Prediction Modeling to Determine the Adequacy of Medical Response to Urban Nuclear Attack

The authors modeled the effects of 20- and 550-kiloton nuclear detonations on Los Angeles and Houston, with a focus on thermal effects. They found that the number of burn casualties would number in the tens of thousands, with over 185,000 casualties after a 550-kiloton detonation in Los Angeles. The authors recommend that health care facilities greatly expand the number of personnel involved in burn care, and that regional planning be considered, along with air transport of victims.