Pyogenic arthritis of the sacro-iliac joint. Long-term follow-up

Nine cases of sacro-iliac pyarthrosis are presented. The difficulty in localizing the infection is attributable mostly to failure to appreciate the posteriorly situated physical findings. This, and the difficulty with early roentgenographic demonstration of the lesion, may lead to unnecessary abdominal exploration (as in two of our patients) or to prolonged delay in diagnosis and hence spread of the infection. Awareness of the usual physical findings and prompt use of radioisotope scanning to localize the infection led to earlier diagnosis and avoidance of surgery in three patients seen recently. Antibiotic therapy, with or without surgery, led to cure in all patients, with minimum sequelae.

Antimalarial drugs and reduced incidence of dental plaque

Known antimalarial compunds from several chemical classes were tested for their ability to inhibit in vitro growth of microorganisms causing dental plaque and to prevent the development of plaque in a hamster model. Approximately a third of the compounds tested inhibited in vitro growth; however, none prevented development of plaque.

Measurement of substrate-induced oxygen uptake during microsomal drug oxidation using a gold micro-electrode

1. A resin-coated gold micro-electrode has been used for polarographic determination of oxygen concentration in liver microsomal suspensions from phenobarbital-pretreated rats. 2. The rate of oxygen uptake on addition of an NADPH-regenerating system and the rate after addition of various substrates of the mixed function oxidase system were measured. The rate of oxygen uptake was faster in the presence of substrate than in the presence of NADPH alone. 3. Kinetic constants (Km and V max) for biphenyl, hexobarbital, ethylmorphine, naphthalene and SKF 525-A measured by this technique compare favourably with those obtained either by measurements of NADPH oxidation, or chemical measurements of substrate disappearance or product formation. 4. The practical applications of the gold electrode to drug metabolism studies are discussed.

Aerotitis in air travel

In the years 1964-1969, 2,015 cases of aerotitis were reported as an occupational disease in California. Most of the cases were in women flight crew members on commercial airlines (women predominate in such crews). Cases were also reported in passengers. Upper respiratory infection frequently appeared to be a predisposing event.

Occupational skin diseases in the San Francisco Bay Area

From answers by one-third of the practicing dermatologists in the San Francisco Bay Area to a questionnaire on occupational skin diseases, contact dermatitis due to irritants and sensitizers was found to rank first. Poison oak, which is the leading reported cause on "Doctor's First Report of Work Injury" received by the California Department of Industrial Relations, was sixth on the list of the survey, trailing solvents, cleansing agents, petroleum products and epoxy resins. A history of atopic dermatitis was often noted in current cases of occupational diseases of the skin. Avoidance of exposure or limiting the contact with pathogenic substances-through engineering changes, observation of working conditions by physicians, education of workers-appeared to be the best preventive measures.