Protasova T G, Leliuk V G, Gus'kova A K
State Research Center of Russian Federation, Institute of Biophysics.
Klin Med (Mosk). 1997;75(11):41-7.
Causes of death were analysed for two groups of subjects exposed to radiation in 1986 because of the Chernobyl accident. 27 victims were exposed to external gamma-radiation (4.3-13.7 Gy) in the moment of or few hours after the accident. Most of these subjects had radiation sickness of different severity in combination with local radiation lesions. 2 victims had severe thermal burns. 405 victims worked as wreckers or emergency teams members in the contaminated area in different time after the accident. They died most frequently of traumas, accidents, cancer, cardiovascular diseases. Most of deaths in this group were attributed to general somatic causes unrelated to the hazards of the ionizing radiation.
