f Exhibit ¥W (Page F TNTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM a A, E. Dyhre, Business Manager vee TO; FROM: mT DATE June 7, 1988 a Louis H. Hexpelmann, M.D., E-Division | SUBJECT: Reference: BaAjation Accident Report LAB:H | , Four University of C.lifornia exployees, ; their hands as a result of exposure to radiation emitted by readio-active | oT, ustained radiation injuries te) sexples. It is pelieved thet the injuries are due almost entirely to beta 7 rays which makes their prognosis much more favorable than if ths injuries . had been dus to gamma rays. The gamma ray exposure to their bodies was not | INVESTIGATION PROHIBIT. excessive as indicated by film badges and pocket chambers vorn at the. time of the test. There heave been no significant changes in the blood counts of eny of these men or other indications that they have sustained general baoilly injury. It is probable that there will be good healing of the burned areas in wll cases, and that the eventual results will be comparable to thoss produced by second or third degree thermal burns. There is always the possibility, of course, that healing of ths skin vill not be camplete because of damage to the blood vessels supplying this aren. If healing is . incomplete, surgical repair of the lesions on the hands will be extremely difficult if not impossible. The following is a short summary of the exposure of eech man and of the clinical progress of their injury at this date; His exposure occurred on ‘April 30 by hendling samples of redicactive material, The totel body exposure during the operation did not exceed 1.5 roentgens. The burn, vhich did not manifest itself for about ten days, was limited to the thumb and the first three fingers of the left hand. There was a gradual development of rathar large blisters on the first and second fingers which were painful during the veek of Nay 17 to May 21, but began to subside after the veakend of May 22. At the . CHLTGTHOSY NOLLVOTLIGXANT ee Ee ee EEAe A HEM ReINNAaRYSPT icra Ce Te TE Se iePRRBi A ERLEEES PRRS ° eg en ee Oe Se eR een eee A a i iSY PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED present time there is marked thickening of the skin in the region of the blisters, with the redness anid discoloration still evident in the injured Breas. has been discharged from the hospital and has been allowed to go back to work in the technical area with spscifice instructions (1) to xvoid use of the left hand in any type of manual operation, and (2) to receive no further exposure to radiation until further notice from us, :SEASPRRSATES There vere no significant changes in the blood count, and the skin of the right hand appeared perfectly normal since the exposure. 3: This exposure ocourred on May 14, in the identical fashion oer ro as in the case of - It is believed that this exposure of the hands to radiation was considerably greater than that reported sbors. noted a tingling of his hands during ths operation and svelling and sone redness began two hours after exposure. At the time of his return to the Los Alamos Project on May 15, 1948, both hands were rather narkedly svollen and somewhat red. Blisters appeared on the first and-second fingers of the COPIED/DOF Exhibit I PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED2