Radiation Event Medical Management (REMM): Website Guidance for Health Care Providers

Abstract

Planning for andexercising the medical response to potential chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, andexplosive (CBRNE) terrorist events are new responsibilities for most health care providers. Among potential CBRNE events, radiological and/or nuclear (rad/nuc) events are thought to have received the least attention from health care providers andplanners. To assist clinicians, the U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services (HHS) has created a new, innovative tool kit, the Radiation Event Medical Management (REMM) web portal (http://remm.nlm.gov). Goals of REMM include providing (1) algorithm-style, evidence-based, guidance about clinical diagnosis andtreatment during mass casualty rad/nuc events; (2) just-in-time, peer-reviewed, usable information supported by sufficient background material andcontext to make complex diagnosis andmanagement issues understandable to those without formal radiation medicine expertise; (3) a zip-file of complete web portal files downloadable in advance so the site would be available offline without an Internet connection; (4) a concise collection of the printable, key documents that can be taken into the field during an event; (5) a framework for medical teams andindividuals to initiate rad/nuc planning andtraining; and(6) an extensive bibliography of key, peer-reviewed, andofficial guidance documents relevant to rad/nuc responses. Since its launch, REMM has been well received by individual responders andteams across the country andinternationally. It has been accessed extensively, particularly during training exercises. Regular content updates andaddition of new features are ongoing. The article reviews the development of REMM andsome of its key content areas, features, andplans for future development.

Keywords:

• radiological event
• nuclear event
• terrorism
• improvised nuclear device
• radiological dispersal device
• acute radiation syndrome
• medical countermeasures
• radiation exposure
• radiation contamination
• biodosimetry