title: GHSI EMERGENCY RADIONUCLIDE BIOASSAY LABORATORY NETWORK: SUMMARY OF A RECENT EXERCISE.
abstract: The Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) established a laboratory network within the GHSI community to develop their collective surge capacity for radionuclide bioassay in response to a radiological or nuclear emergency. A recent exercise was conducted to test the participating laboratories for their capabilities in screening and in vitro assay of biological samples, performing internal dose assessment and providing advice on medical intervention, if necessary, using a urine sample spiked with a single radionuclide,241Am. The laboratories were required to submit their reports according to the exercise schedule and using pre-formatted templates. Generally, the participating laboratories were found to be capable with respect to rapidly screening samples for radionuclide contamination, measuring the radionuclide in the samples, assessing the intake and radiation dose, and providing advice on medical intervention. However, gaps in bioassay measurement and dose assessment have been identified. The network may take steps to ensure that procedures and practices within this network be harmonised and a follow-up exercise be organised on a larger scale, with potential participation of laboratories from the networks coordinated by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization.
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada li.chunsheng@hc-sc.gc.ca.
authors.forename: Chunsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.affiliation: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Saint Paul Les Durance cedex, France.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartizel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiation Protection, ENEA, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Battisti
authors.affiliation: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Saint Paul Les Durance cedex, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Franck
authors.affiliation: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gerstmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiation Protection, ENEA, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Giardina
authors.affiliation: Commissariat Energie Atomique, Bruyères le Châtel, France.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guichet
authors.affiliation: Public Health England, Chilton, UK.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.affiliation: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Radiological Science, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Eunjoo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morhard
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Quayle
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Baki
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sadi
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.affiliation: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Saint Paul Les Durance cedex, France.
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paquet
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D004630:Emergencies; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D011634:Public Health; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000737:chemistry*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes