Pneumologie
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Although continuous airway pressure therapy (CPAP) represents the standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) auto-adjusting CPAP (APAP) devices were developed which adapt the treatment pressure to the actual requirement of the patients. The aim of automatic CPAP therapy is to improve the patients' acceptance of positive pressure treatment. The devices react to respiratory flow, flattening of the inspiratory flow contour, snoring, generator speed or the upper airway impedance. ⋯ While titration devices aim at the finding of one single pressure which is fixed to a constant CPAP device, automatic treatment means the chronic use of APAP at home for optimal adaptation of the treatment pressure to the actual requirements of the patient. A high constant CPAP level, huge pressure variability, insufficient compliance with constant CPAP may be indications for APAP treatment. The main reason for automatic titration is the standardisation of the initiation process.
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More than 30 % of the German population are regular smokers, over half of whom will eventually die of smoking-related diseases. Life expectancy is abridged by 10 years in smokers compared to non-smokers. Smoking tobacco is the main risk factor for lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and predisposes to a number of other lung diseases. ⋯ Smoking cessation improves lung function, symptoms and mortality. In conclusion, smoking cessation services are among the most effective medical interventions. Thus, a sufficient supply of smoking cessation services on a population level must be ensured.
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Review
[Avian influenza and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) - experiences and perspectives].
New respiratory viruses associated with pneumonia have in the past few years been detected in humans. The sudden appearance of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 demonstrated that an emerging and highly infectious disease caused by a hitherto unknown virus was able to spread rapidly, but could finally be contained by stringent measures. The avian influenza A-H5N1-virus of high pathogenicity has crossed in multiple instances the species barriers between humans, mammals, and birds posing a serious pandemic threat. The application of the so far learnt and the continued development of preventive strategies, efficient vaccines, and antiviral substances are besides worldwide surveillance decisive to rapidly detect the repeated, enforced, or new appearance of viruses like the SARS-CoV, influenza A-H5N1 virus, or of new viruses, to contain their spread, and to defeat them.