Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 2004
Comparative StudyThe significance of thoracoscopic mechanical pleurodesis for the treatment of malignant pleural effusions.
Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a frequent and serious complication of numerous malignant tumors in the human organism. The patients are suffering from the primary disease, and the pleural effusion causes dyspnea, thus reducing the quality of their survival time. In our study we wished to establish the significance of thoracoscopic mechanical pleurodesis (TMP) as a new method for the resolution of this pathology, by comparing the results with those of thoracotomy with pleurectomy (TP) and thoracic drainage (TD). The main criterion for the effectiveness of each method was the absence of pleural effusion in a certain time interval. ⋯ TMP is an effective palliative method for the treatment of recurrent pleural effusions, with a minimum number of complications and a short period of hospitalization. After TMP there is significant improvement in respiratory functions, and for the patient it represents a relatively simple surgical procedure. TP is indicated in the treatment of tumors and subsequent MPE in the thoracic region, and TD is indicated in patients who are not suitable candidates for one of the palliative pleurodesis procedures, because of either their poor general condition or a trapped lung.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 2004
Case Reports[Bronchial asthmatic disease associated with tobacco dust--an occupational lung disease?].
Hypersensitivity to allergens in tobacco leaf as a cause of occupational asthma in workers of the tobacco manufacturing industry has been reported previously. We describe the case of a female employee working in a tobacco plant with asthmatic symptoms occurring at the working place. The symptoms described by the patient and the strong correlation to periods at work is highly suggestive for an occupational disease. The diagnosis of occupational bronchial asthma is supported by a positive skin test and bronchial provocation test with tobacco dust.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Dec 2003
[Nocturnal noninvasive ventilation of children and adolescents with neuromuscular diseases: effect on sleep and symptoms].
Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is an inevitable complication of progressive neuromuscular disorders (NMD). Aim of the study was to prospectively investigate the impact of three months of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) on sleep and SDB-associated symptoms in children and adolescents with advanced NMD. ⋯ In children with NMD intermittent nocturnal NIV results in objective and subjective improvements of sleep quality and symptoms associated with SDB.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Dec 2003
How to score arousals in preterm infants? Can we use recommendations of the Pediatric Wake-up Club?
Infants' arousals from sleep reflect the activation of various brain stem and cortical structures and their characteristics change with age. Arousal scoring based on the Pediatric Wake-up Club definition of arousal in infants was evaluated to determine whether arousals could be reliably identified and assessed in preterm infants also. Polygraphic recordings were made in seven stable preterm infants with a mean postconceptional age of 34.4 +/- 1.2 weeks. ⋯ Respiratory rate was higher (35 +/- 15 bpm) during the arousal than in the periods preceding (29 +/- 14 bpm; p < 0.01) and following (29 +/- 11 bpm; p < 0.001) it. Heart rate decreased during the arousal (131 +/- 30 bpm) when compared with the preceding 10-second period (140 +/- 14 bpm; p < 0.05). We found that arousals in preterm infants can be reliably identified and assessed using the Pediatric Wake-up Club's arousal definition for term infants.
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In Germany there are several committed which however haven't got together yet in order to set up a systematic health education campaign. So far the knowledge of other professional fields like that of graphic designers, specialists of communication and public health scientists hasn't been sufficiently used to familiarize nearly all pregnant women, parents, grandparents and babysitters with those known medical subject matters. Hopefully paediatricians, gynaecologists, children's nurses, midwives, breast-feeding consultants, paediatric preventive assistants, consultants for pregnant women who smoke and mothers in general will soon start to get going an effective lasting and possibly nationwide preventive campaign which will be supported by the competent social ministries and financing authorities, self-help groups, graphic designers, specialists for communication and public health scientists. ⋯ Historically, the promotion of infants sleeping on prone position seems to have been a tragic break of tradition in the western world in between 1970 and 1990, as infants had been put to sleep almost only on their back during the past centuries. If we compare East and West Germany concerning the influence on the ways of looking after infants since the 1960th of the last century it has become clear that the advice of medical authorities mainly effects the way of nursing regardless of the political system. More and more, paediatricians, gynaecologists, midwives and children's nurses should become aware of this responsibility.