Austrian Society Research Articles

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Austrian Society of Haematology and Medical Oncology

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Austrian Society of Haematology and Medical Oncology

Austrian neurologists under the swastika: Julius Wagner-Jauregg-Walther Birkmayer-Franz Seitelberger

There were three Austrian neurologists with connections to neurology in National Socialism who have been honored by the German Neurological Society (DGN) or its predecessor organizations with honorary membership. From 1928 to 1934 Julius Wagner-Jauregg (1857-1940) was head of the Austrian Alliance for National Regeneration and the Study of Heredity; in at least two publications he advocated eugenic measures and racial hygienic positions as defined by Nazi ideology. As aformer member of the Greater German People's Party (Großdeutsche Volkspartei), he applied for membership of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) afew months before his death. Walther Birkmayer (1910-1996) was an early member of the NSDAP, SA, SS and other Nazi organizations. As astaunch supporter of the "movement" he worked from 1938 in the Office of Racial Policy of the Gauleitung of Vienna. In lectures and publications he demanded or recommended forced sterilization for anumber of neurological diseases. Due to the classification of his grandmother as "non-Aryan", he had to give up his party and university posts and served as aWehrmacht physician. After some hard years immediately after the war, he was allowed to continue his career. As aco-discoverer of the effect of L‑DOPA on parkinsonism, he was awarded numerous honorary doctorates and honorary memberships. Franz Seitelberger (1916-2007), amember of an SS unit during the Nazi era, benefited in his research work from the 1950s onwards from specimens obtained in the course of neuropathological "concomitant research" to Nazi "euthanasia". It is to be welcomed that the Austrian Society of Neurology (ÖGN) will soon start ahistorical project investigating open questions related to the Nazi era.

Do radiation oncologists talk about sexual health and dysfunction with their cancer patients? Results of the igls-vienna-sexmed-survey

Background and purposeThe aim of this survey was to invite radiation oncologists to self-assess whether sexual health care and sexual dysfunction are an issue in daily routine. Materials and MethodsAt the annual congress of the Austrian Society of Radiation Oncology in 2017 doctors were asked about their care for sexual health in cancer patients by using questionnaires. No exclusion criteria were employed. Forty-one questionnaires were answered and statistically analysed so 44.5% of doctors participated. ResultsOnly 4.9% of the participants self-assessed to routinely explore sexual health issues in 61–80% of their patients. Thirty-one point seven percent of the doctors suspected sexual problems in about half of their patients but did not raise the issue. The most common reason for not raising sexual issues by the patients was assumed by the doctors “other problems are more important” (73.2%), followed by “lack of time” (36.6%). Participants were also asked about additional medical qualifications: none of the physicians had training in sexual medicine. ConclusionThe main reason for not talking about sexual problems was the impression of the participating doctors that other problems were more important for the patients. Another reason for not bringing up the topic of sexual issues by the patients was assumed by the doctors: lack of time. As doctor shortage is a problem in the observed country other kind of networks and counselling possibilities should be evaluated. An interesting finding was that survey participants show a higher awareness for male sexual problems than for female issues.

Let us integrate sexual health\u2014do psychiatrists integrate sexual health in patient management?

The high prevalence of sexual dysfunction and the importance of sexual health issues in general stress the need for a physician to integrate sexual health issues in patient management. In this study, we evaluate the frequency of psychiatrists addressing sexual health issues as well as their attitude towards sexual health. Plus, we want to evaluate the multi-professional network for patient treatment that is needed by physicians for collaboration with other medical specialists and health care professionals. At total 100 psychiatrists (age range 30–60 years), participating at the annual meeting of the Austrian Society of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, were invited to self-assess their caring for patients’ sexual health issues and answer a self-report questionnaire. The return rate was 74%. A third of the participating psychiatrists and psychotherapists stated to address sexual health in patients in daily routine. Twenty-five percent of the physicians suspected sexual health problems in 60–100% of their patients but did not ask the patients about this topic. Mentioned reasons why patients would not actively address sexual problems were rated by the survey participants “a different problem was more important”, “lack of time”, and “embarrassment”. Only few of the participating psychiatrists stated to offer a consultation in sexual health to the patients, none to offer sexual therapy. A mentioned reason was “lack of competence regarding sexual health”. Twelve percent referred the patients with sexual issues to a physician with another medical specialization, especially to experts in gynaecology and obstetrics, to experts in urology, or to andrologists. However, a need for a network in the field of sexual medicine was stated and an unawareness of a sexual health care network: where to refer the patients in need. Our data showed an increased need in the routine treatment and management of sexual health care in psychiatrists and psychotherapists. Plus, the data stresses the need for professional sexual medicine qualification and for extended cooperation between different medical fields and health care professionals in order to integrate sexual health topics professionally in daily routine.

