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Psychiatric disorders in rescue workers after the Oklahoma City bombing.

OBJECTIVE: Psychiatric disorders were studied in a volunteer group of 181 firefighters who served as rescue/recovery workers after the Oklahoma City bombing. METHOD: Approximately 34 months after the disaster, the authors retrospectively assessed psychopathology both before and after the bombing with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Findings for male rescue workers were compared with those of male primary victims who had been in the direct path of the blast and who had been assessed with the same instrument. RESULTS: The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder related to the bombing was significantly lower in male rescue workers (13%) than in male primary victims (23%). High rates of alcohol disorders (postdisaster: 24%; lifetime: 47%) were seen among all rescue workers, with virtually no new cases occurring after the bombing. CONCLUSIONS: The resilience seen in firefighters may be related to their career selection, their preparedness and experience, the fewer injuries they suffered, and postdisaster mental health interventions. However, alcohol disorders were endemic before the disaster, indicating a need for ongoing programs targeting this problem.

Adult↗

Traumatic reactions as predictors of posttraumatic stress six months after the Oklahoma City bombing.

OBJECTIVE: This study attempted to identify remembered reactions of Oklahoma City residents at the time of the April 1995 terrorist bombing that predicted later development of posttraumatic stress symptoms. METHODS: Eighty-six adults who sought help for distress related to the bombing six months after it occurred completed a survey about demographic characteristics, level of exposure to the event, symptoms of grief, retrospective reports of reactions at the time of the trauma, current posttraumatic stress symptoms, and coping strategies. To identify immediate bombing reactions predictive of later distress, retrospective reports of reactions to the trauma were correlated with current posttraumatic stress symptoms. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine which reactions predicted the emergence of posttraumatic stress symptoms. RESULTS: Reactions of being nervous and being upset by how other people acted when the bombing occurred accounted for about one-third of the total variation in posttraumatic stress symptom scores and thus were major predictors of posttraumatic stress. CONCLUSIONS: These results differ from those of other studies in which peritraumatic dissociation, or dissociation at the time of the event, was more predictive than anxiety for developing later distress. The results suggest that persons who experience significant anxiety at the time of the traumatic event may continue to experience distress. Those who are overly concerned about others' actions may be showing diminished interpersonal trust, evidence of terrorism's ability to erode social harmony.

Adult↗

Terrorist bombing.

Bombings and explosion incidents directed against innocent civilians are the primary instrument of global terror. In the present review we highlight the major observations and lessons learned from these events. Five mechanisms of blast injury are outlined and the different type of injury that they cause is described. Indeed, the consequences of terror bombings differ from those of non-terrorism trauma in severity and complexity of injury, and constitute a new class of casualties that differ from those of conventional trauma. The clinical implications of terror bombing, in treatment dilemmas in the multidimensional injury, ancillary evaluation and handling of terror bombing mass casualty event are highlighted. All this leads to the conclusion that thorough medical preparedness to cope with this new epidemic is required, and that understanding of detonation and blast dynamics and how they correlate with the injury patterns is pivotal for revision of current mass casualty protocols.

Journal Article↗

Comparison of post-disaster psychiatric disorders after terrorist bombings in Nairobi and Oklahoma City.

BACKGROUND: African disaster-affected populations are poorly represented in disaster mental health literature. AIMS: To compare systematically assessed mental health in populations directly exposed to terrorist bombing attacks on two continents, North America and Africa. METHOD: Structured diagnostic interviews compared citizens exposed to bombings of the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya (n=227) and the Oklahoma City Federal Building (n=182). RESULTS: Prevalence rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression were similar after the bombings. No incident (new since the bombing) alcohol use disorders were observed in either site. Symptom group C was strongly associated with PTSD in both sites. The Nairobi group relied more on religious support and the Oklahoma City group used more medical treatment, drugs and alcohol. CONCLUSIONS: Post-disaster psychopathology had many similarities in the two cultures; however, coping responses and treatment were quite different. The findings suggest potential for international generalisability of post-disaster psychopathology, but confirmatory studies are needed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Organ doses received by atomic bomb survivors during radiological examinations at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation.

When evaluating the risks of oncogenesis and cancer mortality following exposure to the radiations of the atomic bombs (A-bombs), the medical X-ray doses received by the A-bomb survivors must also be estimated and considered. Using a human phantom, dosimetry was performed to estimate the X-ray doses received by A-bomb survivors during medical examinations at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) as part of the long-term follow-up on the Adult Health Study (AHS). These examinations have been estimated to represent nearly 45% of the survivors' cumulative medical irradiation dose. Doses to the salivary glands, thyroid gland, lung, breast, stomach and colon were measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters. The results, which are reported here, will aid in estimating organ doses received by individual AHS participants.

Abdomen↗

Incidence of skin cancer among Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors (preliminary report).

