[Classification of rheumatic diseases. Knowledge and problems]. / Klassifikation rheumatischer Erkrankungen. Erkenntnisse und Probleme.

A classification of diseases serves following purposes: --Collection and processing of data on morbidity and mortality (administrative objective) --Tool for diagnostic evaluation (clinical decision making) --Indicator of the scientific state of the art of the disease (theoretic taxonomy). In the efforts to unify the classification of rheumatic disease, following two goals are realistic: 1) Improvement in the effective communication 2) Agreement with the targets set. The International Classification of Diseases for Rheumatology and Orthopedics (ICD-R and O), which has been jointly elaborated by the International League Against Rheumatism (ILAR) and the Societé Internationale de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Traumatologie (SICOT), is a practicable international standard for the next years.

[Epidemiological aspects of spinal diseases in the GDR in 1979 to 1988]. / Epidemiologische Aspekte der Erkrankungen der Wirbelsäule in der DDR im Zeitraum 1979 bis 1988.

The socio-economic impact of disorders of the spine and the back has obtained an increasing importance in all industrial countries. Considering indicators of public health and national economy, namely temporary sickness incapacity for work, invalidity (insured persons in the GDR), utilization of hospital services (total population of the GDR), of rheumatological dispensaries as well as of the general practitioner, frequencies have been studied and trends pursued by means of serial analyses in a 10-year period. Diseases of the spine and the back within diagnostic class XIII/ICD, 9th revision, 1975 (diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue) have caused--nearly 2/3 of all cases of sickness incapacity for work--1/3 of the incidence of disability pensions--about 1/3 of the utilization of hospital services--about 1/5 of the utilization of rheumatological dispensaries--more than 50% of all cases consulting the general practitioner. As to the indicators sickness incapacity for work, incidence of disability pensions and discharges from the hospital, the serial analyses of the period from 1979 to 1988 have shown that the diseases of the spine and the back have the highest increase within the group of class XIII.

[Outpatient care in uric acid disorders]. / Ein Beitrag zur Dispensairebetreuung der Urikopathie.

In 35 patients with uricopathy (arthritis urica, essential hyperuricaemia) the serum uric acid values, consumption of alcohol, overweight, hypertension and liver enzyma under dietary and medicamentous therapy (allopurinol) were investigated. Here during an observation lasting 12--48 months allopurinol proved as a well tolerable uricostatic drug which was sufficiently effective also with a considerable exogenic purine application. We only insufficiently succeeded in influencing overweight and alcohol consumption as well as hypertension by rheumatic dispensary care and family doctor.