The paper gives the data available in the literature on the etiology, prevalence, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of fungal and actinomycotic mycetomas. It is illustrated with patients» photos and X-ray films from the authors» clinical experience. The effective current treatment regimens for mycetomas are described.

The paper summarizes the data available in the literature on the prevalence of onychomycoses worldwide, their etiology, clinical presentation, and treatment and the authors’ clinical experience. It presents criteria for the systemic and local therapy of onychomycoses and describes nail plate removal methods (indications, contraindications, and complications) in the view of a dermatologist and a surgeon. The current concept of onychomycosis treatment with the local antimycotic naftifine and nail apparatus removal is given.

The paper summarizes the data available in the literature on the mechanisms responsible for the priming and activation of neutrophils circulating in the blood bed and on the adhesion and nonadhesion mechanisms of neutrophil-endothelium interactions and describes their role in the occurrence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome. The interaction of circulating neutrophils with the activated endothelium is the central event during inflammation. It includes diverse molecular events associated with neutrophil adhesion and migration and with impaired endothelial permeability. The simultaneous overactivation of the endothelium and neutrophils may give rise to endothelial damage caused by adherent neutrophils. The cytotoxic neutrophil-endothelium interaction makes a considerable contribution to the pathogenesis of vascular and tissue injuries in circulatory disturbances and if the systemic inflammatory response syndrome develops. Impaired neutrophil migration and phagocytosis in systemic inflammatory response syndrome, the association of these impairments with neutrophil priming and activation, and the clinical value of these indicators are discussed.

Nowadays there are a lot of contemporary wound dressings in theforms like foams and films made on the basis of different polymers. It’s necessary to know optimal particular numeric values of wound dressings’ key operational properties, which determine comfort and easy to use. As the basic operational characteristics we have chosen for investigation such parameters as: swelling behavior, which indicates amount of liquid, swollen by the unit weight of the material; elastic modulus as a measure of material’s elasticity; surface and apparent density of the material; relations among these characteristics. We’ve offered to differentiate materials in accordance with particular values of swelling behavior, because manufactures range wound dressings for wounds with different amount of secreted exudate without specifying exact values. Also physical and mechanical properties of multilayer wound dressings were investigated, paying attention to the elasticity of the material. So, the target of the investigation as a whole was thecomparison of wound dressings’ operational properties from different manufactures to investigate swelling behavior, physical and mechanical properties.

Background. The paper gives the results of a clinical trial using different high-volume hemofiltration regimens in surgical patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. Objective: to improve clinical outcomes in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock, by incorporating high-volume hemofiltration regimens into combination intensive therapy. Subjects and methods. The investigation enrolled 46 patients. Twenty-four patients underwent intermittent very high-volume hemofiltration (IHVH) with a replacement volume of 100 ml / kg / h for 4 hours and 22 had continuous high-volume hemofiltration (CHVH) with a dose of 50 ml / kg / h for 48 hours. Results. In the IHVH group, 28-day mortality was 29.2 %, which significantly differed from that in the CHVH group (40.9 %). The investigation revealed contraindications to IHVH in patient with a body mass index of more than 25 kg / m2.

The paper describes the authors, experience in surgically treating chronic postoperative sternal and costal osteomyelitis developing after coronary bypass surgery. The strategy in the surgical treatment of a purulent complication consisted of radical surgical debridement of a purulent focus in the anterior chest wall, additional ultrasound wound treatment and, after the transition of wound healing to the reparative stage, plastic reconstruction of the anterior chest wall with complexes of local soft tissues. The described clinical case is an example of the practical introduction of the strategy in the active surgical treatment of extensive purulent wounds and ribs, as applied to chronic osteomyelitis of the sternum and ribs.