Growth and physical fitness of Polish youths in two successive decades.

AIM: The aim of the study was to determine changes in somatic growth and physical fitness of Polish schoolchildren aged 7 to 19 years over the last 2 decades of the 20(th) century, during which Poland underwent a political and socio-economic transformation. Another objective has been to relate such changes to fathers' education, which is a comprehensive indicator of socio-economic status. METHODS: The study was conducted on representative random cohorts on 3 occasions: in 1979, 1989 and 1999, the numbers of subjects ranging from 73000 to 230000, i.e. about 1-3% of the total population of that age. Apart from determining basic somatic variables, all children were subjected to 8 tests of the International Committee on the Standardisation of Physical Fitness Tests (ICSPFT), 9 EUROFIT tests and Cooper's test. RESULTS: A clear-cut secular trend was observed for body height and mass, the former incrementing by about 2 cm per decade. Ponderal index increased which indicated a slightly excessive slimming tendency, especially in older girls. Physical fitness indices did not parallel the somatic trend, and in the last decade the results were even worse than at the beginning of the study. This was attributed to altered life styles induced by system transformation. When somatic and fitness variables were related to fathers' education, a markedly pronounced diversification was found the lower the education, the worse were all indices studied. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that special programmes should be designed to improve health-oriented attitudes and physical fitness, especially of children from the lowest social classes, in order to arrest and, possibly, to reverse the progressing decline in physical fitness.

[Hospital infections in surgical wards]. / Zakazenia szpitalne w oddzialach zabiegowych.

Nosocomial infections are defined as these which develop during the patient's stay at hospital or shortly after its leaving. In Poland The Society of Nosocomial Infections has been trying to estimate the problem. To deal with it the card for registration of nosocomial infection has been developed. The data used in this project embraces the registration of the nosocomial infections in 1998. The registration cards were sent to the computer centre where they were analysed. 91 hospitals took part in the project. The material consisted of 301,813 cards. The number of patients taken into account in operative departments reached 170,036. In 2,384 cases nosocomial infections were discovered which is 1.4 per cent of all. Nosocomial infections were observed to be similarly frequent in regional hospitals and teashing hospitals. The immune system, not well developed (newborns) or weakened (old age) proroves the danger of nosocomial infection. The time of the infected patient's stay at hospital is twice longer than usually. It needs additional treatment, both operative and pharmacological, which is connected with high costs. The most common systems that usually get infected are respiratory, urinary and wounds. Clinical course of nosocomial infections is rather mild. The programme of nosocomial infections registration allows to better estimate the scale of the problem.

[Rare case of endogenous hepatic coma in a patient during the course of viral hepatitis A with a good outcome after arterialization of portal blood]. / Rzadki przypadek endogennej spiaczki watrobowej u chorej w przebiegu ostrego wirusowego zapalenia watroby typu A leczonej z dobrym wynikiem arterializacja krwi wrotnej.

A case of endogenous hepatic coma during acute virus hepatitis A is reported. Arterialization of portal blood gave a good result.

[Endogenic hepatic coma in the course of acute hepatitis treated with arterialization of portal blood]. / Endogenna spiaczka watrobowa w przebiegu wirusowego zapalenia watroby leczona arterializacja krwi wrotnej.

Symptoms of endogenic hepatic coma were observed in the course of acute hepatitis in 17 patients admitted to the I Clinic of Infectious Diseases of Silesian Medical School between 1987 and 1992. Five of them were treated with the arterialization of portal blood. At least one exchange transfusion preceded the arterialization in four cases. Recovery was obtained in 3 patients. Two patients died because of complications which occurred during the twenty-four hours after the intervention. In the first case the reason of the death was the extensive myocardial infarction, in the second one-DIC and ARDS. As it has been observed, the prothrombin rate should not be lower than 30% in these patients who are to undergo the arterialization of portal blood. This value of the prothrombin rate is provided by at least one exchange transfusion.

[Changes in the parameters of respiratory function tests in Raynaud's disease]. / Zachowanie sie parametrów badan czynnosciowych ukladu oddechowego w chorobie Raynauda.

Patients with Raynaud's phenomenon can demonstrate arterial spasm not only in hands but also in other organs. The aim of this study was to investigate pulmonary function in 15 patients with Raynaud's disease and in 8 healthy controls before and after cold pressor test. Before the cold pressor test no significant differences in pulmonary parameters between the patients and the controls were observed. After cold pressor test, a statistically significant decrease in diffusing capacity (DLCO) was observed in the study group, but not in the controls. Total lung capacity (TLC) was also slightly decreased. No significant changes of specific diffusing capacity (D/VA) and flow-volume curve parameters (FEF50, FEF25) were noticed.

Metabolic effects of long-term diversion of renal venous blood into the portal system.

In 7 splenectomized dogs a left renal vein-splenic vein anastomosis was performed and the right kidney removed. Eighteen to twenty-four months after portalization of renal venous blood no significant alterations of liver function tests were observed. Long-term diversion of renal venous blood into the liver was followed by a slight increase of creatinine and 25-OH-D, a decrease of alpha-amino acid nitrogen in blood plasma and of plasma renin activity in peripheral blood, by signs of slight carbohydrate intolerance despite hyperinsulinaemia, and a slight decrease of erythrocyte count. No influence of this procedure on plasma proteins, lipids, electrolytes, aldosterone and cortisol was found. No morphological abnormalities in the liver and kidney tissue were found.

Metabolic effects of long-term diversion of renal venous blood into the portal system.

In seven splenectomised dogs a left renal vein-splenic vein anastomosis was performed and the right kidney removed. Eighteen to twenty-four months after portalisation of renal venous blood no significant alterations of liver function tests were found. Long-term diversion of renal venous blood into the liver was followed by a slight increase of creatinine and 25(OH)D3, a decrease of alpha-amino acid nitrogen in blood plasma and of plasma renin activity in peripheral blood, by symptoms of slight carbohydrate intolerance despite hyperinsulinaemia and a slight decrease of erythrocytosis. No influence of this procedure on plasma proteins, lipids, electrolytes, aldosterone and cortisol was observed. No morphological abnormalities in liver and kidney tissues were found.

[Case of subdural hematoma and hygroma with clinical symptoms of psychiatric disorders]. / Przypadek krwiaka i wodniaka podtwardówkowego ze zmianami psychicznymi dominujacymi w obrazie klinicznym.

The authors describe a case of a large subdural haematoma and hygroma in a male aged 19 years. Schizophrenia-like psychic disturbances and scant neurological signs made the diagnosis of the underlying disease particularly difficult.