Extracorporeal Irradiation of the Blood in Humans: Effects upon Erythrocyte Survival

Autologous erythrocytes were irradiated at doses of 35,000 to 200,000 rads, chromated, and red cell survival studied. The 24-hour loss of labeled cells and subsequent apparent erythrocyte survival times were found to be functions of the radiation dose. ECIB-produced red cell hemolysis of a mild degree is to be expected during courses of therapy, as demonstrated by clinical findings. However, there is no doubt that acute, severe, hemolysis could be produced by administering large doses to patients over a short period of time.