[Smoking cessation in the hospital]. / Rauchertherapie im Spital.

The paper surveys methods, experiences and problems in our smoking cessation ambulance we run in our hospital since 1980. In smokers lung function tests showed more restrictive then obstructive ventilation problems. This is in opposite to international literature. Therapy was successful in 48%.

[Tuberculosis--a forgotten disease?]. / Tuberkulose--eine vergessene Krankheit?

Statistics show that half of the world population are infected by mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, in third-world countries with the highest mortality rates no statistics are available. In the industrialised countries AIDS leads to a new spread of tbc, particularly with mycobacteria other than tuberculosis (MOT). Epidemiology, modes of infection, bacteriology, pathology, diagnostics, standards and therapy in selected cases (MOT) are surveyed. This seems necessary from a statistic point of view a general practitioner is contacted only every 5th-12th year by a patient suffering by tuberculosis.

[Diagnosis of lung sarcoidosis in the hospital]. / Zur Problematik der Lungensarkoidosediagnostik im Krankenhaus.

To confirm the diagnosis of sarcoidosis a characteristic X-ray and a positive histologic pattern is essential. In most cases one can get the histology by a rather simple bronchoscopy. In cases of negative bronchoscopic findings one should perform a mediastinoscopy, which can be done by an expert thoracic surgeon almost on outpatient basis. In rare cases the final diagnostic step is the open lung biopsy, preferably done on the right thoracic side, as the lung transplanting surgeons recommend for a possible lung transplant the left side.

[Indications for thoracoscopy in secondary spontaneous pneumothorax]. / Indikationen zur Thorakoskopie beim sekundären Spontanpneumothorax.

Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) is an indication for thoracoscopic exploration and treatment just like primary SP. The same guidelines apply to both. During the last 12 years a total of 243 patients with SP were admitted to our Department of Pneumology; of these, 156 = 62.2% were treated by thoracoscopy. We employed an operation method described by Youmans et al. that we modified for thoracoscopy, namely, pleural abrasion. The relative number of thoracoscopies rose during 1975-1980 from 47% of all SP to 75% during 1981-1986. The relapse quota was 5.4% (total value); of the operated patients, only 3 suffered a relapse (1.2%). Since our department is the only one for diseases of the lung for a total population of 537,000, we can assume that these relapse rates can be-if at all-only slightly falsified by referrals to hospitals located in other Federal Lands.

[Diagnosis, differential diagnosis and therapy of chronic bronchitis]. / Zur Diagnose, Differentialdiagnose und Therapie der chronischen Bronchitis.

The WHO-definition of chronic bronchitis describes only symptoms. By therapeutic practical considerations a subdivision of chronic bronchitis with mucoid sputum, putrid sputum, obstruction and obstructive bronchiolitis was attempted. Diagnostic, differential-diagnostic and therapeutic considerations were added.

[Obstructive bronchitis in workers of a chromium manufacturing plant (author's transl)]. / Spastische Bronchitis bei Chromarbeitern.

63 workers of a chromium manufacturing plant were investigated: 47 workers suffered from an obstructive bronchitis, 32 from an illness of the upper respiratory tract. In some workers acetylcholine provocation was positive. No correlation was found between blood chromium levels and clinical findings.

[Levels of sulfametrole-trimethoprim in blood and lung-tissue during treatment of respiratory tract infection (author's transl)]. / Blutspiegel und Spiegel im Lungengewebe von Sulfametrol-Trimethoprim während der Behandlung bronchopulmonaler Erkrankungen.

A report is given on the examination of the levels of sulfametrole and trimethoprim in blood and lung tissue of 29 patients with pulmonary tumours of various origin, who were subjected to a pre-operative treatment with 2 tablets 2 times daily of the sulfametrole-trimethoprim combination Lidaprim for an average period of one week because of concurrent bronchopulmonary infections. About 14 hours after the last tablet dose samples of tumour-free lung tissue and blood were removed during the operation and subjected to a chemical analysis of sulfametrole and trimethoprim. The mean blood level of sulfametrole was 30.3 micrograms/ml and of trimethoprim 2.0 micrograms/ml; the mean levels in the lung tissue was 19.2 micrograms/g of sulfametrole and 9.2 micrograms/g of trimethoprim. Trimethoprim via the blood is stored in the lung tissue. The relationship of these results to the good clinical activity of the combination sulfametrole/trimethoprim in the treatment of infections of bacterial origin in the upper and lower airways is discussed.