Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS)- Also Known as Radiation Sickness

• People exposed to radiation will develop ARS only if all the following are true:
  • The radiation dose was high
  • The radiation was penetrating (i.e., able to reach internal organs, as with x-rays or gamma rays)
  • The person's entire body, or most of it, received the dose
  • The radiation was received in a short time, usually within minutes
• Clinical severity of the four ARS subsyndromes will vary with dose and host factors:
  • Hematopoietic
  • Gastrointestinal
  • Cutaneous
  • Neurovascular

Adapted from Acute Radiation Syndrome (HHS/CDC)

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