MMW Fortschritte der Medizin
-
After walking barefoot over hot sand, a 75-year-old man developed second-degree burns on the soles of both feet. His case history revealed diabetes mellitus with diabetic polyneuropathy and macroangiopathy. ⋯ Diabetics walking barefoot over hot surfaces are highly prone to sufferfrom burns on the soles of the feet. In particular when such persons are about to go on holiday, they should be counseled to keep their feet dry, so as to reduce heat conduction, and to wear shoes when temperatures are high.
-
The local inflammatory reaction following a tick bite varies considerably, so that in particular the frequently atypical variations result in a wrong diagnosis and thus to inappropriate treatment. If a tick bite is followed within three weeks by flue-like or neurological symptoms, or joint swelling in the vicinity of the bite, a serological investigation work-up should be carried out. In the early stage, however, Borrelia-specific antibodies can be detected in only 30-80% of the patients. However, during the further course of the illness, the specific IgM and IgG antibody titers almost always increase.