Der Internist
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The diagnostics and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections are subject to continuous changes and adaptations. Due to the increase of resistance rates to frequently used antibiotics, especially clarithromycin and the lack of new antibacterial substances as well as new developments in the diagnostics, particularly new procedures for resistance testing, the guidelines have to be updated regularly. In this article new directions and trends of the forthcoming European and German guidelines are summarized, categorized and discussed by the authors involved in the compilation of future guidelines.
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The parenterally transmittable hepatitides B, D and C and their complications are a problem worldwide and also in Germany that should not be underestimated. Due to the estimated high gray area, a broad distribution, particularly by drug abuse, increasing prevalence due to immigration and a pandemic-related delay in the diagnostics, the identification of affected persons and therefore potentially infectious patients represents a great challenge for the healthcare system. ⋯ A new treatment concept with inhibition of virus uptake for treatment of hepatitis D first became available in September 2020. For all patients a long-term further monitoring is necessary when advanced liver damage or even liver cirrhosis occurs, especially for the exclusion of liver cell carcinoma.
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The human body is inhabited by diverse microorganisms. Together, this so-called microbiome exerts important metabolic functions and contributes to the maintenance of health. At the same time, shifts in the microbiome composition may lead to disease. ⋯ Inflammatory diseases of the pancreas lead to gut microbiome dysbiosis and tumor microbiota probably play a role in the development of pancreatic cancer. Until now, however, there is no proof that therapeutic microbiota modulation in individuals with pancreatic disease can improve mortality or quality of life. At this point, the analysis of the microbiome in pancreatic disease should only be performed in scientific studies.
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Gastrointestinal infections are among the most frequent imported diseases diagnosed in Germany in travelers or migrants from the tropics. Acute traveler's diarrhea is the most frequent illness in long-distance travelers and in high-risk areas (e.g. India, Mexico) around one third of all travelers suffer from diarrhea. ⋯ A worm infestation of the large and small intestines is often present but helminths can also affect the liver or lead to generalized symptoms of illness when larvae migrate. In principle, in the case of gastrointestinal complaints after exposure to the tropics, the possibility of an imported tropical endemic infectious disease must be considered and appropriate diagnostics initiated. For travelers returning from tropical countries other, sometimes life-threatening diseases, such as malaria, typhoid fever, rickettsiosis and viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) can present with gastrointestinal symptoms and should never be overlooked.