Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
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Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially fatal disorder with highly varying mortality rates. To provide information that is more precise for prospective intervention studies, we analysed the data of our patients with PE, defining clinically relevant subgroups with respect to their individual mortality rates. ⋯ Patients with PE who received mechanical ventilation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and thrombolytic treatment had very high mortality rates of 80, 77 and 30% respectively. However, patients stable enough for diagnostic procedures as Spiral CTs and V/Q-Scans had mortality rates of 1 to 2%. These facts are to be considered when planning pulmonary embolism intervention trials in which reduction of mortality is a defined endpoint.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Aug 2002
Suicide risk-related knowledge and attitudes of general practitioners.
Those attempting or committing suicide very often contact their general practitioner (GP) in the weeks before the suicidal act. Therefore, the ability of GPs to detect and treat suicidality is of major importance for suicide prevention. ⋯ The results indicate a high general knowledge on suicidality, and a rather liberal attitude towards the issue, but they also reveal deficits and a need for further training.
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Sepsis is a life-threatening disease, requiring instant treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to determine the direct and indirect costs occurring in Austria due to this disease. ⋯ Patients with severe sepsis have a high mortality rate, spend prolonged periods of time in the ICU, and are expensive to treat. Indirect costs of severe sepsis due to productivity losses, particularly by premature death, are considerable.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Aug 2002
Editorial[Psychosocial characteristics of victims of suicide in prisons].
Besides some cases reported by the media in recent years about prison inmates who committed suicide, hardly anything is known concerning social, criminological and psychiatric characteristics of suicide victims in jails and prisons in Austria. It therefore seems necessary to evaluate jail and prison suicides in order to establish effective means of prevention. ⋯ Screening instruments should be applied which are easy to handle for prison officers and indicate the appropriate management of inmates at a high suicide risk.