Re: The Goiania case is useful to study for simulation of a "dirty (medical) bomb"

[james.g.barnes@ATT.NET]

There was another point about Goiana that I think is 

very instructive.



I attended a conference at AFRRI about two years ago 

where a presentation was made on Goiana.  One of the 

findings they discussed was that there were a large 

number of people presenting themselves at hospitals 

reporting nausea, weakness, vomiting, etc. (i.e., early 

stages of acute radiation syndrome).



The problem was that about 80% of these folks lived 

NOWHERE NEAR the site of the event, nor were they 

contaminated in any way.  So the "ARS" was actually 

stress-induced illness, i.e., "the worried well."



"Worried well" represent a major issue for Dirty Bomb 

scenarios. While the cause of the symptoms are primarily 

psychological, they are still in need of care.  The 

problem lies in how to triage the worried-well from the 

actually exposed populations. It is no easy feat, and 

I'm not sure I've seen any triage schemes that 

adequately address this situation.



Jim Barnes, CHP

james.g.barnes@att.net

> Dear John

> 

> John Hunt gave the answer about the child question. In fact the child Leyde

> das Neves was already contaminated when I arrived in Goiania, two weeks

> later.

> About lessons learned, no doubt many lessons were not fully learned, even

> now, when 15 years were lapsed, among these:

> Implausible Accident can happen suddenly, even when they are least

> expected, (can be a dirty bomb);

> Recent accident have caught countries by surprise 

> Emergency Planning and Preparedness is still in incipient stage in the

> great majority of developing countries;

> The distress caused by the misperception of radiation risks was extremely

> harmful to the people and the economy of the State of Goias;

> Communication on nuclear risk also is not in a good stage, even in

> developed countries. I'llI never forget Goiania, when a mother told me:

> "Nuclear communicator speaks by means of abstract words"

> 

> John, probably this message will not be published in the List, I have some

> technical problem, please forward this message to Radsafer List.

> 

> Best Regards,

> 

> Jose

> 

> 

> >>  Mike wrote: Remember Goiania. What should you do with a child who 

> >>is contaminated with Cs-137? (a) wash her, or (b) isolate her? The 

> >>hospital chose: b.

> >	Since the child had eaten some of the CS-137 medical source, 

> >washing her wouldn't help much. Perhaps Jose' Rozental who knows the 

> >Goiania accident well might comment the lessons to be learned.

> >Best wishes, John Cameron

> >

> >-- 

> >John R. Cameron (jrcamero@facstaff.wisc.edu)

> >2678 SW 14th Dr. Gainesville, FL 32608

> >(352) 371-9865 Fax (352) 371-9866

> >(winters until  about May  15)

> >

> >PO Box 405, Lone Rock,WI 53556

> >(for UPS, etc. E2571 Porter Rd.)

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> >(summer: May 20, 2002- September 11,  2002)

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