Recovery from Partial-Body X-Irradiation as Measured by the Lethality of Two Exposures

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Abstract
In a study of recovery from partial-body irradiation, the efficiencies of various shielding procedures were evaluated. A double wraparound shield, which was the most efficient, reduced the rate to about 1% of the outside dose at a distance of approximately 6 cm from the edge of the shield. These studies, together with appropriate dissections, have permitted estimates of dosages to various organs under the conditions of exposure employed. The LD50''s for upper-body, lower-body, and whole-body irradiation were 1750 r, 1080 r, and 750 r, respectively. By using two partial-body exposures to X-radiation, separated by various time intervals, the pattern of recovery (as measured by lethal effects) was determined for lower- and upper-body irradiation. Recovery from a lower-body exposure of 648 r can be expressed as a single exponential function with a half-recovery time of 1.7 days. Recovery from an upper-body exposure of 1300 r can be expressed by a single exponential with a half-recovery time of 7.0 days or by 2 exponentials, 1 with a half-recovery time of 3.8 days and the second with a half-recovery time of 7.5 days.