Total Body Radiation TBI

Data on TBI is gathered from radiation accidents (Chernobyl, 3 Mile Island, Los Alamos) and from animal models.

We are constantly being irradiated :

External :

• Terrestial radiation (RADON) / .05 rem per year
• Cosmic radiation / .05 rem per year

Internal :

• Carbon 14
• Radon in lungs
• Radioactive potassium
• .025 rem per year

Medical exposure :

• xrays, floroscopy

In the U.S. we get from .075 to 5 rem per year / average = .125 rem per year

What happens when people get a high one shot TBI :

Radiation sickness

Symptoms :

• headache
• dizziness
• malaise
• abnormal taste and smell
• NVD
• Decrease in BP and WBC’s and platelets
• Insomnia

Among the people irradiated survival or death depends on the dose received :

3 – 5 Gy – 50% of this group will die because of bone marrow damage within 2 months

 

10 – 50 Gy – no survivors.   They die from GI damage in 1 –2   weeks

 

100 Gy – no survivors.   Die from CNS damage in hours to days.

Among the survivors they will either display Somatic Effects and Genetic Effects.

Somatic Effects (happens to the persons own body) :

Early effects : NVD syndrome, fever,chills, fatigue, hemmoraghing, ulcers, blood count suppression, they are extremely prone to infection

Late effects :

•  Radiologic aging – they look older than stated age

•  Radiation carcinogenesis – develop leukemia, thyroid cancer, bone cancers, lung cancers

•  Permanent sterility

•  Bone deformities

•  Cataracts

•  Overall life shortening

Who survives depends on age