Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Oct 2014
Daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and severe obesity: prevalence, predictors, and therapy.
We sought to determine prevalence and predictors of excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with severe obesity with a body mass index (BMI) > 35 kg/m(2) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with an apnea-hypopnea index > 15/h. ⋯ Obese patients with OSA and excessive daytime sleepiness are characterized by younger age, longer TSTs, more frequent obstructive apneas, and oxygen desaturations < 80 % compared with patients without excessive daytime sleepiness. Excessive daytime sleepiness can be improved in more than 90 % of patients using CPAP therapy.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Oct 2014
ReviewBiological pathways involved in the development of inflammatory bowel disease.
Apoptosis, autophagy and necrosis are three distinct functional types of the mammalian cell death network. All of them are characterized by a number of cell's morphological changes. The inappropriate induction of cell death is involved in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases. ⋯ Recent findings have begun to explain the mechanisms by which intestinal epithelial cells are able to survive in such an environment and how loss of normal regulatory processes may lead to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This review focuses on the regulation of biological pathways in development and homeostasis in IBD. Better understanding of the physiological functions of biological pathways and their influence on inflammation, immunity, and barrier function will simplify our expertice of homeostasis in the gastrointestinal tract and in upgrading diagnosis and treatment.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Oct 2014
Comparative StudyPatient-specific evaluation of knee disorders in clinical practice.
Nowadays, an increasing number of patients expect their physician to provide a measureable and, therefore, comparable treatment effect that quantifies success or failure of the applied therapy. Unfortunately, different knee classification schemes applied to the same patient may provide diverging results. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to present recommendations to clinicians for a meaningful outcome assessment of their patients. ⋯ To our opinion the IKDC should be applied to athletic patients suffering from post-traumatic knee symptoms who are younger than 50 years. For non-athletes aged 50 years and older the WOMAC is considered suitable whereas the KOOS is recommended to all other patients with knee disorders.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Oct 2014
Comparative StudyComparability and quality of IgE-based in vitro allergy diagnosis: 25 years of external quality assessment.
A large variety of methods and a wide range of products from several manufacturers are available for IgE-based in vitro allergy testing. In the large majority of cases, the attending physician lacks information about the devices and products used in the laboratory performing the tests. To determine the comparability and reliability of different laboratories, we analyzed the findings of an international ring trial established in Austria 25 years ago. ⋯ Further analysis revealed more false-positive than false-negative antigen-specific IgE levels (17.1 vs. 5.2 %). The investigation of different allergen groups yielded excellent results for some allergens (97.8 % correct values for mites, or 99.6 % correct values for recombinant antigens), but quite unfavorable for others (21.4 % incorrect values for drugs). In view of this paucity of comparability and reliability, it would be appropriate to establish mandatory quality control in laboratories and manufacturing units.