Military Radiobiology

Military Radiobiology provides an understanding of the sources and consequences of radiation exposure. Military personnel must develop a working knowledge of postexposure effects in order to determine points of intervention. The medical problems confronting military radiobiology include target damage, which causes decrements in normal performance, physiological injury, and impairments of the immunological-hematological system that lead to life-threatening infectious complications. The book begins by describing the properties of nuclear weapons, including the mechanisms by which nuclear energy is stored within the nucleus, its release, and its conversion to those forces associated with nuclear weapons. This is followed by discussions of the sources, patterns, radiological effects, and management of nuclear fallout; the biological effects of exposure to ionizing radiation released by nuclear weapons; and effects of radiation on the immune system, gastrointestinal physiology, and cardiovascular function. Subsequent chapters cover the diagnosis, triage, and treatment of radiation-associated injuries; internal contamination with radionuclides; radioprotective drugs; psychological reactions to nuclear confrontation; and the response to a nuclear weapon accident.