Improvement in the sociomedical support for the urban family under current conditions

Medico-demographic processes and socio-hygienic characteristics of the population of a large city, both at an individual and familial levels, as well as territorial characteristics of residence, should be taken into consideration when developing measures for medicosocial care of the population. Analysis of the attitude of 380 city families to the activities, personality, and professional skills of local therapists and pediatricians and to the idea of primary health care rendered by a physician of a general profile demonstrated an increased activity of the families in the "physician-patient" system and confirmed the necessity of improving medicosocial care of a city family, expansion of prophylactic work with the population with due consideration for factors which have an impact on population health.     

Morphological effects in rats following a 22-day space flight

A morphological examination of 27 rats flown onboard the biosatellite and sacrificed on the 1st-2nd and 26-27th postflight days demonstrated no significant changes in the structural organization of the vital organs and systems of the animal body. It was, however, found that the space exposure induced morphologically detectable changes in the musculo-skeletal system, hemo- and lymphopoiesis, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system and the juxtaglomerular apparatus of the kidneys. The changes were reversible and nonspecific, and could be seen in animals exposed to ground-based hypokinetic and other stress experiments. Postflight the animals developed some reactions that were similar to those in humans. This helps to identify the morphological substrate of certain changes in the human body and to investigate their pathogenesis.     

Medial calcinosis of M?nckeberg. A review of the problem and a description of a patient with involvement of peripheral, visceral and coronary arteries

Massive medial calcific deposits (M?nckeberg's calcinosis) are described in the peripheral and visceral arteries, and similar but small-sized deposits in the coronary arteries of a 41 year old woman with diabetes mellitus. Although observed by roentgenogram fairly commonly during life in the muscular arteries of the legs in middle-aged men, medial calcinosis infrequently involves the visceral arteries and has never, to our knowledge, been documented in the coronary arteries. Although it may be associated with intimal atherosclerosis, medial calcinosis, per se, does not obstruct the lumens of the arteries and, therefore, does not lead to symptoms or signs of limb or organ ischemia. The cause of medial calcinosis remains a mystery, but it appears to affect people with diabetes more frequently than those without.     

Operative fluoroscopy in hand and upper limb surgery. One hundred cases

We reviewed the use of a low radiation portable fluoroscopy unit in 100 patients. The most common indication was closed reduction of distal radial fractures. Fracture and joint stability were assessed on the real-time monitor and stored on videotape. Static images were stored on thermographic paper. Fluoroscopically guided joint injections and localization of implants, foreign bodies and bone tumours were performed. Fluoroscopy is a useful adjunct to arthroscopic assisted fracture reduction and other arthroscopic procedures such as distal ulnar resection. These new generation units produce superior resolution images, are easy to manoeuvre and do not require a radiographer.