Acute Radiation Death Resulting from an Accidental Nuclear Critical Excursion

Archive description

The purpose of this report is a study of the effects of one particular radiation accident which occurred on december 30, 1958 in the los alamos scientific laboratory. It involves the largest accidental dose of radiation received by a human (worker k). Two other workers at the laboratory received total doses of approximately 35 to 130 rads, most of this being gamma radiation. The individual was exposed to approximately 12,000 rads to his upper extremities. K went into shock and was unconscious within a few minutes of the accident. The individual died 35 hours later. The most dramatic clinicopathological changes were observed in the hemopoietic and urinary systems. Lymphocytes were not found in the circulating blood after the eighth hour, and there was virtually complete urinary shutdown despite administration of large amounts of fluids. Discussions of gross and microscopic pathology, distribution of plutonium in the man's body, and dosimetry are also included.