Among a total of 65,268 Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors recorded in the Scientific Data Center of Atomic Bomb Disaster, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 140 cases with skin cancer were collected from 31 hospitals in Nagasaki City from 1961 through 1987. Subsequently, these cases of skin cancer in Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors were statistically analyzed in relation to the estimated distance from the hypocenter by age, sex, histology and latent period. The results were as follows: 1. A high correlation was observed between the incidence of skin cancer and the distance from the hypocenter. 2. The incidence of skin cancer in Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors now appears to be increasing in relation to exposure distance. 3. Among 140 cases, basal cell epithelioma was observed in 67 cases (47.9%) and squamous cell carcinoma in 43 cases (30.7%).

Basal Cell Carcinoma↗

Risk of cancer among atomic bomb survivors.

This report describes the risk of cancer and in particular cancers other than leukemia among the survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Attention focuses primarily on the risk of death from cancer among individuals in the Life Span Study sample of the Radiation Effect Research Foundation in the period 1950-1985 based on the recently revised dosimetry, termed the DS86 doses. Mortality from malignant tumors is increased among A-bomb survivors as a late effect of A-bomb radiation. Besides the well-known increase of leukemia, there also has been demonstrated increase of cancer of the lung, breast, esophagus, stomach, colon, ovary, urinary bladder, thyroid, and of multiple myeloma, but no increase has yet been observed in mortality from cancer of the rectum, gallbladder, pancreas, prostate and uterus, and of malignant lymphoma. The pattern of appearance over time of radiation-induced cancer other than leukemia differs from that of leukemia. In general, radiation-induced solid cancer begins to appear after attaining the age at which the cancer is normally prone to develop (so-called cancer age), and continues to increase proportionately with the increase in mortality of the control group as it ages. Sensitivity to radiation, in terms of cancer induction, is higher for persons who were young at the time of the bomb (ATB) in general than for those who were older ATB. Furthermore, susceptibility to radiation-induced cancer tends to be higher in pre- than in post-natally exposed survivors (at least those exposed as adults). Other radiation effect modifiers and the shape of the dose response curve will also be discussed.

Humans↗

Monitoring exposure to atomic bomb radiation by somatic mutation.

Atomic bomb survivors are a population suitable for studying the relationship between somatic mutation and cancer risk because their exposure doses are relatively well known and their dose responses in terms of cancer risk have also been thoroughly studied. An analysis has been made of erythrocyte glycophorin A (GPA) gene mutations in 1,226 atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The GPA mutation frequency (Mf) increased slightly but significantly with age at the time of measurement and with the number of cigarettes smoked. After adjustment for the effect of smoking, the Mf was significantly higher in males than in females and higher in Hiroshima than in Nagasaki. All of these characteristics of the background GPA Mf were in accord with those of solid tumor incidence obtained from an earlier epidemiological study of A-bomb survivors. Analysis of the dose effect on Mf revealed the doubling dose to be about 1.20 Sv and the minimum dose for detection of a significant increase to be about 0.24 Sv. No significant dose effect for difference in sex, city, or age at the time of bombing was observed. Interestingly, the doubling dose for the GPA Mf approximated that for solid cancer incidence (1.59 Sv). And the minimum dose for detection was not inconsistent with the data for solid cancer incidence. The dose effect was significantly higher in those diagnosed with cancer before or after measurement than in those without a history of cancer. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that somatic mutations are the main cause of excess cancer risk from radiation exposure.

Adult↗

A-bomb data: detection of bias in the Life Span Study cohort.

By drawing a distinction between A-bomb survivors with and without bomb-related injuries, it was possible to see that instead of the Life Span Study (LSS) cohort being a normal, homogenous population, there were significant differences between survivors with and without multiple injuries, and that these differences occurred largely among survivors who were under 10 or over 50 years of age when exposed. There also was a concentration of A-bomb-related injuries among survivors who eventually developed leukemia. So it is possible that deaths before 1950 had left the LSS cohort permanently biased in favor of persons who had high levels of resistance to all (early and late) effects of radiation. It is also possible that the high proportion of leukemia cases among the deaths of A-bomb survivors from 1950 to 1970 were because the radiation caused an initial leukocytosis followed by loss of immunologic competence.

Adolescent↗

The nuclear bomb: a concretization and erotization of power.

