Medical response in a nuclear or radiological emergency

12FICHE MEDICAL RESPONSE STRATEGY General conditions of response Medical-surgical urgencies take priority over the treatment of contamination and irradiation: this principle applies whenever responding to a radiological or nuclear (RN) emergency, whether it involves one or more victims. As for the medical response strategy, it must comply with the criteria set out below. Mutual exchange of information between emergency services The information must be exchanged mutually between the emergency response and the emergency medical services (there are four different emergency service phone numbers in France: 15 (SAMU), 17 (Police/Gendarmerie), 18 (Fire Brigade) and 112 (European emergency number). These services trigger their respective response means according to pre-established contingency and emergency care plans (defining of a First Destination Area (FDA) and a Resources Assembly Area (RAA). Sending of a trained and equipped medical team After medical regulation and confirmation of the nature of the event (explosion, chemical accident, etc.), sending a trained and equipped medical team enables urgent medical and resuscitation treatments to be ensured without delay. This team has active dosimeters for the persons potentially exposed to radiation. Medical monitoring of the response actions The regulating physician of the regionally competent Emergency Medical Assistance Service (SAMU) ensures the medical monitoring of the response. He or she refers in particular to this “Medical Response Guide for Nuclear or Radiological Emergencies”. Depending on the scale of the event, a physician capable of fulfilling the functions of Medical Operational Coordinator (MOC) may be sent to the site to manage the event in collaboration with the zone SAMU. Intervention of a SMUR team trained for the RN risk A team from the Mobile Emergency and Resuscitation Service (SMUR) or the Rapid Response Health Unit (RRHU) trained for the RN risk intervenes, assisted if necessary by a specialist in nuclear medicine and a Radiation Protection Expert (RPE) from the same facility or, if necessary, a person from the Regional Reference Hospital for the RN risk (RRH RN). Inter-personnel collaboration It the intervention takes place on an industrial site classified as representing a “radiological or nuclear risk” (such as the nuclear power plants), there must be effective collaboration between the medical team and the personnel present on the site, especially the occupational medicine and radiation protection personnel. Scaling up the response organisation Scaling up of the response organisation must be considered on the basis of the situation assessment established by the first medical team on the site in collaboration with the zone SAMU and the RRHH RN. 15 17 18 112 02 SHEET 14 MEDICAL RESPONSE IN NUCLEAR OR RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY

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