[Current medico-ecological aspects of internal diseases in the urbanized north]

To define a complex action of extreme climatic and harmful environmental factors of present-day northern industrial city on the course of chronic visceral diseases.

Dynamics of exacerbations of basic therapeutic nosologies was studied basing on the data on 10,169 inpatients treated in therapeutic departments of Surgut hospitals (Khanty-Mansi District) in 1994-1998. In parallel, ambient air of the city was controlled for 3 main climatic and 6 technogenic hazards. The analysis was made by means of medicoecological mapping of residential zones.

A common feature of chronic visceral diseases course was determined: maximum number of recurrences in February-March and October-November, minimum number--in July-August. There is a relationship between the recurrences and extreme climatic factors. An increase in the number of exacerbations may be related with suppression of nonspecific resistance of the northerners' organism in these seasons. Differential study of the decompensation rate of chronic noninfectious diseases in residential zones in dependence with the degree of technogenic pollution has shown that areas of the town with high hospitalization rates are exposed to high mean annual pollution with sulfur dioxide, vanadium pentoxide and carbon oxide. Areas with low morbidity had the best environment.

A combined action of extreme climatic and environment factors of the North plays an essential role in decompensation of chronic diseases in the northerners. Dynamics of recurrent chronic noninfectious diseases may serve a sensitive marker of ecological safety of the region. Design and realization of recreation and rehabilitation measures in ecologically polluted areas of the town are effective for prevention of aggravated chronic visceral diseases.