This article contends that the nuclear bomb is the concrete representation of an archaic idealizing system. It uses concepts published by Atwood and Stolorow (1984) to demonstrate how the bomb is no protection at all to our national defense; rather it compensates for empty or poorly developed psychological structure and function of individual and group. The continued proliferation of the bomb--some 70,000 at last count--despite the knowledge that just a few can obliterate our world is testimonial to the need for a concrete and visible mound of weapons. Since this need can never be satisfied by these means, there can never be enough bombs to be sufficient. The article extends the concept of this faulty or absent development of psychological structure to the weakening or loss of primary affiliative bonding between individuals and groups, which has psychohistorical roots. Three historical developments intertwine and reinforce one another: (1) the isolation of national defense to weapons and war; (2) the evolution of a modern science based on a duality between body (affects) and mind (cognition) and contributing to sexual polarization, in which masculinity has been identified with valued objectivity and femininity has been identified with devalued affiliative affects; (3) the equation of sex and aggression with power and their use as substitutes for derailed development of affiliative needs and functions.

Erotica↗

T-cell responses to mitogens in atomic bomb survivors: a decreased capacity to produce interleukin 2 characterizes the T cells of heavily irradiated individuals.

Significant decreases in the fraction of lymphocytes that are CD4(+) and increases in serum levels of some classes of immunoglobulin have been reported to occur in atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors and in victims of the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident. To investigate the long-term effects of nuclear radiation on cellular immunity in more detail, we used limiting dilution assays with peripheral blood mononuclear cell preparations to analyze the T-cell responses of 251 A-bomb survivors exposed to less than 0.005 Gy and 159 survivors exposed to more than 1.5 Gy. The percentages of CD2-positive cells that were capable of proliferating in response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in the presence of exogenous interleukin 2 (IL2) did not differ substantially between distally exposed and more heavily exposed survivors. The heavily exposed survivors appeared to possess fewer T cells that were capable of proliferating in response to concanavalin A (Con A) or of producing interleukin 2. Assuming that CD4 T cells were the ones primarily responsible for producing IL2 in response to Con A, we were able to estimate how many cells in any given CD4 T-cell population were actually producing IL2. The results indicated that peripheral blood samples from heavily exposed survivors contained significantly fewer IL2-producing CD4 T cells than did similar samples from distally exposed survivors, indicating that significant exposure to A-bomb radiation may have a long-lasting negative effect on the capacity of CD4 T-cell populations to produce IL2.

Adult↗

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among atomic bomb survivors.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers increased with atomic bomb radiation dose, and whether radiation decreased the ability to clear HBV among the atomic bomb survivors. The study subjects were 6,121 participants in the Adult Health Study of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After adjustment for age, sex, city and potential confounders, the rates of seropositivity for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), indicating current HBV infections, and anti-hepatitis B core antibody, indicating either cured or current infections, increased with radiation dose. However, no relationship was observed between radiation and anti-hepatitis B surface antibody (indicating cured infection). The proportion of persons who were unable to clear the virus, as the proportion of HBsAg-positive persons among those ever infected by HBV (positive for HBsAg or surface or core hepatitis B antibody), increased significantly with radiation dose among those receiving blood transfusions. This proportion was not related to dose among those who reported no such transfusions. The findings may suggest a lower likelihood of clearance after HBV infection among those who were more likely to have been infected with HBV as adults after atomic bomb irradiation rather than as infants or adults prior to irradiation.

Adult↗

Relation between both oxidative and metabolic-osmotic cell damages and initial injury severity in bombing casualties.

BACKGROUND/AIM: We have recently reported the development of oxidative cell damages in bombing casualties within a very early period after the initial injury. The aim of this study, was to investigate malondialdehyde (MDA), as an indicator of lipid peroxidation, and osmolal gap (OG), as a good indicator of metabolic cell damages and to assess their relationship with the initial severity of the injury in bombing casualties. METHODS: The study included the males (n = 52), injured during the bombing with the Injury Severity Score (ISS) ranging from 3 to 66. The whole group of casualties was devided into a group of less severely (ISS < 25, n = 24) and a group of severely (ISS > or = 26, n = 28) injured males. The uninjured volunteers (n = 10) were the controls. Osmolality, MDA, sodium, glucose, urea, creatinine, total bilirubin and total protein levels were measured in the venous blood, sampled daily, within a ten-day period. RESULTS: In both groups of casualties, MDA and OG levels increased, total protein levels decreased, while other parameters were within the control limits. MDA alterations correlated with ISS (r = 0.414, p < 0.01), while a statistically significant correlation between OG and ISS was not obtained. Interestingly, in spite of some differences in MDA and OG trends, at the end of the examined period they were at the similar level in both groups. CONCLUSION: The initial oxidative damages of the cellular membrane with intracellular metabolic disorders contributed to the gradual development of metabolic-osmotic damages of cells, which, consequently caused the OG increase. In the bombing casualties, oxidative cell damages were dependent on the initial injury severity, while metabolic-osmotic cell damages were not.

Adult↗

Decreased proportion of CD4 T cells in the blood of atomic bomb survivors with myocardial infarction.

