MMW Fortschritte der Medizin
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Review Comparative Study
[Frequently occurring forms of dizziness and their treatment].
Dizziness is not a unique clinical picture, but rather is the unspecific symptom of numerous diseases. Dizziness always develops when the real incoming vestibular, visual and somatosensory information contradict each other and the expected input signals. Disorders of the vestibular apparatus are the most frequent cause of dizziness; in contrast, cervicogenic causes play a secondary role. Dizziness syndromes usually have a favourable prognosis and can be successfully treated.
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Review Comparative Study
[Differential diagnosis of somatoform disorders in elderly patients].
The diagnosis of somatoform disorders in elderly patients is frequently difficult due to the presence of a mixture of symptoms related to organic pathological changes, medication side effects and mental processes. For this reason, important indications of somatoform disorders are difficulties in the doctor-patient relationship that result in the patient being convinced that he/she is suffering from an organic disease which the attending physician is not able to detect. ⋯ The goal is to gently and constructively expand the patient's organic explanation to include psychosomatic possibilities, for example within psychosomatic primary health care. To evaluate difficulties in a doctor-patient relationship, participation in Balint seminars can be very helpful.
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Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening disease with a high mortality if left untreated. School-age children, adolescents and adults often present with typical symptoms such as fever, headache, neck stiffness and altered mental status, whereas infants show rather unspecific symptoms. The important task of the primary physician is to recognize the life-threatening condition in time and to refer the patient immediately to the next hospital.