[Accidents with radioactive pollution. Can we do something?].

Nuclear accidents are a cause of widespread fear. Treatment of patients exposed to high doses of total body irradiation has very often been ineffective. The use of hematopoietic growth factors may be a new way of treating these patients. This article describes results from studies of total body irradiated animals and clinical experience from treating humans who have been involved in nuclear accidents. G-CSF or GM-CSF administered within three hours after a nuclear accident seems to be of value. Surprisingly, so far bone marrow transplantation seems to be of limited value. Intravenous transfusions of thrombocytes and red blood cells, and the treatment of burns and gastrointestinal symptoms, are important parts of the medical therapy.