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Localized Radiation Effects - Organ System Threshold Effects
•Partial
body radiation can cause localized effects if the dose is sufficiently
high.
•Radiation
doses to the skin can cause reddening of the skin, blistering, and
ulceration. Higher doses are required for blistering and ulceration than
for skin reddening. This photo is from a patient who had 3 angioplasty
procedures under fluoroscopic guidance. It shows deep necrosis of the
skin 22 months after an exposure of ~2000 rem.
•A
patient may present with injuries from exposure to a lost or stolen
high-activity commercial radiation source. The patient may not be aware
that he or she was exposed. Such a patient may have localized burn-like
skin injuries without a history of heat exposure. Epilation, a tendency
to bleed, nausea and vomiting and/or other symptoms of the acute
radiation syndrome may be present.
•Cataracts
have developed in some early radiation workers who received high doses
to the lens of their eyes.
•Loss
of fertility has occurred in both males and females whose gonads were
exposed to very high doses of radiation.
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