~22
Needless to say,
the detection of minor decrees of lymphopenia necessitates
a knowledge of normal lymphocyte levels of the person coneerned.
*
Under conditions
is
of aa atomic catastrophe, this information will probably not be svailabic, nor
wiil it be feasible with present techniques to perform intensive blood studics.
Other means of detecting exposure to ionising radiation are:
a. the synptomatolosy
b. personnel radiation dosimeters and
c. the distance from the exploding bemb
These will be discussed in Chaptos
on Dia-nosis and Therapy.
The satisfactery development of cood electronic blood~counting devices greatly
simplifies the logistics of performing enormous numbers of blood counts in a
catastrophe.
&.9.2
Repeated Small Exposuze.
The detection of repeated suall cunulative
exposures by hematolosic studies poses an entirely different problem and losically
becomes part of
a broad health protection program.
moan chronically exposed to radiation are lepion,
Observations on the blood of
Leukocytosis, lymphocytosis,
leukemoid reactions, lentocytic leuhconias, erythrocytosis, reticulocytosis, lertopenia, thrombopenic purpura, aplastic anemia, icukopenic Leuzenia, refractive acu-=
tral red bodies in the lymphocytes and changes in the blood coagulation heave been
described as occurring after chronic exposure to ionizing radiations.
From a ree
view of the literatuze, the following hematologic observations can be considered
Ss presumptive criteria of excessive exposure to ionizing radiation or other toxic
a5ent
Persistent leukopenia (WDC below 40T0/c. na.).
2.
Persistent leusocytosis with an absolute lynphocytosis (HDC above
*
lL.
215,009).
3.
A macrocytesis (mean corpuscuics volunxe increased, a shift to the
30011
an
right in the Price-Jones curve, oz an increased mean corpuscular