As part of the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program (CWBYCTP), contractors must have an emergency response process in place. Additionally, the CWBYCTP has created a specialized group, the Radiation Injury Treatment NetworkSM (RITNSM). The RITN is a national network of medical centers with expertise in the management of bone marrow failure and works with partners from other medical specialties to assist with managing acute radiation syndrome (ARS) and its health-related consequences. The mission of the RITN is to maximize health-related outcomes among casualties with ARS following a distant mass casualty disaster involving radiological, nuclear, or chemical agents resulting in marrow toxic injuries. The marrow creates new blood-forming cells each and every day. If the marrow is damaged and cannot do this, a person may need a bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. Many of the casualties with radiation injury from such an incident will be salvageable but will require intensive supportive care in an outpatient and/or inpatient setting.
RITN aims to accomplish this:
- Before the disaster, RITN hospitals develop treatment guidelines for managing hematologic toxicity among victims of radiation exposure and educate health care professionals about pertinent aspects of radiation exposure management through training and disaster exercises.
- During the disaster, RITN hospitals provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment in an inpatient and outpatient setting for these victims; the RITN control cell helps to coordinate the response through sharing critical information about the disaster between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and RITN hospitals.
- After the disaster, RITN hospitals collect patient treatment data for retrospective research through the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplantation Research® (CIBMTR®).
RITN training
Training
The RITN has developed and offers to those who are interested web based training related to radiological disaster preparedness. Additionally, it coordinates in person training opportunities for its network of hospitals.
Each facility incorporates the RITN Acute Radiation Syndrome Treatment Guidelines into their response plans, conducts annual radiological disaster training, communication drills and participates in an annual tabletop exercise (a scenario-based discussion of the response process) to assess and improve plans, procedures, coordination, and preparedness.
Exercises
The RITN conducts a number of exercises each year to assess and improve current planning and training efforts being made across the network. These exercises vary from discussion based tabletop exercises (TTX) to complex multi-day full-scale exercises (FSE) simulating casualties arriving at the hospital via the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). Each year the RITN develops an annual TTX that all network hospitals must participate in. This exercise is conducted utilizing web-based tools that allow hospitals to share best practices and discuss response processes as a group.
Through the RITN exercise grant program, hospitals are able to receive grants to support the development and conduct of additional functional and full-scale exercises. These grants allow hospitals to validate their current plans and procedures related to an RITN activation and bring in local, state, and federal stakeholders to participate.
In addition to RITN sponsored exercises the RITN provides technical support to develop radiological exercises.
RITN Center Locations
Centers are dispersed throughout the United States; some are pediatric treatment centers. For more information, visit the Radiation Injury Treatment Network website.