מנחם מושקוביץ, ירון ניב,

המכון לגסטרואנטרולוגיה, מרכז רפואי סוראסקי (1), מרכז רפואי "רבין", קמפוס ביילינסון (2), והפקולטה לרפואה סאקלר, אוניברסיטת תל-אביב (1,2)

סרטן הקיבה נחשב בתחילת המאה הקודמת לגורם התמותה העיקרי מסרטן ברוב מדינות העולם. במהלך הזמן חלה ירידה משמעותית בשכיחות מחלה ממארת זו, בעיקר במדינות המפותחות. אולם מחלה זו היא המחלה הממארת באיברים הפנימיים השנייה בשכיחותה בעולם ומהווה גורם תחלואה ותמותה עיקרי במדינות המתפתחות. מאז גילוי החיידק הליקובקטר פילורי על ידי Marshall ו- Warren ה-1983, הצטברו הוכחות רבות המצביעות על כך, שלה"פ תפקיד חשוב בגרימת סרטן הקיבה, ובשנת 1994, הגדירה ועדה המסונפת לאירגון הבריאות העולמי – International Agency for Research on Cancer   - (IARC) את החיידק כגורם סרטן מסוג 1 – הדרגה הגבוהה ביותר בסולם המקובל באירגון זה. המטרה במאמר הנוכחי היא להציג את המימצאים המצביעים על ה"פ כגורם אטיולוגי בהתהוות סרטן הקיבה, ולדון בהשלכות המעשיות של מימצאים אלה.
 

יורם מנחם ואלדד בן-שטרית

האגף לרפואה פנימית, בית החולים האוניברסיטאי והפקולטה לרפואה של האוניברסיטה העברית, הדסה עין-כרם, ירושלים

סקלרודרמה (טרשת העור) היא מחלה רב-מערכתית מגורם בלתי-ידוע, המתאפיינת בלייפת של העור, ובמעורבות כלי-הדם ואיברים ויסצראליים, כולל ריאות, כליות, לב ומערכת העיכול. באופן גס, מקובל למיין את הסקלרודרמה לשתי קבוצות עיקריות:

1)Diffuse cutaneous scleroderma – מחלה המתאפיינת בהתעבות סימטרית של העור המתהווה במהירות ומופיעה בגפיים, בפנים ובגו. ההתעבות היא בכל הגפיים ולא רק בחלק הרחיקני של הגף. חולים אלה נמצאים בסיכון גבוה ללקות במחלות כיליה ואיברים פנימיים אחרים.

2) Limited cutaneous scleroderma  - מחלה בה קיימת התעבות סימטרית של העור בעיקר בחלק הרחיקני של הגפיים ובפנים. לעיתים קרובות מאובחנים חולים אלה כלוקים בתסמונת CREST (קלצינוזיס, תופעת רנו, ליקוי בתנועתיות הוושט, סקלרודקטילי, וטלאנגיאקטזיה).

לחולים אלה בד"כ פרוגנוזה טובה, ורק מיעוטם ילקו ביתר-לחץ-דם ריאתי או צמקת המרה (biliary cirrhosis).

The Chemotherapeutic Treatment of Advanced Hodgkin's Disease

R. Epelbaum¹, N. Haim¹, M. Ben-Shahar¹, I. Valtuch¹, D. Faraggi³, A. Sharabi-Nov³, Y. Ben-Arie², Y. Cohen⁴

Departments of Oncology¹ and ²Pathology, Rambam Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology; ³Department of Statistics, Haifa University, Haifa; and ⁴Department of Oncology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheba

Between 1972 and 1994, 121 adult patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease received MOPP (M) combination chemotherapy, MOPP alternating with ABVD (M-A) or MOPP and ABV hybrid (M/A). Radiation therapy was given to 1/3 of them. The median age was 35 years, 58% had stage III and 42% had stage IV disease. Failure-free survival at 10 years was 43.9%. It was 66.7%, 48.4% and 29.9% for patients treated by M/A, M-A and M, respectively. Overall survival at 10 years was 40.8%, and 78.2%, 48% and 27.7% for patients treated by M/A, M-A and M, respectively. Multivariate analysis found age (above or below 65 years) and combination chemotherapy (with or without adriamycin) to be significant prognostic factors. M/A combination was more myelotoxic, while M combination caused more second primaries. Today, 80% of patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease may be cured, with low rate of long-term toxicity.

מנחם פישר, אורלי תיבון-פישר

מרכז בריאות האשה, קרית שמונה, המח' לרפואה תעסוקתית, גליל עליון וטבריה, שירותי בריאות כללית מחוז צפון, החברה לרפואת נשים בקהילה

נשים מהוות כיום כמעט מחצית מכוח העבודה בעולם המערבי, בישראל, מהוות נשים 46% מכוח העבודה האזרחי, רובן אימהות ולמעלה ממחציתן בגיל הפוריות. כמעט כל הנשים ההרות ממשיכות לעבוד בעת ההריון, כ-75% מהן גם מעבר לשבוע ה- 35-34 להריון.

