Ann Occup Environ Med.  2018 ;30(1):59. 10.1186/s40557-018-0270-8.

Acute radiation syndrome in a non-destructive testing worker: a case report

• Ahn JS
• Moon JD
• Kang W
• Lim HM
• Cho S
• Lim DY
• Park WJ

• KMID: 2428625
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-018-0270-8

Abstract

BACKGROUND
In Korea, there were repeated radiation exposure accidents among non-destructive testing workers. Most of the cases involved local injury, such as radiation burns or hematopoietic cancer. Herein, we report a case of acute radiation syndrome caused by short periods of high exposure to ionizing radiation.
CASE PRESENTATION
In January 2017, Korea Information System on Occupational Exposure (KISOE) found that a 31-year-old man who had worked in a non-destructive testing company had been overexposed to radiation. The patient complained of symptoms of anorexia, general weakness, prostration, and mild dizziness for several days. He was anemic. The venous injection areas had bruises and bleeding tendency. Blood and bone marrow testing showed pancytopenia and the patient was diagnosed with acute radiation syndrome (white blood cells: 1400/cubic mm, hemoglobin: 7.1 g/dL, platelets: 14000/cubic mm). He was immediately prohibited from working and blood transfusion was commenced. The patient's radiation exposure dose was over 1.4 Gy (95% confidence limits: 1.1-1.6) in lymphocyte depletion kinetics. It was revealed that the patient had been performing non-destructive tests without radiation shielding when working in high places of the large pipe surface.
CONCLUSIONS
Exposure prevention is clearly possible in radiation-exposed workers. Strict legal amendments to safety procedures are essential to prevent repeated radiation exposure accidents.

Keyword

Acute radiation syndrome; Non-destructive testing; Pancytopenia; Radiation

MeSH Terms

Acute Radiation Syndrome*
Adult
Anorexia
Blood Cells
Blood Transfusion
Bone Marrow
Burns
Contusions
Dizziness
Hemorrhage
Humans
Information Systems
Kinetics
Korea
Lymphocyte Depletion
Occupational Exposure
Pancytopenia
Radiation Exposure
Radiation, Ionizing