Epidemiological studies of the atomic bomb survivors have suggested dose-related increases in mortality from diseases other than cancer. Cardiovascular disease is one such noncancer disease for which increases in both mortality and incidence have been found to be associated with radiation dose. Immunological studies have revealed long-term impairment of T-cell-mediated immunity, especially involving deficiencies of CD4 helper T cells, in atomic bomb survivors. In the present study, we investigated whether decreases in CD4 T cells were associated with myocardial infarction in atomic bomb survivors. Of 1,006 survivors examined to determine the proportion of CD4 T cells in peripheral blood lymphocytes, 18 persons had a history of myocardial infarction. The proportion of CD4 T cells was significantly decreased with increased radiation dose [corrected]. Further, the prevalence of myocardial infarction was significantly greater in individuals with a lower proportion of CD4 T cells. These results suggest that myocardial infarction in atomic bomb survivors may be associated with defects in CD4 helper T cells.

Aged↗

[Chromosome 1 abnormalities at band 1p32 in two atomic bomb survivors with myelodysplastic syndrome].

We reported on 2 atomic bomb survivors(a 60-year-old man and 63-year-old woman)suffering myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS) associated with 1p32 chromosomal abnormalities. They were exposed to atomic bomb radiation at distances of 1.2 and 1.1 km, respectively, and were given a diagnosis of MDS 44 and 46 years after the bombing, respectively. The male patient had refractory anemia(RA) and a bone marrow cell karyotype of 46, XY, del(1)(p22p32), t(8;11)(p11;p15). The female patient had RA with excess of blasts (RAEB) and a karyotype of 45, X, -X, t(1;11)(p32;q23), +del(1)(p32), inv(3) (p21q27), del(5)(q15), -6, -9, -19, +mar 1, +mar 2. Multi-separated nuclear megakaryocytes were observed in both patients. These findings suggested that they had been exposed to radiation near the atomic explosion despite the fact that their symptoms of MDS developed more than 40 years after the bombing. 1p32 is known to be the locus of the TAL1 gene. However, Southern blot analysis did not reveal rearrangement of the TAL1 gene in the male patient.

Chromosome Aberrations↗

The course of post-traumatic stress disorder after the Oklahoma City bombing.

Oklahoma City bombing survivors (N = 182) were studied 6 months post-bombing and reassessed approximately 1 year later (N = 141) to determine the longitudinal course of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric disorders. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule assessed lifetime, current, predisaster, and post-bombing psychiatric diagnoses at both assessment points. One-third of the Oklahoma City bombing survivors had PTSD at index, and similar rates were diagnosed at follow-up. More recovery from depression was apparent than from PTSD. No delayed onset PTSD was observed, and all PTSD was chronic. Avoidance and numbing symptoms were dominant in defining the development of PTSD. Early onset and chronicity of PTSD indicate need for prompt and long-term intervention after disasters. Focus on avoidance and numbing symptoms may aid in identification of individuals needing intervention and monitoring the course of PTSD.

Female↗

Homemade chemical bomb events and resulting injuries--selected states, January 1996-March 2003.

Homemade chemical bombs (HCBs), also known as acid bombs, bottle bombs, and MacGyver bombs, are explosive devices that can be made easily from volatile household chemicals (e.g., toilet bowl, drain, and driveway cleaners) purchased at a local hardware or grocery store. When these and other ingredients are combined and shaken in a capped container, the internal gas pressure generated from the chemical reaction causes the container to expand and explode. The subsequent explosion can cause injuries or death to persons in the immediate vicinity of the detonation. Since 1996, some of the states participating in the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)'s Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES) system have been documenting HCB events. This report describes examples of HCB events, summarizes all reported HCB events, discusses associated injuries, and suggests injury-prevention methods.

Adolescent↗

Dr. Lytle Adams' incendiary "bat bomb" of World War II.

On December 7, 1941, a 60-year old dentist from Irwin, Pennsylvania, Dr. Lytle S. Adams, was driving home from a vacation at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Hours earlier, he had been gripped with amazement as he witnessed millions of bats exiting the caves of Carlsbad. Listening to his car radio on his return trip, he was shocked to hear that Japan had just attacked Pearl Harbor. Dr. Adams, outraged over this travesty, began to mentally construct a plan for U.S. retaliation. As his thoughts returned to the countless bats that had awed him, he formed a tentative plan: millions of these small, flying mammals could be connected to tiny, time-fused incendiary bombs, and then released to land on the flimsily constructed structures which dotted the cities of Japan. Within a few minutes, the bombs would explode and enflame the entire urban areas. He postulated that these immeasurable numbers of fires, spreading their devastation over such vast areas within Japanese cities would result in the enemy's speedy surrender. This article documents the futile efforts of Dr. Adams, his team and the U.S. government to develop and employ an effective, incendiary bat bomb. The recently developed atom bomb, a far more deadly weapon was used in its place.

Animals↗