Your browser doesn't support JavaScript. Please upgrade to a modern browser or enable JavaScript in your existing browser.
Skip Navigation U.S. Department of Health and Human Services www.hhs.gov
Agency for Healthcare Research Quality www.ahrq.gov
AHRQ Home | Questions? | Contact Us | Site Map | What's New | Browse | Información en español | E-mail UpdatesE-mail Updates
www.ahrq.gov

Figure 6.6. Classic Andrews Diagram (1965)

Diagram depicts the relationship between early changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte counts and degree of radiation injury. A count of 3000 to 1500 is normal. 1000 to 1500 is moderate. 500 to 1000 is severe. 100 to 500 is very severe. Less than 100 is lethal. Moderate to Lethal counts are bracketed as Injury. Three lines across the chart show lymphocyte counts dropping from approximately 2500 to 1500, to 1000, and to just over 100 in the course of 2 days.

Note: Lymphocytes drop quickly with high radiation doses; a drop of 50% or more in 24 hours indicates a severe radiation injury.

Source: Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute.

Return to Document

 
AHRQ Advancing Excellence in Health Care