U.S. Unprepared for Major Radiation Emergency: Survey

U.S. Unprepared for Major Radiation Emergency: Survey
Lack of comprehensive response plans puts public health at risk in many states, experts say

 

From a March 15 Health Day news article by Robert Preidt

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) — Most U.S. states are poorly prepared to deal with a major nuclear plant crisis such as the one now unfolding in Japan, suggests a survey of state health departments.

The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists said that “38 (76 percent) of state health departments responded to the [2010] survey, including 26 of the 31 states with nuclear power plants.”

The findings were published online March 14 in a special supplemental issue of the journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. [ This issue is freely available to all online ]***

Click here for the rest of the Health Day news article

A few of the surveys findings

• Thirty-eight (76%) state health departments responded to the survey, including 26 of the 31 states with nuclear power plants.
• Specific strengths noted at the state level included that the majority of states had a written radiation response plan and most plans include a detailed section for communicationsissues during a radiation emergency.
• In addition, more than half of the states indicated that their relationship with federal partners is sufficient to provide resources for radiation emergencies, indicating the importance states placed on federal resources and expertise.
• Specific weaknesses are discussed and include that most states had completed little to no planning for public health surveillance to assess potential human health impacts of a radiation event; less than half had written plans to address exposure assessment, environmental sampling, human specimen collection and analysis, and human health assessment.
• Few reported having sufficient resources to do public health surveillance, radiation exposure assessment, laboratory functions and other capabilities.

 

*** Other articles in this special supplemental issue include

• [Editorial]Italo Subbarao and James J. James

Nuclear Preparedness
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 2011 v. 5, p. S8-S10. [Full Text] [PDF]

• [Review Article]  Andrea L. DiCarlo, Carmen Maher, John L. Hick, Dan Hanfling, Nicholas Dainiak, Nelson Chao, Judith L. Bader, C. Norman Coleman, and David M. Weinstock

Radiation Injury After a Nuclear Detonation: Medical Consequences and the Need for Scarce Resources Allocation
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 2011 v. 5, p. S32-S44. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
• Andrea L. DiCarlo, Carmen Maher, John L. Hick, Dan Hanfling, Nicholas Dainiak, Nelson Chao, Judith L. Bader, C. Norman Coleman, and David M. Weinstock
  Radiation Injury After a Nuclear Detonation: Medical Consequences and the Need for Scarce Resources Allocation
  Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 2011 v. 5, p. S32-S44. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

• Evan B. Douple, Kiyohiko Mabuchi, Harry M. Cullings, Dale L. Preston, Kazunori Kodama, Yukiko Shimizu, Saeko Fujiwara, and Roy E. Shore

Long-term Radiation-Related Health Effects in a Unique Human Population: Lessons Learned from the Atomic Bomb Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 2011 v. 5, p. S122-S133. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

• Daniel Dodgen, Ann E. Norwood, Steven M. Becker, Jon T. Perez, and Cynthia K. Hansen

  Social, Psychological, and Behavioral Responses to a Nuclear Detonation in a US City: Implications for Health Care Planning and Delivery
  Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 2011 v. 5, p. S54-S64. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Protein Food Dietary Information from the USDA

The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has good dietary information summaries  on protein foods.

Links on the page guide readers to information on vegetarian choices, what counts as an ounce, tips for making wise choices, and the roles of various nutrients in this group (as Vitamin E as an antioxidant)

 

From the USDA Web site Protein Foods

What foods are in the protein foods group?

All foods made from meat, poultry, fish, dry beans or peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds are considered part of the protein foods group. Dry beans and peas are part of this group as well as the vegetable group. For more information on dry beans and peas click here.

Most meat and poultry choices should be lean or low-fat. Fish, nuts, and seeds contain healthy oils, so choose these foods frequently instead of meat or poultry. (See Why is it important to include fish, nuts, and seeds?)

Some commonly eaten choices in the protein foods group, with selection tips, are: [listing at the Web site]

 

 

The 

link at this Web site has pictures  (marked in inches) of  serving portions along with their related meat/bean daily equivalents.

For example

 

Salmon steak — 8 ounces cooked weight
Meat and Beans Group: counts as 8 ounce equivalents meat and beans
	Previous

 

 

 

The USDA also has similar information on other Food Groups.

 

 

 

Related Articles

• Meat Will Get New Nutrition Labels (webmd.com)
• New USDA Dietary Guidelines (released January 31, 2011) (Flahiff blog)

Japan Disasters Topic Page from the US National Library of Medicine (NLM)

Japan Disasters Topic Page from the US National Library of Medicine (NLM)

From the NLM-TOX-ENVIRO-HEALTH-L listserv (Week of  March 15)

A new page of links to information on Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, and Radiation Event – March 2011 is now available at http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/japan2011.html.

The resources on this page may help with understanding the health issues related to the devastating Japan earthquake, tsunami, and possible nuclear power plant disruptions. Resources from the National Library of Medicine, US federal agencies, and other key resources are listed for responders, health professionals, and the general public.

A reminder of the clinician tools for radiation emergency management

Clinicians who need to learn about assessing and managing radiation emergencies are urged to use the Radiation Emergency Medical Management (REMM) web site at http://remm.nlm.gov. Selected key files from REMM are also available for downloading on mobile devices from http://www.remm.nlm.gov/downloadmremm.htm. The entire REMM web site can be downloaded to a laptop or desktop computer for use where there is no Internet connection.

Related Articles

• Emergency Access Initiative Activated for Japan (aa47.wordpress.com)
• Crude oil spills added to NLM Disaster Information Resources site (asawusch.wordpress.com)
• Japan earthquake – disaster relief information sources (openmedicine.ca)