Acute Effects of Total Body Irradiation (TBI)

Abstract

Total body irradiation effects depend on the dose. At TBI doses of 1 Gy or more, individuals may experience a prodromal reaction involving fatigue, anorexia and vomiting. At doses of 2.5 Gy or more, individuals may die from the hematopoietic syndrome. They can sometimes be rescued through supportive care and stem cell transplant. At doses of 10 Gy or more, individuals will manifest symptoms of the gastrointestinal syndrome, causing death within 3–10 days. At very high doses, the cerebrovascular syndrome results in death within 24–48 h. There are various methods to estimate total body exposure, but treatment typically consists of isolation, antibiotics, and fluids or blood products as necessary.