Evaluation of the hospital discharge diagnoses index and the birth certificate as sources of information on birth defects.

The hospital discharge diagnoses index (DI) for newborns and the birth certificate were evaluated as sources of information about birth defects by comparing them with the same births in the case registry of the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program (CBDMP). The CBDMP is an active surveillance system; the staff visit hospitals to identify children with birth defects diagnosed in the first year of life. The study population comprised 66,481 live births to residents of five counties in the San Francisco Bay area in 1983.

[Arthroscopic cruciate ligament reinsertion and augmentation. Indications--surgical technic].

The advantages of arthroscopic refixation and augmentation of the cruciate ligament in comparison to open methods are conserving innervation of the most important structures of the knee joint, a clear-cut reduction in morbidity, and more rapid rehabilitation of the knee joint. In principle, however, as far as ligament replacement and fixation of the augmented ligament parts are concerned, the technique corresponds to the open method. As the early results refer to a period of 2 years at most, however, it is too soon to report them.

[Cervical transverse spinal cord injury caused by knife stab injury].

This clinical report refers to a case of quadriplegia caused by a knife stab wound in the cervical spine. Open removal of the knife made it possible to avoid such complications as bleeding and infection. Nevertheless, the tetraplegic signs and symptoms were the result of complete severance of the cervical spinal cord and therefore persisted.

[Changes and progress in the treatment of fractures of the coxal end of the femur].

Consideration of technical developments, a review of the literature and of our own experience with 535 patients compared with nearly 20,000 patients of an ASIF population treated during the same period show that the indications for treatment of extra- and intracapsular fractures of the proximal femur have become much simpler. (1) Extracapsular fractures of the proximal femur fall into two groups: pertrochanteric fractures are fixed by means of the dynamic hip screw and intratrochanteric unstable fractures by means of either the dynamic hip screw (valgus type) or a 95 degrees condylar plate. (2) Intracapsular fractures are treated according to the patient's age group.

[Changes and progress in surgical treatment of fractures of the pelvic ring and acetabulum].

The diagnosis and treatment of pelvic fractures and dislocations demand that the pelvic girdle and the acetabulum be examined separately. Fractures of the pelvic girdle are present in more than 60% of cases but have to be stabilized only in 9%, in contrast to acetabular fractures, which need to be reduced and internally fixated in 55%. Combined fractures need surgical management in 66% of cases.

[Fractures of the spine].

The standard treatment for stable fractures of the spine is functional. Owing to the improvement of surgical methods and special implants, the percentage of operatively treated spine fractures has increased from 10% to 20%. In contrast to the necessity for multisegmental fixation with the rod instruments used formerly, the recently developed implants (plates, fixators) allow stable, brief, and therefore functionally more favourable immobilization.

[Experiences collected with a daylight system (author's transl)].

The Kodak Daylight System is space-saving. It consists of the Kodak-X-Omat cassette, the identification camera and the loading and reloading device (cassette multiloader). All three units of this system are notable for extremely safe operation.

[Pacemaker and seat belt (author's transl)].

Although seat-belt-induced traffic accident injuries to wearers of pacemakers are rare, about 50,000 pacemaker patients have to "buckle up." A study of 450 pacemaker patients indicated that, as in the general population about 50% use their seat belts. Fifty percent of the patients felt uncomfortable or showed local damage of the area overlying the pacemaker.

[Clinical comparative study between the contrast media Biligram, Endomirabil and Biliscopin (author's transl)].

The contrast media Biligram, Endomirabil und Biliscopin are tested in comparative series in a total of 304 patients. The optimal time of exposure for visulaization of the bile ducts and gallbladder is between 60 and 90 minutes in combined filling with Biloptin and the contrast medium used. The contrast media do not differ from one another in a significant manner in respect of contrast densification.

[Studies on a new hepatotropic contrast medium].

The contrast-material Biliscopin was clinically studied in 101 patients. No side-effects were observed when the injection time was stretched over a 5 min period. The visible heterotopic excretion which correlates with the iodine concentration was low in the case of Biliscopin.

[Radiographic examinations of the colon -- results of 2400 double contrast enemas (author's transl)].

A technique for the double contrast method was described which was used in our radiology institute on 2400 patients. It takes into account economic factors (amount of film used) as well as the lowest possible radiation exposure (mean screening time: 6.4 minutes).

[Studies regarding a new contrast medium for demonstrating the patency of bile ducts (author's transl)].

The contrast medium Endomirabil was tested in 103 patients. It produced few side-effects when 20 ml was injected pro examination over a 5 minute period. The rate of visable heterotopic contrast medium elimination is very low.