[...]

השפעת העבודה וסביבת העבודה על בריאות האשה מהווה מרכיב חשוב ביותר בבריאות הציבור בכלל ובנשים הרות בפרט. ובכל זאת לא זכה נושא זה עד כה להתייחסות הראויה, ואינו מוזכר כלל בתוכנית ההתמחות ברפואת נשים או ברפואת המשפחה ובתוכניות ללימודי המשך.

המטרה בסקירה זו היא להביא מידע עדכני בניסיון לענות על שאלות שכיחות בנושא, המוצגות על ידי נשים עובדות, צוותי רפואה, מעסיקים ובעלי עניין אחרים בתחום.

Prevention and Treatment of Procedural Pain in Pediatric Wards

R. Gorodischer, L. Herzog, E. Herzog

Depts. of Pediatrics A and Anesthesiology, Soroka University Medical Center; and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

Present knowledge and available pharmacological agents allow for adequate prevention and treatment of pain in children. We present guidelines we prepared for the prevention and treatment of procedural pain in children in our general pediatric ward. This followed extensive review of the literature, participation in scientific meetings, discussions with experts and consultation with interested clinicians. Successful implementation of the guidelines requires increased appreciation of the importance of pain prevention, participation of the nursing, as well as medical staff, and ability to evaluate pain in children of various ages.
 

Current Trends in Surgery for Female Urinary Stress Incontinence 

M. Neuman, A. Musaiev, Y.Z. Diamant

Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem

Quality of life of 5% of the female population is impaired by urinary stress incontinence. Its cause is pelvic floor relaxation and the cure is surgical. The most widely performed operations are retropubic colposuspensions and sling operations, which have relatively high, well-proven cure rates. Yet because of the long rehabilitation required, gyneco-urologists seek minimally invasive ways to solve the problem.

Vaginal colporrhaphy and laparoscopic operations are not common, but the recently reported TVT might become popular if proven effective.

SYME Amputation for Foot Infections in Diabetics 

Michael Michailevich, Ehud Lebel, Menachem Itzchaki

Dept. of Orthopedics, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem

Syme ankle disarticulation for foot infections in diabetics with concomitant peripheral vascular disease is often unsuccessful. The need for re-amputation usually results from recurrent infection or ischemia of the posterior heel flap. We present 5 such cases of deep foot infections in diabetics who underwent Syme amputation after failure of local debridement. All patients needed reamputation in 4-18 days for ischemia of the flap.

Sacrospinous Ligament Fixation for Vaginal Vault Prolapse

M. Neuman, B. Zuckerman, O. Lavie, U. Beller

Division of Gynecological Surgery and Oncology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem

Sacrospinous ligament fixation is a well-known method for correction of vaginal vault prolapse. The procedure is primarily indicated after hysterectomy and as a prophylactic measure for total uterine prolapse.

8 women with post-hysterectomy vaginal vault prolapse aged 48-72 years, were referred 1-25 years following primary surgery. Sacrospinous ligament fixation was elected to enable simultaneous correction of cystocele and rectocele, and to preserve sexual function. All operations were completed without significant complications.

In 6 of the 8 patients located for long-term interview, 1 reported mild bulging of the introitus, another mild urinary stress incontinence, urgency and frequency and 1 reported frequency only. Sexual function in 4 was without complaints. Defecation in all patients was normal.
We conclude that this operation is safe and effective. We encourage gynecologic surgeons to consult an experienced tutor prior to performing this procedure, as this type of surgery is quite dangerous and many gynecologists are not familiar enough with it.  

Tension-Free Vaginal Tape: A New Surgical Treatment of Female Urinary Stress Incontinence

M. Neuman, B. Zuckerman, M. Zilberman, A. Farkash, U. Beller

Division of Gynecologic Surgery and Oncology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem

Female urinary stress incontinence diminishes the quality of life of about 5% of women. It is usually dealt with by surgery to correct the relaxed pelvic floor, the cause of the incontinence.

Tension-free vaginal tape is used in a newly described procedure. It consists of the vaginal introduction of a prolene needle-guided mid-urethral sling. The procedure is easy to perform under local anesthesia, recovery is rapid, and results are similar to those of other effective operations.

We report 44 patients who underwent this type of surgery. There were no significant complications. The early results were good and although the follow-up has been short, we believe that experience with this operation will play an important role in the treatment of urinary stress incontinence.

Lymphoma of the Knee Joint Simulating Patellar Fracture

E. Lebel, M. Itzchaki

Orthopedics Dept., Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem

Fracture of the patella is not uncommon after direct anterior knee trauma. However, there are other medical situations that resemble it radiologicaly. We present a patient mistakenly diagnosed as having a patellar fracture who had primary, solitary, malignant B-cell lymphoma of the knee space eroding the lower pole of the patella. We have found no reports of such a lesion in the literature. Another commbenign condition that might erode adjacent bone is chronic synovitis. Our patient was treated withchemo- and radiotherapy and the lesion fully regressed with no evidence of local or systemic recurrence 1.5 years after diagnosis.
 

