wije
appears to be beneficial from results of preliminary work (Nickson).
Prece
nisone injections have been reported to reduce posteirradiation inflammation
(Matthewson).
Further clinical experience with these agents is necessary
before they: can be recommended for general use in the treatment of beta
burns.
___.»8+1FACTORS INFLUENCING SEVERITY OF SKIN LESIONS PROM PALLOUT
_.-8-1 PHYSICAL FACTORS. Usually fallout material must be in contact
with the bare skin to result in significant skin damage.
Most of the lesions
in the Marshallese occurred on exposed parta of the body, and protection was
afforded by clothing, even a single layer of cotton material,
Since clothing
would probably not result in more than about 25 per cent attenuation of the
beta particles, additional protection must have been afforded by the fact
that the loosely-fitted clothing tended to hold the radioactive material away
from the skin.
Avoidance of skin contamination by taking shelter offers al-
most complete protection.
No lesiong developed in those Marshallese who re-
mained in their housea during the fallout.
The ultimate dose to the akin depends on the radiation characteristics
of the fallout material, the time after detonation that the fallout occurs,
and the length of time that the material is in contact with the skin before
céntamination {gs eccomplished.
Due to the process of radioactive decay
which is quite fast during the first few hours, the earlier the time of the
fallout, the greater is the dose rate from a given sample.
This fact empha-
sizes the importance of early decontamination of the skin, particularly if
contamination takes place during the first day after detonation.
The fact
that thorough decontamination of the Marshallese was not accomplished until
their evacuation scme two days after the accident, resulted in an appreciable
OE
&
increase of their skin dose.
Those individuals that bathed or went swimming
during the early pericd developed few lesions.
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