[Acute alcoholic myopathy]. / Miopatia alcolica acuta.

A case of acute alcoholic myopathy in a subject with a 20 year history of alcohol abuse is described. The condition emerged during an episode of delirium tremens and had a quickly deadly outcome. The rapid evolution of the clinical situation accompanied by variation in the biohumoral indices (CPK, LDH, myoglobin) is stressed and although this prevented from obtaining anatomopathological samples of the rhabdomyolisis, the specific diagnosis was made with reasonable certainty. The onset of the condition was not foreseeable because of the absence of an accurate history of the subject's alcohol abuse on his admission and of significant biohumoral data indicating the existence of an alcohol correlated pathology.

[Indoor pollution: a report of 2 clinical cases of occult carbon monoxide poisoning]. / Inquinamento indoor: presentazione di due casi clinici di ossicarbonismo occulto.

A large part of the general population is potentially exposed to excessive concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), both in the domestic and work environment. Beside acute, often fatal poisoning, the possibility of occult intoxication should be considered; this condition can affect people who are often unaware of the existence of a toxic exposure in their homes or work places. We describe two non-smoking patients, husband and wife, 53 and 57 years old, respectively, who suffered cephalea, nausea and neurobehavioural disturbances during a period of approximately one year; these symptoms were reported to improve or disappear on several occasions during the patients' absence from home. Careful anamnesis suggested a protracted exposure to nonlethal concentrations of CO contaminating the patients' bed-chamber from the misfunctioning flue of the heating system. It was not possible to measure carboxyhaemoglobinemia until approximately 24 hours since the last presumptive exposure. The levels found were therefore relatively low (4-5%), yet higher than the reference values for normal non-smoking subjects. Carboxyhaemoglobin concentrations almost returned into the normal range during the period of hospitalization. These two cases exemplify how low level CO exposure may cause aspecific pathological manifestations that are often misdiagnosed or overlooked.

[Thyroid function in bronchial asthma]. / Studio della funzionalità tiroidea nell'asma bronchiale.

The Authors report the results of an investigation on association between bronchial hyperreactivity to metacholine in asthmatic subjects and subclinical dysfunction of the thyroid gland. Although the T4 and free T3 values were higher in the control group than in asthmatic patients, all the hormone dosage results were within the normal range. These findings show that asthma is not associated with changes in thyroid function.

[Men and home environment: when the wife exercises an extra-familial activity]. / Uomo e ambiente domestico: quando la donna esercita una attività extra-familiare.

The study examines the views of men towards the division of household duties when the female partner is employed outside the home. A variety of behaviour ranging from a complete refusal to participate in domestic activity to an equal division of household tasks is demonstrated. The main determining factors seem to be: socio-cultural level and age group. The woman's right to persue a career was recognized mainly by men in middle to upper social class in the 25-30 age group who participate in household duties. It is evident that, even in the case of domestic collaboration, women have the ultimate responsibility for household tasks. In that men tend to choose the more gratifying duties (es. cooking, child care).