Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Aug 2007
Review[How do patients with COPD circumvent their disease? Psychological factors].
Chronic illness permanently changes a patient;s lifestyle and requires continuous adaptation. Chronic diseases like COPD and its treatment place extensive behavioral demands on patients. The need for precisely scheduled daily medication, regular physical exercise, visits to health care providers and monitoring are some of the demands. ⋯ COPD patients often have perceived barriers and factors, which will hinder or facilitate an optimal self-management. For instance their individual treatment goals can differ from those of the physician, or patients feel distressed about having a chronic disease. The comprehension of psychological factors in medical treatment is essential not only to be more effective in improving patients' confidence in their ability to follow a self-care regimen but also have beneficial effects in achieving treatment goals.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Jul 2007
Multicenter Study[Reduction of in-hospital mortality and improved secondary prevention after acute myocardial infarction. First results from the registry of secondary prevention after acute myocardial infarction (SAMI)].
In hospital mortality of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been reduced due to the availability of better therapeutic strategies. But there is still a gap between mortality rates in randomised trials and daily clinical practice. Thus, it was aim of the present registry to document the course and outcome of patients with AMI and to improve patient care by implementing recent guidelines. ⋯ The 9 % mortality among patients with acute myocardial infarction treated in the hospitals participating in the SAMI registry is low compared to that in similar collectives. The high number of patients who had thrombofibrinolysis and coronary interventions as well as the early initiation of drug therapy contributed to these results. Medical treatment in the prehospital phase of these patients remains still insufficient and to a substantial extent contributes to the mortality of acute myocardial infarction.