The role of radiology in terror injuries.

Although one might think that nothing could be further apart than "terror" and "medicine," in reality, medicine is intimately involved in the rescuing of those who are injured in terrorist attacks and in identifying and determining the cause of death in those who do not survive. Radiology has an important role in the workup of trauma patients in general, and in patients injured during the course of a terrorist attack in particular. Radiologic examinations determine the location and severity of injuries and are used to follow injured patients, particularly when complications occur. Conventional X-rays and CT scans are useful to detect the presence of foreign bodies, such as bullets, shrapnel and nails, which are often combined with the explosive charge in suicide bombings. Both can also be used for postmortem examinations. Although biologic, chemical and radiologic warfare constitute a real threat for the future, it is essential that we be familiar with the more "conventional" forms of terror that we face today.