[Physical activity and osteoporosis]. / Attività fisica ed osteoporosi.

The aim of the present research was to underline the importance of physical activity in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Therefore the authors considered age-related bone loss and the value of weight-bearing exercise on bone-remodeling. Moreover the authors examined current world literature on physical exercise in post-menopausal age and bone mineral content in athletes, reporting their study's results.

[Ocular involvement in rheumatoid arthritis]. / Interessamento oculare in corso di artrite reumatoide.

The authors evaluated ocular involvement in 23 patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) according to ARA criteria. Slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination showed signs of keratoconjunctivitis sicca in one patient (4%), while a positive bilateral Schirmer test was found in six subjects (26%). Fluorescein angiography, carried out in 11 of the 23 RA patients, showed retinal vasculitis in 18% of the patients examined, even if no clinical and ophthalmoscopic signs of retinal vessel inflammation were present. The authors suggest that fluorescein angiography should be performed in patients affected by particularly active RA, with recent onset of the disease (< 12 months), high titres of classical IgM rheumatoid factor and raised concentrations of circulating immune complexes. The study confirmed moreover the uncommon ocular toxicity related to the drugs frequently employed in RA treatment (antimalarials, gold salts, glucocorticoids). Indeed, only one case (4%) of posterior subcapsular cataract clearly related to steroid therapy was found.

[Urinary tract infections: observations on 19,021 patients hospitalized in Sassari Province]. / Le infezioni delle vie urinarie: osservazioni su 19,021 soggetti ospedalizzati in provincia di Sassari.

We report the results of a study carried out upon samples of urine from 19,021 patients in various departments of medical school in Sassari and in the hospitals of Alghero and Ozieri. The 34.7% of samples examined proved to be positive. Among these we isolated Escherichia coli (32%), Proteus spp. (24%), Staphylococcus (12%), Klebsiella-Enterobacter-Serratia (KES) spp. (9%), Pseudomonas spp. (5%). We found microbic associations in 11% of cases. We also studied the sensitivity of microorganisms to various chemoantibiotics, and the efficacy of therapy on 964 patients. In the various checks made, the results point out a persisting positivity (53%). E. coli strains show a major sensitivity to the various antibiotics (aminoglycosides, quinolones, cephalosporins, etc.); Proteus spp. and KES are less sensitive; Pseudomonas spp. strains are very resistant and respond mainly to norfloxacin and ceftazidime.