New Perspectives on Contemporary Austrian Literature and Culture ed. by Katya Krylova

Reviewed by: New Perspectives on Contemporary Austrian Literature and Culture ed. by Katya Krylova Helga Schreckenberger New Perspectives on Contemporary Austrian Literature and Culture. Edited by Katya Krylova. Oxford: Peter Lang, 2018. Pp. 440. Cloth $90.95. ISBN 978-304319843. The volume of sixteen essays grew out of the international conference "Contemporary Austrian Literature, Film, and Culture" held at the University of Nottingham in 2015. The aim of this conference was to examine how various shifts in Austrian society over the past thirty years find their expression in Austrian literature and culture. Indeed, starting with the Waldheim Affair of 1986–1988 that initiated the long-overdue confrontation with the country's Nazi past, Austrian society has undergone a number of important transformations. The Balkan Wars (1991–2001) and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc countries in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as well as Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995, led to increased immigration. The influx of migrants caused a nationalistic backlash and the rise of populist right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), leading to its inclusion in two coalition governments with the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) in 2000 and 2017. As the editor of the volume, Katya Krylova, points out, Austrian writers, filmmakers, and cultural practitioners, who were the driving forces behind the protest movement against Kurt Waldheim's presidency and his attempts to diminish his involvement with the Nazi war machine, [End Page 221] have continued in this role. They rallied against the populist anti-immigration referendum of the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party in 1992/93 and protested against the FPÖ's presence in the government and against the current coalition's policies. As this volume shows, these political and social events have been refracted in Austrian literature and culture. Krylova has grouped the contributions in three parts, emphasizing their interconnectedness and highlighting points of comparison and contrast. The first part, "Austria and the World: Transnational Perspectives," focuses on works and authors with a transnational perspective. This includes changing representations of the Middle East in postwar literature (Dagmar Lorenz); Ruth Beckermann's recent documentary films, the 2011 road movie American Passages and her 2013 exploration of the European migrant crisis Those Who Go Those Who Stay (Katya Krylova); and Robert Menasse's fictional and nonfictional analysis of the European Union (Valentina Serra). The articles in part 2, "Space, Place, and Boundary Crossing in Contemporary Austrian Literature and Film," analyze ways in which films and texts claim, occupy, and subvert spaces. This includes the adaptation of the Western film genre for foregrounding the injustices of migration policies in films by Erwin Wagenhofer, Anja Salomonowitz, Florian Flicker, and Andreas Prohaska (Nikhil Sathe); the negotiation of both national borders and those between groups in Felix Mitterer's Verkaufte Heimat (Ursula Schneider/Annette Steinsiek), the importance of topography for identity constructions in Anna Kim's novels (Silke Schwaiger); and the destruction of boundaries in the texts of Thomas Bernhard and Ernst Jandl (Lydia Hayder). "Confronting the Nazi Past," the third part, demonstrates that this topic has not lost its currency for Austrian writers. The contributions in this part focus on family novels (Magdolna Orosz) and "Grossmutterliteratur" (Petra Bagley), which examine forms of personal and historical memories. In addition, Robert Schindel's novels Gebürtig (1992) and Der Kalte (2013) are read as attempts of historicizing the 1980s akin to Balzac's comédie humaine (Joseph Moser). The final article offers a convincing, clear-sighted analysis of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's flawed attempt to shed light on its activities during the Nazi era and restore its image as "national treasure" (Lauren Freede). This volume certainly does justice to its title and it impresses with those articles that offer innovative approaches and nuanced readings of the texts. Particularly successful in this regard is Anne-Marie Scholz's contrasting Ilse Aichinger's autobiographical text Film und Verhängnis. Blitzlichter auf ein Leben (2001) with the tourist industry's narrative about the film The Third Man. Brigitte Timmermann, founder of the Third Man tour, uses the cult film to forge a modernist high cultural conception of Austria that shifts away from the country's collaboration with Nazi Germany...

Romanian Community in Austria. Social and economic Integration

Migration is a social phenomenon that has profoundly affected Romanian society for the last three decades. Due to migration, in some receiving states, more representative communities of Romanians began to develop. One of these communities is that of the Romanians in Austria, which in recent years has developed steadily, becoming the second-largest minority community in this country. The influencing factors and the contextual environment influenced both the immigration and the socio-economic integration of the Romanians into the Austrian society. Evidence of this integration is given by a high rate of engagement in the labour market, entrepreneurship and the school system. Romanians are not only a well-integrated community, but also human capital that plays a particularly important role in certain areas of socio-economic life in Austria.

