Multi-organ involvement as a pathogenetic principle of the radiation syndromes: a study involving 110 case histories documented in SEARCH and classified as the bases of haematopoietic indicators of effect

Abstract

The purpose of this contribution is to analyse the extent and severity of radiation-induced multi-organ involvement (MOI) and multi-organ failure (MOF) following whole body exposure to ionising radiation in 110 patients who were involved in different radiation accidents that occurred between 1945 and 2000. The clinical case histories were documented systematically in SEARCH (System for Evaluation and Archiving of Radiation Accidents based on Case Histories), which was established by our group in collaboration with international experts. The consequences of radiation-induced MOI in these patients were examined for two severity-of-response categories. On the basis of early (days 1–10 following exposure) haematological signs and symptoms, 45 of the patients could be assigned to response category (RC) 4; 65 patients presented early haematological changes characteristic for RC 3. All patients assigned to RC 4 died within 60 days, whilst the patients in RC 3 survived the first 100 days owing to an autologous ha...