Med Klin
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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia, occurs in 0.4% of the adult population and in as many as 2% to 4% of those 60 years of age or older. ⋯ The present data show that verapamil/quinidine is effective in conversion of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter to sinus rhythm and is associated with an acceptable efficacy rate in preventing recurrences of atrial fibrillation or flutter. Final conclusions concerning side effects are only possible in prospective studies that are ongoing at the present time.
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the main aim of the study was to assess the applicability of the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) to the evaluation of outcome quality within the framework of quality assurance in patients in a medical intensive care unit. The outcome parameter employed was hospital mortality, measured as mortality index (hospital mortality actually observed/predicted mortality), the predicted mortality being derived from the individual mortality risk calculated for each patient in accordance with SAPS II. ⋯ The prognostic system SAPS II can be employed to evaluate the quality of outcome measured by hospital mortality in patients of a medical intensive care unit, provided that the applicability of the score is demonstrated for the patient material involved, the outcome of the overall group and of the high-risk groups is referred to the accuracy and completeness of the entered data is checked, and the scoring systems accepted as quality standard.
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Enteropathic spondylarthropathies (SpA) are the most frequent extraintestinal manifestation of the chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). It was the aim of the present study, to analyze a large number of IBD patients for the prevalence and pattern of joint manifestation and the association of SpA with the extend of bowel involvement and HLA-haplotype. ⋯ Enteropathic spondylarthropathies are an important extraintestinal manifestation of IBD. Spondylarthropathies occur irrespective of the extend of IBD and frequently become symptomatic prior to IBD. These and recent data describing inflammatory bowel disease in patients with SpA of unknown etiology suggest that both diseases have a common pathogenetic background.