ACR Primer Prepares Medical Community for Radiation Events
Contact: Cary Boshamer
(703) 716-7540
E-mail: caryb@acr.org
Reston, Va. – With warnings of a "dirty bomb" threat dominating recent news headlines, the American College of Radiology emphasizes that thorough preparation is the key to responding properly to such a serious event.
In its role as the nation's principal organization of diagnostic and interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists and medical physicists, the ACR has published "Disaster Preparedness for Radiology Professionals: Response to Radiological Terrorism." This 39-page primer serves as a quick reference in the event of a radiation disaster and summarizes current information on preparing for a radiation emergency, handling contaminated persons and radiation exposure health effects. In addition, the primer includes information on radiological findings related to agents of biological and chemical terrorism.
"A radiation disaster is a possibility for which we must be prepared," says Arl Van Moore Jr., M.D., chairman of the ACR Task Force on Disaster Planning. "However, there are a lot of public misconceptions about the radiation effects associated with such an event."
"As radiologists, we must be the source of accurate information for patients, the public and the medical community," Moore affirms. "The ACR is working closely with other organizations, such as the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, to allay unwarranted fears and provide accurate information."
The primer and the ACR Disaster Preparedness Web page, available at www.acr.org, are "living documents" and will be updated as new information is available. A printed edition of the primer will be available in the coming months.
The ACR is a national organization serving more than 32,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of radiology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services