Dtsch Arztebl Int
-
The German-language recommendations for the management of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) have been revised by an expert committee. Major aspects of this revision are presented here in the form of an evidence-based review article. ⋯ PONV lowers patient satisfaction but is treatable. The effective, evidence-based measures of preventing and treating it should be implemented in routine practice.
-
In this study, we investigated the measures currently being taken in German hospitals to prevent infection with methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). To this end, we circulated a questionnaire among hospitals participating in the MRSA-KISS module. "KISS" in the name of this project stands for "hospital infection surveillance system" (in German, Krankenhaus-Infektions-Surveillance-System). ⋯ The surveyed hospitals are, in fact, implementing many of the RKI's recommendations, as well as other preventive measures against MRSA.
-
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of tonsillectomy in adults with recurrent tonsillitis on their quality of life and on their use of medical resources. ⋯ Although this study had a number of limitations (small size, retrospective design, short follow-up), it was able to show that tonsillectomy for adults with recurrent tonsillitis improves health and quality of life and reduces the need to consume medical resources.
-
The Pain-Free Hospital Project was initiated in 2003 with the aim of improving pain management throughout Germany. We assessed the current state of pain management in German hospitals. ⋯ Severe postoperative pain is still too common among hospitalized patients, particularly pain that is induced by movement. Patients being treated on non-surgical wards also often suffer severe pain needlessly. Pain management seems to be worse for non-surgical patients (cancer patients excepted) than for surgical patients: waiting times for medication are longer, and ineffective medications are given more often. On the other hand, a number of hospitals provide positive examples of the potential effectiveness of pain management for both surgical and non-surgical patients.
-
Review Comparative Study
The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention: does UV protection conflict with the need to raise low levels of vitamin D?
Vitamin D is essential for life. Part of the body's supply of vitamin D is ingested in food, but UV induced vitamin D synthesis in the body plays an even more important role. UV irradiation is a cause for the currently rising incidence of skin cancer in many countries; on the other hand, Vitamin D might be protective against some cancers. In this paper we summarize the current data on vitamin D and cancer and on the vitamin D status of populations in Europe and discuss whether current recommendations on UV protection require changes. ⋯ More research is needed into the possible protective effects of vitamin D against cancer. Brief, daily UV exposure stimulates vitamin D production and causes negligible skin damage. Raising the vitamin D level even further by extended solar UV exposure or irradiation in a solarium is inadvisable because of the risk of skin cancer. Oral vitamin D supplementation can be considered as an alternative, particularly for persons at high risk, such as the elderly and members of certain ethnic groups.