Page 738 - Radiation Safety

2 types of radiation exposure-induced injury can occur:

1. External Irradiation

• Body is exposed to penetrating radiation from an external source. This

radiation can be absorbed by the body or it can pass completely through.
The individual irradiated is not radioactive and can be treated like any other

patient.

2. Contamination (With Radioactive materials)

• The radioactive materials in the form of gases, liquids, or solids are released

into the environment and contaminate people externally, internally, or both.
An external surface of the body, such as the skin, can become

contaminated, and if radioactive materials get inside the body through the

lungs, gut, or wounds, the contaminant can become deposited internally.

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