Sleep habits and sleep complaints in Austria: current self-reported data on sleep behaviour, sleep disturbances and their treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To acquire current information on sleep habits, disturbances and treatment options in the adult population of Austria and compare results with previously collected data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A representative sample of the Austrian population (women: n = 522, men: n = 478). RESULTS: Seventy-five percent reported daily sleep-duration between 6 and 8 h. In 76%, sleep latency was <30 min, 15% described difficulties in sleep maintenance. Longer sleep on weekends was prevalent in 54%, 23% took a nap. Concerning sleep environment, 31% reported sleeping alone; the rest had a constant or occasional bed partner. Sleep disturbances such as sleep disruption or prolonged sleep latency were reported by 18%. Predominant symptoms included snoring/apneas (22%), nightmares (22%) and restless legs (21%). Daytime tiredness was reported by 17% and sleepiness by 20%. Twenty-four percent did not take treatment. Only 7% asked for medical help: 96% consulted their physician; 47% tried to change their way of living. Sleep promoting drugs were taken by 7%. Sleep improving measures were: sleep promoters (45%), general measures (20%), consultation of general practitioner (20%), psychotherapy (6%), and technical tools (3%). Comparison with a dataset of 1993 revealed only a slight increase in short sleepers and a slight decrease in long sleepers. CONCLUSIONS: Subjectively reported sleep disorders proved to be relatively stable between 1993 and 2007.

[Surgical infections of the gallbladder and the biliary tree]. / Chirurgische Infektionen der Gallenblase und der Gallenwege.

Acute cholecystitis and acute cholangitis are the most frequent surgical infections of the biliary tree. Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice in acute cholecystitis. Laparoscopic operation results in a shorter length of stay and less morbidity. Conversion rate is low in early laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Endoscopic or transhepatic decompression of the bile ducts is the treatment of choice in severe acute cholangitis. While the removal of stones is the causal therapy in choledocholithiasis, further diagnosis and consecutive therapy has to follow after decompression of bile duct stenosis.