Dtsch Arztebl Int
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The incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus in childhood and adolescence is steadily rising and now stands at 22.9 new cases per year per 100 000 persons up to age 15. ⋯ Every physician must be able to diagnose the initial presentation of diabetes and to initiate the first steps in its management. The patient should be referred as soon as possible to a diabetes team that has experience in the treatment of children and adolescents.
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common condition that is becoming increasingly prevalent. It affects 13.2% of the population over age 40 in Germany. In 2020, it will be the third most common cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. It markedly impairs the quality of life of those who suffer from it and presents a major economic challenge to the health-care system. ⋯ PR is an effective and cost-effective therapeutic intervention that improves physical performance ability, shortness of breath, and the quality of life in patients with COPD, but it has not yet been fully implemented as recommended in the relevant guidelines. There is a need for targeted, problem-oriented referral to a range of PR programs with problem-specific content. The necessary outpatient PR structures still need to be established in Germany.
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Empty sella is the neuroradiological or pathological finding of an apparently empty sella turcica containing no pituitary tissue. The prevalence of primary empty sella, i.e., empty sella without any discernible cause, is not precisely known; estimates range from 2% to 20%. Technical advances in neuroradiology have made empty sella an increasingly common incidental finding. It remains unclear whether, and to what extent, asymptomatic adult patients with an incidentally discovered empty sella should undergo diagnostic testing for hormonal disturbances. ⋯ The data on PES as an incidental finding are too sparse to enable any evidence-based recommendation on the potential indications for hormone testing or its nature and extent. We advise basic neuroendocrinological testing (fasting cortisol, free thyroxine [fT4], estradiol or testosterone, insulin-like growth factor 1 [IGF-1], and prolactin). There is an unexplained discrepancy between the reported high prevalence of pituitary insufficiency among persons with PES and its low prevalence in epidemiologic studies. We suspect that the former may be high because of selection bias in the publications that we reviewed, or else the latter may be erroneously low.
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The estimated incidence of osteoporotic pelvic fractures among persons over age 60 in Germany is 224 per 100 000 persons per year, and rising. A number of surgical treatment options are available, but clinical long-term data are lacking. ⋯ Retrospective analyses have shown that osteoporotic pelvic fractures are associated with decreased mobility and independence and with a one-year mortality ranging from 9.5% to 27%. Prospective therapeutic trials are urgently needed.
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The lifetime prevalence of epistaxis is approximately 60%, and 6-10% of the affected persons need medical care. In rare cases, severe bleeding calls for the rapid initiation of effective treatment. ⋯ The treatment of severe or recurrent epistaxis requires the interdisciplinary collaboration of the primary care physician, the emergency physician, the practice-based otolaryngologist, and the hospital otolaryngology service. Uniform guidelines and epidemiological studies on this topic would be desirable.