National surveillance for radiological exposures and intentional potassium iodide and iodine product ingestions in the United States associated with the 2011 Japan radiological incident

Abstract

Background-In March of 2011, an earthquake struck Japan causing a tsunami that resulted in a radiological release from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Surveillance for potential radiological and any iodine/iodide product exposures was initiated on the National Poison Data System (NPDS) to target public health messaging needs within the United States (US). Our objectives are to describe self-reported exposures to radiation, potassium iodide (KI) and other iodine/iodide products which occurred during the US federal response and discuss its public health impact.

On the Role of Poison Centers in Radiation Emergency Preparedness and Response Activities: Findings of the “Radiation Emergencies Public Health Roundtable” (Atlanta, GA—August 2012)

“…The system provides near real-time monitoring of call frequency and exposures reported to PCs. This capability was employed during the Japan nuclear power plant response when the database was used to identify issues raised by the general public and to create targeted public health messages to address these concerns [1]. NPDS also has been used to identify outbreaks of illness with public health significance [10].…”

“…The nation's poison centers (PCs), particularly those on the West Coast, received 400 calls requesting information about protective actions for contamination with radioactive material and exposure to ionizing radiation. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) experts analyzed PC call data through the National Poison Data System (NPDS) in order to target communication messages effectively [1].…”

“…This paper briefly summarizes the roundtable and its main findings; a full report is available online at CDC's radiation emergencies Web portal. 1 …”

Emergency Department Management of Patients Internally Contaminated with Radioactive Material

“…These actions can cause harm to patients and need to be mitigated by proactive public health messaging. 51 …”

The role of toxicologists and poison centers during and after a nuclear power plant emergency

“…2 In March and April 2011, a number of CDC toxicologists participated in the Japan Earthquake response in various roles while poison centers provided public health partners with daily updates on radiation exposure and information based on queries relating to radiation exposure and the use of potassium iodide. 3 The role of poison centers in a nuclear power plant or other radiation emergency is well supported by a long and successful record of involvement during other public health incidents that range from infectious disease epidemics like West Nile virus to environmental disasters like the British Petroleum oil spill. In a radiation emergency, poison centers can educate callers about the proper use of medical countermeasures or antidotes, monitor for patterns of use and misuse of these therapies, and detect potential secondary adverse events from their use.…”