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Acute Radiation Syndromes
A high whole-body dose in a short time: marrow fails first, then the gut, then the central nervous system.
The rule
Acute radiation syndrome, also called radiation sickness, follows a large whole-body dose delivered in a short time, minutes to hours. It is a deterministic response with a threshold. It has followed nuclear accidents and bombings, never diagnostic radiography. It runs through four stages: the prodromal stage of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea within hours; a latent period when the person feels well; manifest illness; and finally recovery or death.