‘
a
f
later,
,
ey
-12-
It 4s possihle however that the intensely alkaline nature of the calcium
oxide when dissolved in perspiration might have contributed to the initial symptoms,
About 2/3rds of the Rongelep group were nauseated during the first two days
and 1/10th vomited and had diarrhea.
One person in the Ailinginne group was nauseated.
No one in the Rongerik or Utirik group had gastrointestinal symptons.
.
CLINICAL C™SERVATIONS A4°D LAvUROCYTD COUNTS
Between the 23rd and the 43rd post exposure day 10% of the individuals from
Rongelep had an absolute gramulceyte level of 1,000 per cubic millimeter or less,
The lowest count during this period was 70C per cubic millimeter.
During this
interval the advisability of prophylactic administration of antibiotics was seriously
considered.
However prophylactic administration of antibiotics was not instituted
for the following reasons:
1)
Al] iniividuels were under continuous medical observation so that
$
infection if it developed would have been discovered in its earlier stares.
2)
Frenature adnintstration of antibiotics mizht have obscured medical
indications for treatment, and might also have led to the developrient of drug resis~
tant organisms in individuals with lovered resistance to infection.
3)
There wns no accurate knowladse of the mmber of gramilocytes required
vy nan to orevent infection with this type of granulocytopenia,
The observed situation was not strictly comparable to agranvlocytosis with
en aplastic marrow as seen following known lethal doses of rediation.
In the latter
instant, sranulocytes fall rapidly with practically none in the circuletion and no
evidence of cramiocyte regereration when infection occurs.
In the present group
of individuals exposed to radiation, rost counts reached approximately 1/4 the normal
vilus, but the Tall to thst level was oredual cnd the presence of imnature granulo
eytes in the peripheral blood during the nericd of cranulocytcrenia was indicative
of sone new grammoeyte production,
The few irdividuals that received antibiotics
hed conlitions that would have been treated with antibiotics in the atsence of any