[On a border of toxicology and medical physics--atypical radiation accidents]

Abstract

The paper reviews less known radiation accidents in the history, from deadly ones to those with short-term effects. Many of them were diagnosed with notable delay, particularly ones linked to lack of knowledge or criminal actions. In physician's life, the probability to examine the victim of radiation accident is extremely low, but still exists. Therefore an adequate amount of knowledge of radiation consequences should be provided in a training curricula of medical studies and medical specialization programmes, particularly those of internal medicine and clinical toxicology, also in ones of environmental protection, environmental health and medical physics.