Yep, you're probably right. Since the girl died, I would assume your way is much more affective. She just got radiation poisoning and died on the spot. Although, there is that one NCR Ranger outpost with the pile of radioactive barrels in the middle, and they're all ghouls, not dead.
They have that barrel to gain health, that spot is spacificaly made for ghouls
its like the all black group of the ncr army except, well they r ghouls
Well I guess that's all lol