[The author details the characteristics of the management of extremity injuries in extreme conditions and describes the significant differences of injury management between extreme and peacetime circumstances. The theme is of great significance these days, owing to the rapidly rising frequency of military and civilian mass casualties and the parity of extremity injuries that reach up to 60%. The ideal devices, mental approach and organizational reflexes also differ from the traditional surgical routine to achieve an effective health service in catastrophe. Therefore preparation and training must be done in peacetime. The role of intuitions, improvisation and flexibility is very important, because there have not been two similar catastrophe situations yet and compromising management replaces the routine medical care. For fracture management special external fixators are preferable that have been developed and deviced for war injuries and that respect the budgetary and logistic aspects of catastrophe management.]

[The clinical applications of cytokines playing a role in regulation of haematopoesis are summarized. The potential clinical use of human cytokines can arbitrarily be ramified into 4 strategies: 1. Stimulation of the immune response in order to enhance immunosurveillance of neoplasms. 2. Prevention of chemotherapy and tumour related immuno- and myelosuppression and improvement of non-specific mechanisms of host resistance. 3. Increase of maximum tolerated doses of conventional antitumour chemotherapeutic regimens. 4. Direct influence on tumour cell growth and differentiation via cytotoxic, cytostatic or regulatory mechanisms. Three interferons, almost 6 different interleukins, erythropoetin and three different colony stimulating factors are presented. The potential benefits of cytokines in haematological malignancies and also the difficulties in realising this potential are discussed. ]

[A native natural alfa interferon was applied in the treatment of 35 patients. The patients were suffering from oral virus infections (herpetic gingi vostomatitis, recurrent herpetic infections) and viral associated diseases (herpetic ulceration, recurrent aphthous ulcer, Sutton aphthous ulcer and postherpetic exudative erythaema). The patients received 1 or 2 million IU of alfa interferon im. daily for ten days. Laboratory investigations were carried out before and 10 days after the treatment. In addition to routine laboratory tests, we counted the number of absolute lymphocytes, LGL cells and immediate and late SRBC rosettes. In ten cases we noted the changes of the following surface markers: CD 2, CD 3, CD 4, CD 8, CD 11b, CD 14, CD 20, CD 25, CD 45, CD 45R and HLA-DR. There were no significant differences in the routine laboratory parameters before and after the treatment, whereas there were statistically significant increases in the number of LGL cells and in the count immediate and late rosettes. A significant increase in the expression of CD 8, CD 11b, CD 14, CD 25, and CD 45R also occurred. There were no adverse side effects interrupting the treatment. Alfa interferon seems to be useful in the treatment of these oral diseases. ]

[In the background of rest pain in pseudoarthrosis of the hip there may be synovitis of the pseudojoint, which can be infected as well. The author's aim was to examine what sort of help ultrasound can provide in clearing of the cause of rest pain occuring in pseudoarthrosis besides the other classical imaging methods. 14 patients undergone resection arthroplasty of the hip complaining of rest pain and 12 control subjects were examined. All of them had pelvic X ray and ultrasound examination of the pseudojoint. In two cases primer, in 24 cases secunder pseudoarthrosis had been formed. In the patient group with rest pain in 12 cases synovitis was detected by ultrasound and in 2 cases of the control group. Aspiration of the pseudo arthrosis was performed in 12 cases and in 8 of them synovial fluid was obtained. Two of them were infected originally. Synovitis was proved by arthrography in 4 cases. Ultrasound can help in the detection of synovitis of pseudojoint in patients under gone resection arthroplasty and therefore can help in making diagnosis of the infection and making decision of the therapeutic approach. ]

[There were 16 deaths in the PTCA group and 18 in the CABG group. There was already a difference in the incidence of myocardial infarction between the two regimens (PTCA: 33, CABG: 20), but this was not statistically significant. 4% of those treated with PTCA required an emergency repeat of the procedure and a further 15% required CABG surgery during follow-up. Within two years, 38% of those treated with PTCA and 11% of those operated on required revascularisation. Coronary angiography had to be repeated four times more often in patients in the PTCA group than in those in the CABG group (31% versus 7%, p<0.001). Angina was also more common six months after PTCA (32%) than after surgery (11%), and those treated with dilatation were taking more antianginal drugs. One month after CABG, however, patients' physical workload was lower than after PTCA, although this difference disappeared later. Patients needed longer rehabilitation time after surgery than after PTCA, but those who underwent surgery had significantly less angina within two years and were less likely to need further diagnostic or therapeutic intervention.]