Assessing Medical Preparedness to Respond to a Terrorist Nuclear Event : Workshop Report

by Benjamin, Georges C.; McGeary, Michael G. H.; Mccutchen, Susan R.

• ISBN13: 9780309130882
• ISBN10: 0309130883
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-12-31
• Publisher: Natl Academy Pr

Summary

A nuclear attack on a large U.S. city by terrorists--even with a low-yield improvised nuclear device (IND) of 10 kilotons or less--would cause a large number of deaths and severe injuries. The large number of injured from the detonation and radioactive fallout that would follow would be overwhelming for local emergency response and health care systems to rescue and treat, even assuming that these systems and their personnel were not themselves incapacitated by the event. The United States has been struggling for some time to address and plan for the threat of nuclear terrorism and other weapons of mass destruction that terrorists might obtain and use. The Department of Homeland Security recently contracted with the Institute of Medicine to hold a workshop, summarized in this volume, to assess medical preparedness for a nuclear detonation of up to 10 kilotons. This book provides a candid and sobering look at our current state of preparedness for an IND, and identifies several key areas in which we might begin to focus our national efforts in a way that will improve the overall level of preparedness.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations And Acronyms	p. xvii
Introduction	p. 1
Committee process	p. 4
Workshop Assumptions And Topics	p. 5
Assumptions	p. 5
Topics	p. 6
Effects Of A 10-kt IND Detonation On Human Health And The Area Health Care System	p. 7
Health Effects	p. 9
Effects on the Area Health Care System	p. 20
Discussion of Health Effects and Health Care System Impacts	p. 23
Summary of 10-kt Detonation Effects	p. 24
Medical Care Of Victims Of The Immediate And Fallout Effects Of A 10-kt IND Detonation	p. 27
Discussion of Medical Care of Victims of a Nuclear Detonation	p. 31
Expected Benefit Of Radiation Countermeasures	p. 32
Discussion of Radiation Countermeasures	p. 41
Protective Actions And Interventions In The Event Of A 10-kt IND Detonation	p. 42
Discussion of Protective Actions and Interventions	p. 47
Summary of Protective Action Guides	p. 48
Risk Communication, Public Reactions, And Psychological Consequences In The Event Of A 10-kt IND Detonation	p. 49
Discussion of Risk Communication, Public Reactions, and Psychological Consequences	p. 60
Summary Of Key Points From The June Workshop	p. 62
Federal And State Medical Resources For Responding to an IND Event	p. 64
Discussion of Federal and State Medical Resources for Responding to an IND Event	p. 74
Current Preparedness For Responding To The Immediate Casualties Of An IND Event	p. 76
Panel 1 on Capability to Reach, Triage, and Treat the Injured	p. 78
Panel 2 on Capacity to Transport Casualties to Local Treatment Facilities	p. 82
Panel 3 on Preparedness of the Metropolitan Area's Medical System	p. 84
Panel 4 on Preparedness to Evacuate Serious Casualties from the Metropolitan Area	p. 87
General Discussion of Topic 7: Preparedness for Responding to the Immediate Casualties of an IND Event	p. 94
Current Preparedness To Prevent And Treat The Delayed Casualties Of An IND Event	p. 96
Discussion of Preparedness to Prevent and Treat the Delayed Casualties of an IND Detonation	p. 104
Wrap-up And Final Thoughts	p. 107
References	p. 110
Appendixes
Workshop Agendas	p. 115
Registered Workshop Attendees	p. 131
Biographical Sketches of Workshop Speakers and Panelists	p. 138
Biographical Sketches of Committee Members, Consultant, and Staff	p. 160
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.