Antibiotics (Properties, Application, Interactions) - M. P. Cherenko 1999

Preface

Before Ukraine proclaimed its independence and sovereignty, while it was still part of the former USSR, education in medical schools was conducted almost exclusively in Russian. Textbooks for university and college students were published mainly in Moscow. Even in those rare instances when they were published in Ukraine, specifically in Kyiv, they were predominantly written in Russian. Only occasionally, during periods when the Union authorities sought to demonstrate the independence of the republics, were some textbooks published in Ukrainian. These included O.O. Bohomolets's «Pathological Physiology» (1937), O.P. Krymov's «Special Surgery» (1951), and K.D. Dvuzhylna's «General Surgery» (1969), among others. However, given that instruction in universities and colleges was conducted in Russian and that sufficient numbers of Russian-language textbooks were available across all disciplines, Ukrainian textbooks failed to become a significant presence in academic life or function as genuine textbooks—meaning they were not widely used. Their publication was little more than a formality.

Nevertheless, due credit must be given to the pioneering efforts of the authors of these textbooks. Knowing the unenviable fate of their books and their virtual disregard by official institutions, they accomplished a monumental task of not only scientific significance—since their works were written at a high academic level—but also philological importance, as they sustained and shaped Ukrainian scientific and practical medical terminology.

Today, amidst the independent existence of the Ukrainian state, the constitutional establishment of Ukrainian as the official state language, and the gradual Introduction of Ukrainian instruction in universities and colleges, creating textbooks in the national language is an urgent, paramount, and—without exaggeration—political task that will help consolidate our country's state independence.

Accordingly, at the invitation of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the authors took on the bold task of creating a new textbook on general surgery to help fill the current gap in Ukrainian-language literature on this medical discipline. Nearly three decades have passed since the publication of K.D. Dvuzhylna's textbook; not only has it become a bibliographic rarity, but it no longer meets the contemporary standards of surgical science.

While certain surgical textbooks translated from English have appeared on the Ukrainian book market—notably A.P.M. Forest, D.C. Carter, and I.B. Macleod's 2-volume «Surgery: Basic Science and Clinical Evidence» (1994)—they only partially address certain issues in general surgery and fail to align with the curricula of our medical universities, not to mention their small print runs and practical inaccessibility for both students and faculty.

The relentless progress of theoretical and clinical medicine—the foundational sciences—alongside the creation of novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools, a vast array of pharmacological agents, and The Development of cutting-edge technologies and surgical techniques (such as endoscopic surgery and Interventional Radiology), make it imperative for the authors to reflect these scientific advancements in general Diagnostics and Treatment within The Scope of the curriculum.

New Ukrainian-language textbooks must help elevate the professional training of future physicians, and consequently, advance medical science and healthcare to modern global standards.

The proposed textbook has been compiled in accordance with the general surgery curriculum for Ukrainian medical universities, approved by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in 1993. In its Structure, presentation of material, and chapter categorization, the textbook differs from previous editions. It includes sections on patient care and Desmurgy. Within the allotted scope, we have endeavored to cover the core issues of modern general surgery as comprehensively as possible, specifically addressing Hemorrhage, infection, wounds, Shock, trauma, Burns, and the Regulation of Metabolic processes and bodily Functions under conditions of surgical stress, among other topics.

Today, in an era of deep and narrow scientific specialization, it is nearly impossible for one or two authors to cover all general surgical problems at a sufficiently high level. Consequently, sections of surgery that have long since established themselves as independent medical disciplines—specifically traumatology, anesthesiology, and intensive care—were written by renowned experts in these fields, Honored Workers of Science and Professors Ye.T. Sklyarenko and L.P. Chepkiy, respectively.

This textbook is primarily designed for third-year students (semesters V–VI) studying general surgery, as well as surgical interns.

Creating a textbook is meticulous and demanding work, and it is undoubtedly not without flaws—both in content, form, and style of presentation. Therefore, we hope that feedback from our colleagues, particularly general surgery instructors and leading surgical specialists, will be received with due attention and gratitude, and will help improve this textbook in the future.