Knowra Acute radiation syndrome Acute radiation syndrome Acute radiation syndrome is a rapid illness caused by a large dose of penetrating ionizing radiation to most or all of the body. Its severity depends chiefly on dose, dose rate, and which tissues are exposed.
Hematopoietic syndrome : A form of acute radiation syndrome in which damage to bone marrow causes blood-cell depletion and infection or bleeding risks. Bone-marrow injury drives the blood and immune-system failure typical of moderate whole-body exposure.
Absorbed dose : The energy deposited by ionizing radiation per unit mass, measured in grays. Acute radiation syndrome risk is related to absorbed dose, especially for whole-body exposure.
Cutaneous radiation syndrome : Localized skin injury caused by high radiation exposure, which can occur with or without whole-body acute radiation syndrome. It may coexist with acute radiation syndrome but follows a different exposure pattern and clinical course.
Cecil Kelley criticality accident : A 1958 Los Alamos accident in which technician Cecil Kelley received a lethal radiation exposure during a reactor criticality event. The case illustrates the catastrophic consequences of an exceptionally intense, short exposure.
Gastrointestinal syndrome : A severe form of acute radiation syndrome marked by intestinal lining damage, fluid loss, infection, and impaired absorption. Rapidly renewing intestinal cells fail after higher doses than those causing marrow syndrome.
Gray (unit) : The SI unit of absorbed radiation dose, equal to one joule of energy deposited per kilogram. Clinical exposure estimates are commonly expressed in grays.
Radiation sickness : A broad, informal expression for illness caused by exposure to ionizing radiation. The phrase is often used for acute radiation syndrome, but can describe radiation illness less precisely.
Tokaimura nuclear accident : A 1999 criticality accident at a Japanese uranium-processing facility that exposed workers to intense neutron and gamma radiation. The workers’ differing exposures show how distance and shielding affect syndrome severity.
Neurovascular syndrome : A usually fatal form of acute radiation syndrome involving severe damage to the nervous and cardiovascular systems after extreme exposure. It represents the rapid collapse that can follow exceptionally high whole-body doses.
Lymphocyte depletion kinetics : The changing rate of lymphocyte loss from blood after radiation exposure, used as a biological dose indicator. Early blood-count changes can help estimate exposure before symptoms fully declare themselves.
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