The events surrounding the nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima, Japan, uncovered a number of questions and issues that need to be addressed in the United States (US) regarding the preparedness and response to similar potential incidents. A recent commentary discussed some of these issues, including the lack of a sufficient number of radiation subject matter experts that are needed to provide guidance to other public health planners and responders. 1 Indeed, although no health effects from the exposure to radiation were expected to occur in the US, the Emergency Operation Center at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta operated at full capacity to support the needs of State and Federal partners both at home and abroad, particularly in Japan. During such events, the public will seek answers to numerous questions that can overwhelm existing resources like the CDC Info Line and the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) emergency line. 2 In March and April 2011, a number of CDC toxicologists participated in the Japan Earthquake response in various roles while poison centers provided public health partners with daily updates on radiation exposure and information based on queries relating to radiation exposure and the use of potassium iodide.3 | The role of poison centers in a nuclear power plant or other radiation emergency is well supported by a long and successful record of involvement during other public health incidents that range from infectious disease epidemics like West Nile virus to environmental disasters like the British Petroleum oil spill. In a radiation emergency, poison centers can educate callers about the proper use of medical countermeasures or antidotes, monitor for patterns of use and misuse of these therapies, and detect potential secondary adverse events from their use. Because of their existing technical resources and their experience in operating as a call center, they can assist in communicating important health messages and protective action measures to the public. Currently, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) collaborates closely with CDC in the area of surveillance and belongs to the recently formed National Alliance for Radiation Readiness whose mission is to enhance the Nation’s radiological preparedness. 4 Additionally, the AAPCC participated in the response to the Fukushima and the CardioGen Rubidium-82 contamination incidents. 5 Further steps need to be taken by poison centers and their local and state partners to establish or solidify collaborations and formalize the role of poison centers in radiation preparedness and response alongside other stakeholders like Radiation Control Programs and Emergency Management Agencies.

Primary care physicians may be unprepared to diagnose and treat rare, yet potentially fatal, illnesses such as acute radiation syndrome (ARS). ARS, also known as radiation sickness, is caused by exposure to a high dose of penetrating, ionizing radiation over a short period of time. The time to onset of ARS is dependent on the dose received, but even at the lowest doses capable of causing illness, this will occur within a matter of hours to days. This article describes the clinical manifestations of ARS, provides guidelines for assessing its severity, and makes recommendations for managing ARS victims. Copyright copyright 2010 by The Southern Medical Association.

The Radiation Studies Branch (RSB) was formed in 1989 | as part of the Division of Environmental Hazards and | Health Effects in the Centers for Disease Control and | Prevention’s National Center for Environmental Health | (NCEH) [Fig. 1]. At that time, branch staff focused | primarily on assessing the potential environmental health | effect of radiation released from Department of Energy | Nuclear Weapons Production Facilities. After the events of | September 11, 2001, however, the RSB assumed additional | responsibilities in public health preparedness. This effort is | largely directed toward preparing the nation’s public health | community, healthcare providers, and citizens for various | scenarios. These include intentional (i.e., terrorism-related) | radiological incidents, accidents involving radiation exposure, and unintentional environmental releases of radioactive materials.