Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 1994
Empirical data for the purpose of multidimensional analysis of alcohol delinquency-related behaviour.
With the aim of determining the differences, if any, between voluntarily admitted alcohol-dependent patients and those treated in a forensic hospital with regard to criminal behaviour caused by alcohol, a study was conducted within a clinical section to analyse 41 patients confined under the provisions of the German Penal Code (StGB, section 64) and 55 patients who were admitted voluntarily. There is virtually no difference in the patterns of delinquency of the two groups; plain theft, fraud, defalcation and damage of property are predominant. ⋯ In accordance with the result of operationalised diagnostics, only 51.2 per cent of the patients of confinement showed a primary alcohol dependence. As far as the other patients of the group (who had been wrongly confined within the meaning of the law) were concerned, the predominant diagnosis was a disturbed personality with accompanying alcohol abuse, whereas in the group of voluntarily admitted patients the proportion of primary alcohol dependence was 81.8 per cent.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 1994
[Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus:"EURODIAB IDDM Complications Study"--results from the Vienna center].
The EURODIAB IDDM complications study is a multicenter clinical study for evaluation of the prevalence of microvascular, macrovascular and acute metabolic complications in randomly selected samples of insulin-dependent diabetic patients attending 31 European diabetes centers. A total of 3250 patients were studied (mean age: 32.7 +/- 10 years, mean duration of diabetes: 14.7 +/- 9.3 years) by standardized, validated methods. The third medical department of the Vienna-Lainz hospital participated from Austria. 122 patients, age: 34.9 +/- 9.9 years, duration of diabetes: 16 +/- 10 years were recruited from this center. ⋯ Important associations of raised blood pressure (frequency in all centers: 8-41%, Vienna: 29%) with renal disease and retinopathy have implications for the initiation of preventive measures. The data on diabetic complications obtained from the EURODIAB study permit a comparison between the different European centers and emphasize the need for implementation of the St. Vincent recommendations.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 1994
[Prevalence of cardiac autonomic neuropathies in uremia and diabetes mellitus].
In the absence of relevant data, the prevalence of cardiac autonomic neuropathy was investigated in patients with diabetes mellitus or uremia due to other causes and diabetic patients with endstage renal failure. 117 patients (40 on a dialysis program without diabetes, 32 with diabetes mellitus type 1 but no nephropathy, 16 type 1 and 13 type 2 diabetic uremic patients, 16 diabetic patients with a kidney graft) and 25 healthy control subjects underwent assessment of the cardiorespiratory reflexes. The evaluation of parasympathetic damage was of particular interest. Definite parasympathetic dysfunction was detected in 32% of the non-diabetic uremic and in 19% of the non-uremic type 1 diabetic patients. Furthermore, 88% of type 1 and 77% of type 2 diabetic patients on dialysis and 75% of diabetic patients after kidney transplantation had evidence of autonomic neuropathy.
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Better understanding of respiratory physiology and progress in ventilator technology have contributed to improved mortality and morbidity of premature neonates. Yet, pulmonary complications remain high and there is no consensus about the optimal regimen of mechanical ventilation. ⋯ However, our own results and the results from most surfactant studies show no significant reduction in the incidence of intraventricular haemorrhage. Thus, though mechanical ventilation and surfactant administration are milestones in neonatal therapeutic management, the problems encountered in very low birth weight neonates both with respect to mortality and morbidity have not been generally solved and underline the role of optimal perinatal management.