Combined hardware--software considerations for triage of internally contaminated personnel.

Medical response to a radiological emergency involves first assessing, triaging and treating trauma, followed by determining potential hazard from radiological intake. A combined hardware-software strategy is required for this mission. The hardware strategy should consist of a dedicated detector suite capable of alpha, beta and gamma radiation detection, identification and quantification suitable for order of magnitude dose assessment. The hardware platform should provide a simple user interface suitable for field deployment. The software should provide first-on-the-scene responders with the ability to perform radiological triage in a mass casualty type event, physicians with the ability to assign treatment regimes, and long-term care medical personnel with information to provide continual risk reassessment of the patient taking into account toxicology of the decorporation therapy and dose aversion. The software should be rich in data, yet accessible through a simple user interface. Practicing in a radiological emergency exercise environment with the equipment is crucial to its efficacy in a real emergency.