Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
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Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are rare, autoimmune mediated cholestatic liver diseases. Other auto-immune diseases are often associated with PBC and PSC, and inflammatory bowel disease is present in the majority of PSC patients. In the course of disease, chronic inflammation in the liver leads to fibrotic restructuring and ultimately cirrhosis. ⋯ For both PBC and PSC novel treatments are currently being tested in clinical trials. Disease management should address compromising symptoms like pruritus and sicca as well as complications due to maldigestion and concomitant autoimmune diseases. The only curative treatment available is liver transplantation and should be considered at a MELD score of 15.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Mar 2020
Case Reports[Comorbidity of hypoglycaemia anxiety and panic disorder in a patient with type-1 diabetes - Combined treatment with cognitive-behavioral therapy and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) in a psychosomatic day-treatment center].
A patient with T1DM, panic disorder and hypoglycaemia fear diabetes duration 4 years, BMI 25. 6, was treated in the day clinic psychosomatics with a multimodal treatment approach. She reports severe fear of hypoglycaemia and repeated hypoglycaemia. Fearing hypoglycaemia, the patient changed her diabetes self-management and thus experienced limitations in her everyday functionality. ⋯ The combination of psychotherapeutic measures with CGM appears to be a helpful approach to the treatment of disease-specific mental disorders in diabetes mellitus.
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Gallstones develop in the gallbladder or the bile ducts. According to their chemical composition, gallstones can be divided into cholesterol stones, which are common, and the rare bile pigment stones. Altogether, up to 20 % of all adults develop gallstones and more than 20 % of them symptoms or complications. ⋯ In about one half of all patients biliary symptoms precede the three common and potentially life-threatening complications (acute cholecystitis, acute cholangitis and biliary pancreatitis). Although our knowledge about the genetics and pathophysiology of gallstones has improved, current treatment algorithms are predominantly invasive (ERC and surgery). Thus, better strategies are needed to prevent the formation of gallstones in general.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Mar 2020
[One and a Half Decades of Disease Management Programs - Status Quo From the Point of View of General Practitioners].
In 2003, disease management programs (DMP) were established to improve the care of chronically ill outpatient patients. Since then, there has been a lot of controversy over the meaning and benefits of structured treatment programs, especially among primary care physicians. The present study examines the attitudes and experiences of general practitioners in relation to DMP, how they assess these one and a half decades after their introduction, and where DMP need to be improved. ⋯ From a primary care point of view, a substantial improvement in DMP would mean a simplification of the documentation and administration effort, better regulated and smoother cooperation with other care levels, a greater degree of decision flexibility, a greater and more differentiated offer of compulsory training, and an increased involvement of primary care experience in the process of DMP development as well as a better reward.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Mar 2020
[Removal of impacted cerumen by irrigation of the external auditory canal - Step-by-step].
Cerumen impaction is a common consultation issue at general medical practices and causes symptoms like hearing loss, itching, pain or tinnitus. Without any indication of eardrum perforation, ear irrigation with warm water is a safe, effective and fast aid.