Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
-
Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 2000
Review[Informed consent and responsibility for patient education in oncology. Review of Austrian and German jurisprudence].
Informed consent is currently an ethical, medical and legal requirement. Increasing public discussion concerning real or supposed malpractice has caused patients to adopt a critical attitude and has caused courts to increasingly demand informed consent for patients. ⋯ In addition, the law has failed to establish explicit guidelines for physicians. We review the elements of informed consent based on current Austrian and German jurisdiction in the particular field of oncology and summarise the legal and medical realities with the aim of delineating specific criteria for decision making.
-
Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 2000
[Pericardial effusion in celiac disease--an incidental finding?].
Ultrasound revealed evidence of pericardial effusion in 13 out of 26 children with coeliac disease. In a prospective study, we tried to analyse the causes underlying this high incidence of pericardial effusion. ⋯ The high incidence of pericardial effusion in patients with coeliac disease appears to be governed by a multifactorial mechanism. A high endomysial antibody titre as well as selenium deficiency may play a role as a predisposing factor. Viral infection due to reduced immunological competence in conjunction with a hampered ability to eliminate toxic free radicals might cause blood vessel dysfunction, resulting in (asymptomatic) pericardial effusion. The fact that most of these patients were diagnosed during the cold season, with anamnestic evidence of viral infection shortly before the diagnosis, and the fact that adult patients with dilative cardiomypathy show a greater prevalence of coeliac disease, supports the view that coeliac disease is systemic in nature.