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Two imaging systems designed for plethysmography purposes are used to investigate venous capacity as well as maximum venous outflow. A series of pictures of the extremity are taken during a subsystolic blood obstruction. As a result, capacity as well as maximum outflow can be plotted as locally resolved profiles alongside the axis of the extremity. The advantage of the new method compared to conventional plethysmography is discussed.

This study refers about a newly developed plastic clip which has been used with good results for the past three years in tubal sterilization. By applying this method, heat or thermal injuries are avoided and a greater possibility of refertilization is indicated. This clinical evaluation consists of experimental data of 243 women who underwent sterilization in the local OB/GYN clinics at Fulda and at Bremerhaven. 59 women were sterilized during puerperium, and 184 were sterilized irrespective of pregnancy. As complications, 2 pregnancies were observed, further 3 hematomae within the broad ligament; 11 clips dropped into the free adbominal cavity while 5 clips broke during application. After the initial difficulties, the authors of this study recommend a sterilization with this tubal clip as an alternative to the usual methods of sterilization.

During parturition, there is an increase in the glucose, pyruvate and lactate levels in the maternal venous blood, as well as an increase in the concentrations of free fatty acids, d-(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate. Peripartal acetonaemia in the mother can be reduced by infusing solutions which contain xylite. No essential increase in blood lactate levels was seen following in fusion of 0.4 g xylite/kg body weight. The acetone bodies reach the foetal blood via the placenta. It remains to be clarified as to how far they are an important source of energy during the newborn period.

Caused by a hemorrhagic disease of a newborn without laboratory findings of coagulopathy, a dramatic blood loss due to gastrointestinal bleeding was observed in a high risk female newborn of 37. weeks of gestational age. By ultrasound the globular 3 centimeter diameter tumor in the stomach was defined as a blood clot. It disappeared in the following days under ultrasound observation.

A new optic-electronic method for measuring arm volume was used on 275 women before and after mastectomy for carcinoma of the breast. Two weeks after modified radical mastectomy, an increase of over 150 ml in arm volume over the preoperative value was recorded in 12% of patients. Lymphoedema was demonstrated on average 19.3 months after the operation and telecobalt treatment in 42% of 200 women so treated; in 17% it was of moderately severe to severe degree (over 400 ml). In patients with severe lymphoedema a 15-day period of treatment reduced the oedema volume on average by 383 ml (62.1%). The described optic-electronic volumetric method makes it possible to obtain an objective comparison of swelling of the arm and thus early recognition and treatment of lymphoedema, as well as providing a means of assessing the effectiveness of any treatment.

The occlusion of the vagina by a shirodkar type string suture is an emergency procedure. As a temporary measure in old patients with procedentia this procedure relieves the symptoms of the prolapse during the time needed to prepare the patient for surgery or the time needed by the patient to decide to have the operation performed. For severely ill in-operable patients the purse string occlusion of the vagina is a simple method to eliminate the discomfort of the procedentia. The procedure can be done under local anaesthesia and can be repeated.

In medical routine the accusation of lack of information is raised more and more frequently. In the present studies the efficacy of detailed oral and written explanation was examined in 100 patients with gynecological operations. On admission to hospital 79% of the women stated they had been given information on the planned intervention by the doctor referring them to hospital. A written questionnaire on discharge showed, however, that the intensive and extremely individual efforts to inform them during the period of hospitalization are unsuccessful in about one third of the patients. Possible causes for this are the great confidence in the doctor, the psychic tension in the preoperative phase and lack of preparation for the operation. The observations give rise to new aspects for the assessment of declarations of consent for medical interventions.

128 women with mild anemias below 12 g% Hb received 100 mg iron or 100 mg iron, 0.44 mg folic acid and 0.66 mg vitamin B12 daily from the 20th to the 24th weeks of pregnancy until confinement. With pure iron therapy the maternal hemoglobin, erythrocyte, hematocrit and serum levels rose significantly, whereas in the placebo group (37 pregnant women) they fell markedly. Iron-folic acid-vitamin B12 administration led to no improvement in the hemoglobin regeneration or in the serum iron. After 60 days' treatment with the combined iron preparation, a rise in the serum and erythrocyte folate levels had already been achieved in the pregnancy women.