Terror in Japan: Mass-Intoxication with the Nerve-Agent Sarin

Yoram Solberg, Orit Nachtomi-Shick, Yehoshua Shemer, Menachem Alcalay

Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces and Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer

During 1994/5 the Japanese civilian population suffered 2 terror attacks by the organophosphorus nerve-agent sarin. In these 2 episodes it is estimated that more than 6000 people were injured, of whom 19 died. The quick and efficient response of the civilian emergency systems to these unforseen, attacks has to be analyzed by local authorities to determine the best solutions in case of another attack. We summarize the events, and note the emergency system's response, the need for rapid and accurate chemical identification of the toxin, the necessity for decontaminating the casualties and for providing protective gear for rescue units in the contaminated area. We also describe the clinical status of the casualties and outline the mode of therapy applied.

Management of Malignant Bowel Obstruction in Home Care

Menahem Sasson, Pesach Shvartzman

Dept. of Family Medicine, Kupat Holim Klalit and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

Malignant bowel obstruction occurs in about 10% of those with advanced abdominal cancer and in about 25% of those with advanced pelvic cancer. Such patients usually develop nausea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal dilatation and colicky pain. Traditional therapy consists of intravenous fluids and decompression by duodenal tube, gastrostomy or operation but postoperative mortality is high. Treatment requires hospitalization and therefor such patients have not been considered candidates for home care.

Palliative medical techniques can cope with this syndrome and allow home care. Hypodermoclysis, non-prokinetic anti-emetics like haloperidol and scopolamine, octeotride, corticosteroids, and narcotics for severe abdominal pain can alleviate symptoms. Medications can be combined and infused subcutaneously in a syringe driver and patients can remain with their families in their natural environment. Such techniques can give these patients who have short life expectancies reasonable quality of life.

Fatal Asthma in Children: Preventable?

Haim Bibi, Jamal Mahamid, David Shoseyov, Michael Armoni, Zvika Liss, Menachem Schlesinger

Pediatrics Dept., Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon (Affiliated with the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev); Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Bikur Holim Hospital, Jerusalem, and Kupat Holim Klalit, Darom District

Sudden death from asthma is rare but occurs in the young age group. We recently faced this rare situation, when 3 asthmatic children were dead on arrival at the local emergency room. All 3 had been treated with beta-2 agonist inhalation on a regular basis, without anti-inflammatory treatment. 2 of the children died while inhaling the beta-2 agonist. It is important that there be clear guidelines and full education about the management of asthma, during and between exacerbations, to prevent such deaths.

Skeletonized Internal Mammary Arteries for Coronary Bypass Grafting

Jacob Gurevitch, Yosef Paz, Menachem Matsa, Amir Kramer, Dimitri Pevni, Oren Lev-Ran, H. Locker, Raphael Mohr

Dept. of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sourasky-Tel Aviv Medical Center

The skeletonized internal mammary artery (IMA) is longer, and its immediate spontaneous blood flow is greater than that of the pedicled IMA, thus providing increased versatility for complete, arterial myocardial revascularization without the use of saphenous vein grafts. From April 1996 to May 1997, 583 patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting here and in 415 (71%) complete arterial revascularization was achieved using bilateral skeletonized IMA. The right gastroepiploic artery was used in 57 (13%); there were 329 males (79%) and 86 women (21%); average age was 64 (30-87) and 175 (36%) were older than 70; 131 (32%) were diabetics. Average number of grafts was 3.2 (range 2-6 grafts). At 30 days, 5 (1.2%) had died and there had been 6 perioperative infarcts (1.4%), 5 CVA's (1.2%), and 6 had sternal wound infections (1.4%). Up to 1-12 months of follow-up was achieved in 409 (99%). Late mortality was 1.4% (of which 3 were noncardiac). 394 (97%) were angina-free at latest follow-up. We conclude that arterial revascularization using bilateral skeletonized IMA is safe, as postoperative morbidity and mortality are low, even in old and diabetic patients.

Clinical Characteristics of Crohn's Disease in Children and Adults

Yoram Menachem, Zvi Weizman, Chaim Locker, Shmuel Odes

Gastroenterological Institute and Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit, Soroka Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

There are few reports contrasting the clinical characteristics of Crohn's disease in different age groups. We therefore compared retrospectively children and adults with Crohn's disease. 23 children (mean age: 12.8±2.5 years) and 66 adults (mean age: 27.0±4.0 years) were studied. Presenting symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea were significantly more common in adults, while in children anorexia and weight loss were more frequent. Children tended to present with extra-gastrointestinal tract symptoms as well, mainly anemia and joint involvement. Common symptoms during active disease did not differ between groups, except that weight loss, evident in all children, was found in only 70% of adults. Anemia was present during active disease in all pediatric cases but in only 62% of adults. There were no significant differences between groups regarding disease location, gastrointestinal complications and extra-intestinal manifestations. We conclude that in children Crohn's disease may differ significantly, mainly presenting with nonclassical symptoms, such as anemia and joint involvement. The primary care physician should be aware of these differences.