Management of hemorrhage in severe pelvic injuries

Major pelvic trauma results in high mortality. No standard technique to control pelvic hemorrhage has been identified.

The role of choline positron emission tomography/computed tomography in the management of patients with prostate-specific antigen progression after radical treatment of prostate cancer

Choline positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is a currently used diagnostic tool in restaging prostate cancer (PCa) patients with increasing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) after either radical prostatectomy (RP) or external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT). However, no final recommendations have been made on the use of this modality for patient management.

Delivery room management of very low birth weight infants in Germany, Austria and Switzerland--a comparison of protocols

Surveys from the USA, Australia and Spain have shown significant inter-institutional variation in delivery room (DR) management of very low birth weight infants (VLBWI, <1500g) at birth, despite regularly updated international guidelines.

Management of phenylketonuria in Europe: survey results from 19 countries

To gain better insight in the most current diagnosis and treatment practices for phenylketonuria (PKU) from a broad group of experts, a European PKU survey was performed. The questionnaire, consisting of 33 questions, was sent to 243 PKU professionals in 165 PKU centers in 23 European countries. The responses were compiled and descriptive analyses were performed. One hundred and one questionnaires were returned by 93/165 centers (56%) from 19/23 European countries (83%). The majority of respondents (77%) managed patients of all age groups and more than 90% of PKU teams included physicians or dieticians/nutritionists. The greatest variability existed especially in the definition of PKU phenotypes, therapeutic blood phenylalanine (Phe) target concentrations, and follow-up practices for PKU patients. The tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4; sapropterin) loading test was performed by 54% of respondents, of which 61% applied a single dose test (20mg/kg over 24h). BH4 was reported as a treatment option by 34%. This survey documents differences in diagnostic and treatment practices for PKU patients in European centers. In particular, recommendations for the treatment decision varied greatly between different European countries. There is an urgent need to pool long-term data in PKU registries in order to generate an evidence-based international guideline.

Biomarkers for Hepatocellular Apoptosis in the Management of Liver Diseases

Apoptosis is a rare event in normal hepatocytes. However, multiple signals can trigger apoptosis in hepatocytes and it plays a role in the pathogenesis of many liver diseases. This review summarizes the mechanisms of hepatocellular apoptosis and the importance of apoptosis in the pathological processes of liver disease. The potential for non-invasive biomarkers of apoptosis to gauge the extent and follow the evolution of clinical disease is emphasized.

Percutaneous management of vascular complications in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation

This study sought to investigate the feasibility and safety of percutaneous management of vascular complications after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in drug substitution programs

In Switzerland, intravenous drug use (IDU) accounts for 80% of newly acquired hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Early HCV treatment has the potential to interrupt the transmission chain and reduce morbidity/mortality due to decompensated liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Nevertheless, patients in drug substitution programs are often insufficiently screened and treated.

Position paper on the management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension: joint recommendations by the European Society of Hypertension, by the European Respiratory Society and by the members of European COST (COoperation in Scientific and Technological research) ACTION B26 on obstructive sleep apnea

This article is aimed at addressing the current state of the art in epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic procedures and treatment options for appropriate management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in cardiovascular (particularly hypertensive) patients, as well as for the management of cardiovascular diseases (particularly arterial hypertension) in OSA patients. The present document is the result of the work done by a panel of experts participating in the European Union COST (COoperation in Scientific and Technological research) ACTION B26 on OSA, with the endorsement of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the European Society of Hypertension (ESH). These recommendations are particularly aimed at reminding cardiovascular experts to consider the occurrence of sleep-related breathing disorders in patients with high blood pressure. They are at the same time aimed at reminding respiration experts to consider the occurrence of hypertension in patients with respiratory problems at night.