring for Individuals Exposed to Polonium-210
• Summary of Roundtable on Hospital Communications in a Mass Casualty Radiological Event [PDF – 454 KB]