Medical Problems of Survivors of Nuclear War: Infection and the Spread of Communicable Disease

The nature of the medical problems confronting survivors of a nuclear war has not been widely conveyed or fully understood. Perhaps the most logical approach is to view this matter in sequence, from the moment of attack through the periods that follow. The characteristic elements of each period can be delineated, with the reservation that the duration cannot be precisely stated. The type and severity of the initial injury will clearly affect the response to new medical problems as they arise. Each problem may be expected to extend beyond the period in which it is initially encountered (Table 1). The . . .