Cost-Effective Methods for Expedient Dosimetry to Support Diagnosis of Radiation Injury

The ability to identify those at risk for Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) soon after exposure to ionizing radiation from a radiological or nuclear (RN) attack is a high priority for the US military. The absence of cost effective passive personal dosimeters widely distributed, pre-event, to active duty and reserve military, their families, and DoD civilian personnel leaves a significant gap in warfighter readiness and safety. Current methods of assessing radiation exposure, for example JDP-IND, are limited to responding specialized units. These active dosimeters are deployed post-event and therefore cannot indicate immediate prompt blast radiation exposure, the most significant causative factor in the development of acute radiation syndrome. Furthermore, reliance on imprecise clinical manifestations of radiation exposure (e.g., time to emesis) has changed little since 1962 and has limited clinical value in the battlefield environment. Medical countermeasures administered within hours of exposure to those most at risk significantly decrease morbidity and mortality and enhance combat readiness and warfighter safety.