Fort Sam Houston, TX, February 15, 2013 -- As technology advances, so too does weaponry. Given modern threats of radiological and nuclear terrorism, and in light of recent natural disasters that have resulted in catastrophes such as occurred at the Japanese Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, The Surgeon General of the US Army saw fit to revise and update a previous Textbook of Military Medicine on the medical management of radiological and nuclear casualties. This textbook is now available for online order or PDF download from the Borden Institute Website: www.cs.amedd.army.mil/borden.

In Medical Aspects of Radiological and Nuclear Weapons, newly released by the Borden Institute, subject-matter experts detail the medical management aspects providers must consider when faced with large-scale radiological or nuclear events. According to The US Army Surgeon General, Lieutenant General Patricia D. Horoho: "Weapons of mass destruction and natural disasters pose potential threats to our military forces and their families. Military medicine must be prepared to sustain the force in any environment and ensure they meet the challenges presented by the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) threat." This textbook, which includes chapters such as Triage and Treatment of Radiation and Combined-Injury Mass Casualties, Therapy for Bacterial Infections Following Ionizing Radiation Injury, Early-Phase Biological Dosimetry, and Psychological Issues in a Radiological or Nuclear Attack, is intended to provide military and civilian medical providers and planners with the tools they need to successfully react to a radiological or nuclear event.

The Borden Institute, Army Medical Department Center and School (AMEDDC&S), publishes the Textbooks of Military Medicine. The volumes in the series (now numbering 24) constitute a comprehensive treatise on the art and science of military medicine, covering such diverse topics as biological and chemical warfare, military preventive medicine, military medical ethics, combat and operational behavioral health, harsh environments, and care of combat injuries. Other Borden Institute products include volumes on military medical history, monographs, and specialty titles such as Emergency War Surgery. Borden Institute has published seven books that have won a combined eleven publishing awards: War Surgery in Afghanistan and Iraq: A Series of Cases, 2003-2007; Pediatric Surgery and Medicine for Hostile Environments; Medical Aspects of Biological Warfare; The Walter Reed Army Medical Center Centennial, A Pictorial History, 1909-2009; Answering The Call: The U.S. Army Nurse Corps, 1917-1919: A commemorative Tribute to Military Nursing in world War I; Anesthesia and Perioperative Care of the Combat Casualty; and Legacy of Excellence, The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1862-2011. Copies of Borden Institute publications may be ordered free of charge by eligible personnel. Anyone may download PDF versions free of charge. www.cs.amedd.army.mil/borden.