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Showing posts from February, 2025

Acute Radiation Syndrome

Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS), also known as radiation sickness, is a severe illness that occurs following exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation over a short period. It is characterized by multisystem involvement and can result in significant morbidity and mortality if not properly managed. ARS is of particular concern in nuclear accidents, radiation therapy overdoses, and nuclear warfare scenarios. Etiology and Causes ARS results from high-dose exposure (>1 Gy) to ionizing radiation. The main sources include: Nuclear accidents (e.g. Chernobyl, Fukushima) Nuclear explosions (e.g. Atomic bomb detonations, e.g. Hiroshima and Nagasaki) Radiation therapy mishaps (e.g.  Accidental overexposure in Cancer treatment/ Research) Occupational exposure (e.g. Industrial accidents) Pathophysiology Ionizing radiation primarily harms biological tissues by creating free radicals and directly damaging DNA. The level of damage is influenced by the radiation dose, dose rate, type of rad...