Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
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Cardiac arrhythmias are a common phenomenon and can be a challenge for the treating physicians in the acute situation. The article presents the different bradycardic and tachycardic cardiac arrhythmias and their treatment with practical advices for diagnosis.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Jun 2021
[Treatment of Renal Artery Perforation with Covered Stent after Percutaneous Biopsy of Pancreatic Head].
In a 67-year-old female patient with upper abdominal pain, computed tomography showed a partly calcified swelling of the pancreatic head and wall thickening of the duodenum. ⋯ After percutaneous biopsy, vascular perforation must always be considered. Computed tomography provides a reliable and quick diagnosis. Minimally invasive percutaneous insertion of a covered stent is the therapy of choice in the case of a renal artery accessible to stents.
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Lyme borreliosis is a tick-borne infectious disease caused by the spirochete bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. Lyme borreliosis is the most frequent zoonosis in Germany. Most cases show dermatological manifestations, like erythema migrans, followed by infections of the nervous system. ⋯ This corroborates current German guideline recommendations. The prognosis of Lyme disease after antibiotic treatment is usually favorable. Frequency of fatigue, depression, impairments in quality of life and cognitive impairment are similar in patients after treatment of Lyme neuroborreliosis when compared to the general population.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Jun 2021
[Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency: cause and cofactor for liver disease].
Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a genetic disorder arising due to mutation in alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT). AAT mutations interfere with the AAT production/secretion, cause decreased AAT serum levels and accumulation of AAT in the liver. The excess AAT leads to a proteotoxic liver disease, while the lack of AAT in systemic circulation predisposes to lung injury. ⋯ In individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or alcohol misuse it promotes the development of liver cirrhosis. While no drug treatment exists for AATD-related liver disease, there are several compounds in clinical phase II/III-trials. These either silence the AAT production via siRNA or facilitate the secretion of AAT from the liver due to an improved folding.
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In hospital, effective smoking cessation can be organized through counselling, pharmacological aids and, above all, continuous care in outpatient structures following discharge. Pharmacological treatment has proven to be effective and safe with nicotine replacement therapy as well as varenicline. Counselling plus pharmacotherapy is more effective in combination than either therapy is on its own. ⋯ The long-term effectiveness of e-cigarettes in tobacco cessation is still uncertain and epidemiologic data clearly point toward ineffectiveness. Furthermore, dual use with potentiation of the toxic effects is common. Therefore, e-cigarettes cannot be recommended for tobacco cessation.