Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jul 2022
Randomized Controlled TrialReusable respirators as personal protective equipment in clinical practice : User experience in times of a pandemic.
The novel strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is highly contagious; therefore, special emphasis must be given to personal protective equipment for healthcare workers. Reusable elastomeric respirators were previously used in intensive care units (ICU). These respirators include full or half masks and devices modified to accommodate a filter. Although the general comfort of masks used in the ICU has been studied, data comparing multiple types of masks during a pandemic are missing. ⋯ Using reusable elastomeric masks is feasible in clinical practice. Full face masks were significantly better in terms of comfort, donning, overall rating and in comparison to single-use FFP2/3 masks.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jul 2022
Temporal patterns of weekly births and conceptions predicted by meteorology, seasonal variation, and lunar phases.
Data reporting the number of births given by women resident in Vienna for each week between 1999 and 2019, and the duration (in weeks) of their pregnancies, were used to estimate the week of conception. When preliminary examinations detected cyclical patterns for births and conceptions, a series of Poisson regressions for births and conceptions were performed to assess whether these cycles could be associated with lunar or solar phases. ⋯ The latter results should be treated with caution, as they are not hypothesis driven. Furthermore, literature reports on this topic are conflicting. Nevertheless, these findings will be useful in further analyses examining air pollution effects.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jul 2022
Dermatitis linearis outbreak associated with Paederus balcanicus in Austria.
Dermatitis linearis is a toxic skin lesion caused by contact with certain beetles of the genus Paederus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Dermatitis linearis outbreaks have been described mainly in tropical and subtropical regions, but so far not in Central Europe, and are considered an emerging public health concern potentially associated with climate change. ⋯ We report for the first time (a) an outbreak of dermatitis linearis associated with exposure to autochthonous Paederus species in Austria, and (b) that contact to the species Paederus balcanicus may cause dermatitis linearis in humans. Adequate measures should be taken to prevent dermatitis linearis outbreaks in areas with resident Paederus occurrence.