Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 2009
Heart rate-corrected QT interval and QT dispersion in patients with pulmonary hypertension.
Heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) and QTc dispersion (QTcd) are increased and associated with ventricular arrhythmia and an increase in sudden death in a variety of diseases. This study aimed to examine QTc and QTcd in pulmonary hypertension and assess their relationship with pulmonary arterial pressure. ⋯ In women with pulmonary hypertension, mean QTc and QTcd are positively correlated to mean pulmonary arterial pressure and are significantly increased in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 2009
Atrial fibrillation is an independent determinant of increased NT-proBNP levels in outpatients with signs and symptoms of heart failure.
N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is increasingly used in the diagnosis and prognostic assessment of heart failure; however, the possible influence of atrial fibrillation on BNP is still a matter of controversy. We assessed the influence of atrial fibrillation on NT-proBNP levels in outpatients with signs and symptoms of heart failure. ⋯ Atrial fibrillation is an independent determinant of increased NT-proBNP levels. This association should be taken into account when NT-proBNP levels are used in the diagnosis of heart failure in patients with atrial fibrillation.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 2009
A food-borne outbreak of Shigella sonnei gastroenteritis, Austria, 2008.
We report on the first foodborne outbreak of Shigella sonnei described in Austria. On July 14 2008, AGES was informed of a cluster of 22 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with S. sonnei restricted to public health district X in the province of Salzburg. All cases had attended a youth-group trip to a small village in the province of Tyrol from July 7 to July 9. ⋯ Among the 42cases, 34 could be explained by consumption of salad. The landlady of the hostel, who prepared the salad with bare hands, was a carrier and was assumed to be the source of contamination of the salad. Without proper epidemiological analytical investigation of this shigellosis outbreak, its association with food consumption would not have been identified.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 2009
Sonographic evaluation of unexplained pleural exudate: a prospective case series.
Thoracic ultrasound may be helpful in differentiating between malignant and tuberculosis-associated pleural exudate. This study aimed to evaluate its utility in patients with unexplained pleural exudate. ⋯ Thoracic ultrasound is a useful bedside method for differentiation of the etiology of pleural exudate. When a complex septal pattern is found, pleural needle biopsy should be the next diagnostic procedure, whereas with less complex pleural sonography findings other methods should be pursued.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 2009
Carbohydrate epitopes as a cause of cross-reactivity in patients allergic to Hymenoptera venom.
Among patients with allergy to insect stings, double positivity in tests for IgE antibodies specific to honey bee and wasp venoms is a frequent diagnostic problem. True double sensitization and possible cross-reactivity of venom hyaluronidases and with carbohydrate determinants must be considered in such patients. We studied the frequency of sensitization to carbohydrate determinants and the role of these in double positivity in tests for specific IgE antibodies. ⋯ The values of IgE specific for OSR pollen and MUXF3 in patients with primary sensitization to either honey bee venom or wasp venom were significantly higher than in patients with double sensitization. These results confirm that IgE antibodies against carbohydrates epitopes are a frequent cause of double positivity in tests for anti-venom IgE antibodies.