Der Ophthalmologe : Zeitschrift der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft
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Case Reports
[Bilateral influenza-triggered panuveitis and subsequent therapy with amantadine and hyperimmunoglobulins].
Influenza A is one type of influenza virus that commonly causes acute respiratory illness. Outbreaks of influenza occur every year. Major antigenic variations preclude permanent immunity in the population. Often signs of conjunctivitis or photophobia are common during acute infection. Posterior uveitis is very rare. ⋯ The course of an influenza A infection is usually uncomplicated. Severe affection of the choriocapillaris results in a complicated post-influenza retinal pigmentary degeneration. Treatment with amantadine and therapy with hyperimmunoglobulins seem to be useful.
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Since the year 2004 hospitals in Germany are obliged to participate in a payment system based on diagnosis-related groups (DRG), which bases hospital reimbursement on the diagnosis and treatment of patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the data of the first German national hospital cost data calculation for their homogeneity. ⋯ Many ophthalmologic DRGs are quite inhomogeneous necessitating regrouping to avoid false incentives. For cases with high complexity the current system may lead to cost deficits especially for hospitals providing maximum care.
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Worldwide 45 million people are blind, 180 million people are visually handicapped, 90% of all blind people are living in developing countries and 80% of blindness is preventable. The global economic productivity loss due to blindness was estimated to be 19 billion US$ in the year 2000. The initiative "Vision 2020-the right to sight" aims to increase the cataract surgical rate and to eliminate diseases such as trachoma and onchocerciasis as well as avoidable blindness in children. It is planned that blindness in 100 million people can be avoided by the year 2020.