ABSTRACT
Infectious diseases are among the most common diseases suffered by soldiers while serving in missions away from their home countries. The diagnosis of theses diseases requires special procedures and expertise, both of which are provided by field microbiological laboratories. In order to support the diagnostic process by means of telemedicine, a modification of the standard telemedicine workstation, i.e. a telemicrobiology module with special equipment, camera and software, has been designed and validated. This module, currently in use in two operational theaters, has stood the test in routine practice. It enables the transmission of high-quality static images of microscopic specimens or overgrown nutrient media in a matter of seconds. The inclusion of experts into diagnostic analysis through the use of telemedicine improves diagnostic specificity by avoiding false positive results and, particularly in medical parasitology, allows a treatment-essential diagnosis without the dispatch of specimens to Germany. Telemicrobiology allows the control of the entire microbiology diagnostic process by expert workstation even with only a microbiological technician on site.
Subject(s)
Communicable Diseases/diagnosis , Telemedicine/instrumentation , Telemedicine/methods , Humans , Sensitivity and Specificity , Technology Assessment, BiomedicalABSTRACT
From continuous measurements of the hemoglobin concentration in the arterial blood line during 50 hemodialysis sessions in 20 stable dialysis patients, the influence of the amount of ultrafiltered fluid, the ultrafiltration rate, and overhydration of the patient upon the circulating blood volume was derived. If ultrafiltration is stopped, blood volume increases until equilibrium is obtained. The amount of refilling is proportional to the ultrafiltration rate [2.5%/(L/hr)]. The decrease of blood volume after re-equilibration depends upon the ultrafiltered amount and the degree of overhydration. The mean decrease of blood volume per liter of ultrafiltrate was found to be 5.5% for an average overhydration of 3 L.
