Is It a Radiological or Nuclear Incident?- Radiation Emergency Medical Management

Is It a Radiological or Nuclear Incident?

Key
- Nuclear incidents involve detonation of a nuclear device whereas radiological incidents produce radiation without detonation of a nuclear device.
Radiological incidents
- Victim can have contamination and/or exposure
- Examples:
  - Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD): explosive/non-explosive
  - Hidden radioactive source: radiological exposure device (RED)
Nuclear incidents (blast, detonation, explosion)
- Involves a nuclear explosion (fission)
- Victims can have contamination and/or exposure
- Examples:
  - Nuclear weapon detonation
  - Improvised Nuclear Device detonation