Which type of radiation effect results from acute exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation?

Deterministic effects refer to the radiation effects that have a clear and dose-dependent relationship, meaning that the severity of the effect increases with the dose received. These effects usually manifest after a certain threshold dose is exceeded, resulting in immediate health issues such as skin burns, radiation sickness, or organ failure following acute exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation.

In the context of radiation exposure, deterministic effects differ significantly from stochastic effects, which occur randomly and are more closely associated with long-term exposure to lower doses of radiation over time. Stochastic effects primarily involve an increased risk of cancer or genetic mutations, where the severity of the effect does not increase with the dose. The other options related to thermal effects and non-ionizing effects are not relevant to the context of high doses of ionizing radiation exposure, as they pertain to different mechanisms and types of radiation interactions. Thus, deterministic effects provide a direct link to the acute outcomes associated with substantial radiation exposure.