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later.
It is 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 Ailinsinae group was nauseated.
No one in the Rongerik or Utirik group had gastrointestinal symptons.
CLINTCAL CRSERVATIONS A°D LeuxOcyT©é COGNTS
Between the 23rd and the 43rd post exposure day 10% of the individuels from
Rongelep had an absolute gramilocyte level of 1,000 per cubic millimeter or less.
The lowest count during this period was 700 per cubic millimeter.
During this
interval the advisability of prophylactic administration of antibiotics was seriously
considered.
However prophylactic administration of antibiotics vas not instituted
Tor the following reasons:
1)
All individuals vere under continuous medical observation so that
infection if it developed would have been discovered in its earlier stages. |
2)
Premature adsinistration of entibiotics might have obscured medical
indications for treatment, and might also have led to the development of drug resistant organisms in individuals with lowered resistance to infection,
3)
There wns no accurate kmowladge of the nuaber of granulocytes required
Dy man to vrevent infection with this type of granulocytopenia,
The observed situation was not strictly ccmparable to egranlocytosis with
cn aplastic marrow as seen following known lethal doses of radiation.
In the latter
instent, cranulocytes fall rapidly with practically none in the circuletion and no
evidence of cremiocyte regeneration when infection occurs.
In the present group
of individuals exposed to radiation, tost counts reached approximately 1/4 the normal
V2lue, but the tall to thst level was credual cond the presence of imnature eramilo-
extes in the peripheral blood curing the neriod of cranulocytcrenia was indicative
me new gram ocyte production,
Tre few individuals that received antibiotics
had conlitions that vould have been treated with antibiotics in the absence of any
IDOE aRcuyrs
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