The London tube and bus bombings

UK government now supports forensic radiography response team training

56 people were killed and over 700 injured when bombers staged four simultaneous attacks upon the London Transport system on 7 July 2005.

Photo: The London tube and bus bombings

The London Mass Fatality Plan was invoked and an emergency mortuary was established in the City of London and was operational within 48 hours of the attacks. The Association of Forensic Radiographers initiated their planned response and called members of the UK Forensic Radiography Response Team (UKFRRT) comprised of radiographers working in hospitals throughout the UK who have specialised training and experience to deal with this kind of incident.
Over a 17-day period, 56 bodies and 1162 body parts were examined. Using fluoroscopy, primary surveys of whole bodies were undertaken by teams of two radiographers and a pathologist. This method of imaging facilitated rapid location of personal effects, documentation of injuries sustained by the victims and also aided the retrieval of foreign bodies. In the case of body parts, the primary survey was undertaken using digital and computed radiography.
Secondary surveys were undertaken following removal of clothing and external examination by the pathologist. They were mainly limited to intra-oral dental radiography in conjunction with odontological examination and enabled rapid, non-invasive acquisition of post-mortem data for comparison with available ante-mortem records.
Tertiary examinations of both bodies and body parts were undertaken at the request of the pathologist in a number of cases.
Use of modern radiographic imaging technologies contributed greatly to the speed of the pathology examination and identification process. Fluoroscopy and digital radiography enabled items of forensic evidence to be located and recovered very rapidly whilst minimising the need for invasive procedures.
The UK Government has recognised the need and value of such a team and is now supporting the training of the UKFRRT, as well as the lease of digital radiographic equipment.
Source: GE Healthcare

27.03.2009

Read all latest stories

Related articles

Photo

Article • Patient front and centre

One-Stop Clinic: diagnosis and treatment in one day, on one site, by one team

Cancer – one word that turns the patients’ world upside down. In addition to uncertainty and fear, they often face an unnerving series of exams and treatments. With its new One-Stop Clinic…

Photo

Sponsored • Deep Learning in Radiology

New Levels of Precision with Self-learning Imaging Software

The complex form of machine learning DLIR (Deep Learning Image Reconstruction) is based on a deep neuronal network which is similar to the human brain. The artificial neurons of this network learn…

Photo

Interview • Algorithms in radiology

AI in diagnostics: Smart scans are the future

AI algorithms are making their way not just into diagnostic workstations, but will also in future be found in the diagnostic methods themselves. Prof. Mathias Goyen, Chief Medical Officer Europe at…

Related products

Subscribe to Newsletter