NCRP Report 65

NCRP Report No. 65, Management of Persons Accidentally Contaminated with Radionuclides

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NCRP Report No. 65 results from recognition of the fact that the increasing use of radionuclides in research, medical applications, nuclear power, and industrial processes suggests that there is also a concomitant increase in the probability of accidental human exposures to internally deposited radionuclides. The review carried out during the preparation of the new Report made evident the fact that the literature on the medical management of such cases is scattered and sparse. Any individual physician or health physicist probably will have had experience with only a limited number of radionuclides and a limited variety of exposure conditions. Furthermore, the therapeutic effectiveness of some treatments has been tested only in animals. Other therapies may be thought to be useful but have not been evaluated for a particular radionuclide or accident situation. This Report is a collection of many of the data and ideas pertinent to accidental contamination into one document intended to aid those called upon to manage contaminated persons. An important part of the Report is a “quick reference section,” written in such a way that useful advice can be rapidly obtained by consulting the tables set out in the section. In addition, the Report includes sections on initial management of the patient, diagnostic techniques to measure radioactive contamination, conceptual basis for treatment decisions, resume of experience with important radionuclides, and therapy procedures and drugs.