Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Feb 2025
[Unstable heart failure: practical guidelines for avoiding frequent hospital admissions].
Heart failure is the leading cause of hospital admissions in Germany. The prevention of hospitalizations due to heart failure has recently improved, encompassing guideline-based basic therapy, targeted medication escalation options, and structured outpatient care incorporating telemedicine. An early identification of parameters that precede or indicate acute heart failure is crucial. ⋯ It is recommended to start or up-titrate guideline-recommended medical therapy and additionally initiate treatment with the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator Vericiguat in patients with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction. Initiation and up-titration should begin during hospitalization and should be completed during careful follow-up within the first 6 weeks after discharge. This guide provides recommendations for the comprehensive and coordinated treatment of worsening heart failure, considering all these aspects which are crucial for improving patient outcomes.
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The gastrointestinal microbiome influences physiological functions and is altered in a variety of diseases. The causality of "dysbiosis" in the pathogenesis is not always proven; association studies are often involved. Patients with IBD, bacteria, fungi, bacteriophages, and archaea show disease-typical patterns associated with metabolome disturbances. ⋯ This significantly limits the nationwide availability of the FMT in Germany. Microbiota-based therapeutics prepared from the stool of tested donors have recently been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of rCDI. More microbiome-based medicines can be expected in the future.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Feb 2025
[Nosocomial gastrointestinal infections and Clostridioides difficile].
German surveillance data from 2022 reported a prevalence of nosocomial infections among hospitalized patients of 5,2%. Clostridioides-difficile-infections (CDI) are the most frequent cause of nosocomial diarrhea. They are usually caused by antibiotic exposure and the subsequent changes in the gut microbiota. ⋯ According to the current German Gastrointestinal Infection Guidelines, fidaxomicin is the preferred treatment option for CDI, especially in patients at high risk of recurrence or those already suffering from recurrence. Vancomycin can also be used as an alternative for initial CDI treatment. Fecal microbiota transplantation is considered a treatment approach for patients with multiple recurrences.