Seroprevalence of anti-Yersinia antibodies in healthy Austrians.

Yersiniosis is caused by Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis mostly presenting as intestinal infection. The infection is usually acquired from contaminated food. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of anti-Yersinia antibodies in Austrians. Sera of 750 healthy Austrians from all nine states were tested for anti-Yersinia IgG antibodies using the recomBlot Yersinia Westernblot kit. Overall seroprevalence was 29.7%. Seroprevalence increased significantly with age from 24.7% in the group of the 19 to 24 year olds to 38.5% in the group of persons older than 44 years. The seroprevalence of anti-Yersinia antibodies varied within the states between 18% and 43.5%. The high seroprevalence of anti-Yersinia antibodies in contrast to only approximately 100 reported yersiniosis cases per year points to the fact that the majority of infections is either subclinical or mild.

Management in der Behandlung von Patienten nach Einsatz biologischer Agenzien.

The risk of terrorist attacks with weapons of mass destruction like biological agents is increasing. Biological agents can be disseminated as aerosols or by contaminating food and beverages. The multitude of agents and the different pathways of transmission cause very different clinical presentations. Natural infections with potential biological agents in Germany are rare and in most cases imported from endemic areas abroad. It is crucial to include these diseases in the spectrum of differential diagnosis. Local and state health departments have to be notified as early as possible in dubious cases. Public health management can be efficient only, if there is high reporting discipline and all epidemic measures are well coordinated.

[Percutaneous dilatative tracheostomy as a new method in intensive medicine. Procedure, advantages and risks]. / Die perkutane dilatative Tracheotomie als neues Verfahren in der Intensivmedizin. Durchführung, Vorteile und Risiken.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) is a recently developed method to obtain endotracheal access, also at the bed-side, in ventilated patients. The procedure is described and results are presented. PATIENTS AND METHODS: PDT was performed in 112 patients (82 men, 30 women, average age 50.7 years) between 1.5. 1994 and 31.5. 1996, in all cases expected to require more than 10 days of assisted ventilation. All complications, late sequelae and cosmetic results after decannulation were analysed. RESULTS: No serious complications were noted during the procedure. Erroneous puncture occurred in nine patients, but were corrected without problem. Complications necessitating temporary interruption of the tracheostomy consisted of accidental extubation and ventilatory problems (two patients each). There were no late sequelae and the cosmetic results were judged to be very good. CONCLUSION: PDT is a simple and relatively easily learned procedure. It has a low complication rate, late sequelae are very rare and cosmetic results after closure of the tracheostomy are excellent.

[Drug poisoning in the 39th week of pregnancy--a case report]. / Tablettenintoxikation in der 39. Schwangerschaftswoche--Eine Kasuistik.

It is reported on an intoxication with nitrazepam at the end of pregnancy. The fetal cardiotachogram showed a silent oscillation type for more than 20 hours. A cesarean section could not be performed, therefore the pregnancy was terminated by spontaneous delivery 20 hours later after the beginning of labour. Although a fetal endangering by a silent oscillation type could not be excluded, due to the metabolism of nitrazepam in the mother the newborn baby did not show major intoxication symptoms.

[A simple formula for calculating the CO2 flow in controlled hyperventilation of patients with solvent poisoning]. / Eine einfache Formel zur Berechnung der CO2-Einspeisung bei kontrollierter Hyperventilation an Patienten mit Lösungsmittelintoxikation.

Controlled hyperventilation is a therapeutic measure for the treatment of intoxications with solvents. To avoid the occurrence of respiratory alkalosis, carbon dioxide must be added to the inspiratory gas flow. Up to now the addition of carbon dioxide was performed empirically and was adapted to the needs by repeated blood gas analyses. We developed a formula enabling us to calculate the necessary carbon dioxide flow. A case report explains the procedure.

[Secretolysis using high frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) in ventilation obligatory status asthmaticus]. / Sekretolyse durch Hochfrequenz-Jet-Ventilation (HFJV) beim beatmungspflichtigen Status asthmaticus.

With high frequency jet-ventilation superimposed on intermittent positive pressure ventilation a good secretolysis was obtained. Preliminary results in patients with mechanical ventilation during status asthmaticus are presented.

[Injector units for special use areas during normal and high frequency jet ventilation--flow technic studies]. / Injektoreinheiten für spezielle Anwendungsgebiete während Normo- und Hochfrequenzjetventilation--Strömungstechnische Untersuchungen.

Two injector units for special use during normo- and high-frequency jet ventilation are presented. Their pressure-volume-characteristics were analysed and theoretically consolidated. There is a good correlation between measurements and theory. Hence the jet ventilation is easier and dangerous incidents are avoidable.

[Intensive therapy of acute necrotizing pancreatitis]. / Die Intensivtherapie der akuten nekrotisierenden Pankreatitis.

The prognosis of pancreatitis can be improved by persistent involvement of intensive therapy in the therapeutic concept applied to acute cases. Abdominal lavage, properly timed relaparotomy, analgesia through peridural catheter, artificial ventilation in cases of respiratory insufficiency, and adequate fluid substitution are some of the measures by which the course of acute pancreatitis can be most effectively tackled. Results so far obtained from this therapeutic concept are reported in some detail.