Two examples of CBMTS VIII Abstracts received:

Terrorist Attacks with Radioactive Sources - Medical Aspects
Emmanuel Egger, SPIEZ LABORATORY, Switzerland

          The use of radioactive sources by terrorists has been widely discussed in the last years. Several scenarios have been imagined, like mixing radioactive material with high explosives and detonating the device in order to contaminate a city, putting a radioactive source in a crowded train, or contaminating food with radioactive material. Experts agree on the fact that the number of fatalities due to the spread of radioactivity will be very small at worst. However, in some scenarios a limited number of persons may receive such a high radiation dose that they will develop ARS (acute radiation symptom) and may require hospitalization as well as extensive treatments. Or people may incorporate radioactive material and need a decorporation treatment.

          In this study, we estimate the number of persons who may have been contaminated and require a dosimetric monitoring. We calculate the number of persons needing medical support such as decorporation therapy, based on the assumption that such a treatment would be provided, if the expected dose is 200 mSv or more. We also estimate the number of persons receiving a local skin dose of 10 Sv or more on a limited surface. We assume that these persons will need special treatment for their skin burns. We also estimate the number of persons, receiving a whole body dose of 2 Sv or more, assuming that these persons shall be hospitalized and receive special treatment. Patients with a high skin dose may also have received a high whole body dose.

Development of "An information System for Medical Rescue and Expert Consulting on NBC Terrorist Attacks Prevention and Response" and Its Application in Beijing For Olympic Games Security (minor ASA edit for space)
Wang, Jia-Ping and Mao, Jun-Wen, and Associates, The Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS), Beijing

          The system, which was developed for the practical demands of NBC terrorist attacks prevention and response, is a comprehensive information system incorporating medical rescue, hazard assessment and expert consulting on nuclear, biological and chemical terrorist attacks. The system includes three NBC subsystems, which quickly search basic information for common NBC terrorist attacks substances, medical rescue, and also accessorial information about related cases, precautions, expert library, rescue forces, etc. There is also a medical rescue geographic information system included, which can be used to search for distribution information on commanding units, rescue forces and possible terrorist targets, to assess hazard and to estimate relief supplies. The system was successfully applied in Olympic security and anti-terrorism efforts in 2008, playing an important role in organizing and commanding formulation of plans for emergency and on-spot detection and treatment. It can also be extended and applied in anti-terrorism and NBC emergency prevention and response in key cities.

For the Professional in Government and Industry with an interest in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense, Disarmament and Verification; Emergency and Disaster Medical Planning; Industrial Health and Safety; and Environmental Protection