Biological timeline of radiation poisoning

The Walking Ghost Phase ( German as " phase as a wandering spirit " ) is in the radiation sickness of the period of apparent recovery of a patient between the onset of massive complaints and the subsequent, inevitable death. The reason for this is that the ionizing radiation primarily stem cells destroyed, whereas differentiated cells already less sensitive to irradiation. Due to the destruction of stem cells of the supply of new cells remains, so that dying ready differentiated cells can not be replaced.

The walking ghost phase occurs at a caused by a high dose equivalent of 6-20 Sievert acute radiation sickness with lethal whole body dose ( for example, by radioactivity or X-rays caused ).

Therefore, a treatment is limited to palliative, pain-relieving measures.

The phase can last from hours to a few days. At higher doses it disappears altogether; these doses are lethal due to the radiation effect on the central nervous system immediately or within a few hours.

• Radiation-induced disease