A person exposed to a nuclear reactor accident may have acute, chronic and delayed adverse outcomes as a result. Follow-up must be lifelong.
Acute exposures can be severe, resulting in acute radiation sickness.
Common delayed effects of significant radiation exposure:
(1) thyroid cancer
(2) myelodysplasia and/or leukemia
(3) reduced growth if exposed as a child
(4) birth defects in offspring
A person with an exposure history may develop psychological problems including:
(1) depression
(2) sense of stigma
(3) cancer-related and/or radiation exposure anxiety
(4) psychosomatic complaints
The psychological issues may be significant even when the actual exposure is negligible.
A patient who has been exposed should have:
(1) regular clinical examinations
(2) regular testing including thyroid studies, routine chemical tests, complete blood cell count and urinalysis
(3) neuropsychiatric evaluation
