The article covers data on activities of scientists and staffers of V.A. Obukh Central Institute for Industrial hygiene and Occupational diseases with USSR Narkomzdrav during Great Patriotic War, on role of occupational therapists and hygienists in solving problems of better medical and sanitary care for workers engaged into defence industry.

The authors studied chromosomal aberrations in blood lymphocytes of 100 miners in coal mines of Kuznetsk coal field, with underground length of service over 15 years. Reference data were collected by cytogenetic analysis in a group of workers with long length of service in Kemerovo thermal power plant, contacting coal dust (n = 104) and in healthy males of the same age group, residents of Kemerovo city, without occupational contact with mutagenes (n = 194). The miners appeared to have maximal frequency of structural chromosomal injuries - 5.37%. In the workers of thermal power plant, this value was considerably lower than in the miners (4,23%; p < 0,01), but not exceeding the values obtained in the reference groups (1,07%; p < 0,0001). Analysis of qualitative spectrum of chromosomal structural changes revealed that the miners have higher frequency of both chromosomal and chromatid type aberrations. Differences in chromosomal aberrations frequency between the miners and the thermal power plant workers are mostly due to chromosomal type aberrations. This points to significant role of chemical and radiation factors contribution into chromosomal mutagenesis in miners.

To reveal relationship between automobile transport emissions and oncologic morbidity among Kemerovo population, the authors selected crossroads and parts of highways with intense traffic. Two groups were observed among the residents of houses near the main crossroads and along highways. As a reference group, residents of houses distant from highways were selected. The study proved that oncologic morbidity is statistically reliably higher among the residents of houses near the crossroads and highways, if compared to that among the residents in houses distant from highways.

In connected sample, the authors studied changes in state of peripheral nerves (electroneuromyography) and central afferent conduction tracts (somatosensory evoked potentials) in patients with long-term chronic mercury intoxication. The study helped to reveal negative changes in peripheral and central afferent conduction tracts in the patients with long-term chronic mercury intoxication, more marked in 3 period of the study - demyelination of sensory and motor components of peripheral nerves and longer impulse propagation time in conduction tracts of subcortical and cortical structures of somatosensory brain cortex.

The authors revealed changes in weight-height values to increase among underground workers of “SIBENCO” JSC. Ageing appeared to associate with higher weight irrespective of occupational group.

To study influence of social factors on life quality of coal industry workers, the authors designed a new method assessing individual life quality in miners, based on life quality assessment suggested by WHO. According to the study, life quality value averaged 27.7% in the examinees. According to the scale presented, average life quality level in the miners is low. Variability of life quality levels in the miners is determined mostly by social satisfaction index and health satisfaction index. Anxiety about health and quality of social care appeared to be main factors of low life quality in coal industry workers.

To prevent progressive lung ventilation disorders, to lower inflammatory activity in respiratory diseases, to prevent pneumoconiosis in coal miners, total broncho-alveolar lavage was included into therapeutic and prophylactic measures system. Results are reduction of lung ventilation disorders progression over 5-year observation, lower intensity of tracheobronchial inflammation in miners with chronic respiratory diseases.

The authors justify pharmaco-economic evaluation of vibration disease inpatient treatment in miners, as miners' health improvement necessitates effective use of available means and implementation of economic management methods. Qualitative medical and pharmaceutic care in miners with vibration disease requires considerable financial, material and manpower resources of medical organization.

The review covers prospects of pharmaceutic care implementation for coal industry workers and problems of interactions between pharmaceutical workers and medical establishment officers in optimization of medical and pharmaceutic care for miners. The authors present value of pharmaceutic care in treatment of specific diseases, where pharmaceutic care is defined as system providing pharmacotherapy for better results and improving life quality of patients.

The author establishes direct connection between intensity of lipid peroxidation processes and severity of systemic hemodynamic disorders. Melatonine use for intoxication with salts of mercury, lead and cadmium helped to reduce hemodynamic influence of xenobiotics due to considerable decrease of lipid peroxidation intensity.

Analysis of occupational morbidity changes in Ulianovsk region over recent 20 years demonstrated that occupational center foundation in the region played a positive role in diagnosis and treatment, occupational fitness examinations for patients with occupational diseases.