Trauma to the genitourinary tract

377 cases of injuries to genitourinary organs, in 41% with renal lesion, were studied. Early and late complications were most common when the renal damage had been of medium severity and treated conservatively. In severe lesions to kidneys, particularly to solitary ones, the organs were saved by surgery, as described by Scott. In the cases of urinary bladder rupture the mortality rate was 16%. Septicaemia was she most frequent cause of death. In cases of urethral disruption after primary suture the results were good and the duration of treatment was short, in cases of postoperative stricture, however, the conditions for the next surgical intervention were much more favourable. In about 50% of the case of urethral disruption treated surgically and in nearly every case with simultaneous pelvic bone fracture subsequent impotentia coeundi and generadi occurred. The denuded penis was covered with a free skin graft. It healed quickly, and the cosmetic result was good. In cases with torsion of the testicular pedicle the organ was preserved by early surgical turning-back. An attempt to preserve the testicle should be made even when the torsion had persisted several days.     

DEVELOPMENTAL SEQUELAE OF LONG-TERM INFANT TRACHEOSTOMY

The records of 130 children who had had a tracheostomy for more than one month between 1972 and 1982 were reviewed for birth, medical and demographic characteristics, and 32 who were not severely physically or mentally handicapped were followed up at a mean age of 5.5 years. Rates of mortality and morbidity were high, and half of the survivors had moderate to severe intellectual and physical impairments. Even those with the most optimal outcome had significant developmental problems, including slower growth-rate and higher than normal incidences of behavior problems and speech difficulties. Most survivors needed special educational intervention or rehabilitative therapies.     

Conformational requirements for activity of salmon calcitonin

A series of deletion-substitution analogs of salmon calcitonin (SCT) have been prepared containing combinations of a glycine substitution in position 8 and deletions of serine-2 and tyrosine-22. Biological activity of the analogs with respect to native SCT were determined in the rat hypocalcemic assay and by studying stimulation of cAMP formation and competition for binding of 125I-labeled SCT in T47 D human breast cancer cells. It was found that each of the analogs retained full potency, irrespective of the means of assessment. It is suggested that conservation of the alpha-helical region of SCT, along with the overall tertiary structure, are more important for peptide potency than chain length per se.