Dtsch Arztebl Int
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Comparative Study
A comparison of the treatment of severe injuries between the former East and West German States.
The annual number of persons killed in road-traffic accidents in Germany declined by 36% from 2001 to 2008, yet official traffic statistics still reveal a marked difference in fatalities between the federal states of the former East and West Germany twenty years after German reunification. ⋯ Among the hospitals whose cases are included in the TR-DGU, there is no significant difference between the former East and West Germany with respect to mortality or any other clinically relevant variable. Hypothetically, the higher rate of death from road-traffic accidents in the former East Germany, as revealed by national traffic statistics, might be attributable to a difference in the quality of care received by trauma patients, but no such difference was found. Other potential reasons for it might be poorer road conditions, more initially fatal accidents, and lower accessibility of medical care in less densely populated areas.
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It is estimated that up to 24% of the population in Germany suffers from allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and 5% from allergic asthma. Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis is closely related to other atopic diseases. ⋯ Even though the efficacy of SIT is well documented, it is still underused. SIT should be offered as standard treatment to patients suffering from allergic rhinitis.