Improving Health of the Next Generation: Dietary Intake and Physical Activity during Pregnancy in an Austrian Cohort

AbstractThere is sufficient evidence that the periconceptional period is a key window during which poor maternal nutrition can adversely influence long-term health and disease risk into adulthood. The higher rate of obesity in women of childbearing age and bad quality of mother's diet may result in higher incidence of hyperglycemia or hyperlipidemia, associated with an impaired metabolism in the offspring.This cross-sectional study analysed dietary habits and physical activity of 190 pregnant women aged 31 ± 6 years in the second and third trimester of their pregnancy in Austria. Dietary intake data were collected by two non-consecutive 24-h-recalls using GloboDiet software, physical activity was examined with the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire. 31.6 % of investigated women were overweight or obese; a moderate higher prevalence compared to non-pregnant women (21.9–27.8 %). Mean gestational weight gain (GWG) was 3.9 (± 4.8) kg in the second and 9.6 (± 5.1) kg in the third trimester. More than half of the pregnant women exceed the GWG recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (2009). In contrary, average energy consumption was 1765 kcal/d, which is below the DACH (German, Austrian and Swiss Society for Nutrition) reference value assuming a Physical Activity Level of 1,4. However, one quarter of participants exceeded reference value of energy intake. Ratio of energy supply by macronutrient intake was 36.2 E% fat: 48.5 E% carbohydrates: 15.3 E% protein. Mean intakes of linoleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid were within the DACH reference values, but DHA intake (125 mg/d) did not reach the recommendation of 200 mg/d. In addition, average intake of dietary fibre (19.8 g/d) was too low. Intakes of vitamins A, E, B1, B6, and folate as well as potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and iodine were unsatisfying. These results are in accordance with an inadequate supply with fruits, vegetables, cereals, and milk products, at the same time exceeding intake of meat(products) and sweets. Only half of the examined pregnant women have reached the recommendation of 120 minutes of physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity per week.This study demonstrates that dietary behaviour and physical activity during pregnancy need to be improved. Adequate energy and nutrient intake is essential before conception, as well as throughout pregnancy to support maternal needs, and to fill up stores required for foetal development. Health strategies supporting women in childbearing age in adopting a healthy lifestyle are important for the health of the next generation.

VOJNA LJEČILIŠTA NA KVARNERU U AUSTRO-UGARSKOJ MONARHIJI I BRIGA ZA UNAPREĐENJE ČASNIČKOG ZDRAVLJA

The health of officers (as well as the entire army) is exposed to additional risks due to the performance of various life-threatening tasks for the needs of the state. Therefore, it is not unusual for the state to take care of the health of its officers (as well as the army) through a system of Vojvodina medical care or specialised society through the construction of military or officer health resorts [Militärkurhaus / Offizierskurhaus] with the provision of medical/ health services. The subject of this paper is the relationship between architecture and the provision of military-medical services of officer/military health resorts built by the Society of the White Cross [Gesellschaft vom Weißen Kreuze] in Kvarner at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. The research is based on data collected from Austrian architectural, medical and tourist magazines and yearbooks of Austrian Society of the White Cross. The results of the research contribute to a better understanding of the improvement of the health of officers, the development of the architecture of health buildings [Kurhaus] and the entire history of medicine and health tourism in the Croatian Adriatic.

Infective endocarditis - can we treat it more effectively?

Infective endocarditis (IE), despite the diagnostic and therapeutic advances, still remains a serious disease associated with high mortality and serious complications. The present guidelines of the European Cardiology Society of 2015 recommend administration of the antibiotics indicated in empirical therapy for multiple weeks and in targeted treatment often for 6–8 weeks. This is associated with a risk of adverse effects of antibiotic therapy in the form of nephro- and/or hepatotoxicity and an increased risk of infections with Clostridioides difficile, while long-term hospitalisation is associated with high non-drug costs. The recommendations developed by the Austrian Society for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine list dalbavancin among the new antibiotics that may find application in the treatment of IE of staphylococcal aetiology. This antibiotic is a lipoglycopeptide antibiotic alternative to vancomycin in the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus MRSA infections, especially in a situation where the minimum inhibitory concentration for vancomycin is high but below the breakpoint. Dalbavancin has very good pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, with a long duration of action of up to 14 days after administration of a single dose (1500 mg in a 30-minute infusion). This antibiotic is characterised by high clinical efficacy with good treatment tolerance and safety profile, without causing toxic effects in internal organs in comparison with vancomycin. In view of its safety, clinical efficacy and convenient dosing, dalbavancin may prove a useful therapeutic option in the treatment of IE.

„Alternative und komplementäre Heilmethoden in der Neuzeit“ Eine kritische Annäherung an die Jahrestagung 2013 „Geschichte(n) von Gesundheit und Krankheit“ des Vereins für Sozialgeschichte der Medizin

This paper discusses the 2013 annual conference of the Austrian Society for the Social History of Medicine, choosing two different angles of approach. On the one hand the article gives a brief overview of the individual talks held at the conference dealing with alternative and complementary medicine from the early modern period to the present. On the other hand it tries to identify common motives and recurring concepts in the conference talks and papers published in this volume. Examples reach from magico-religious phenomena, natural medicine and the strong life reform movement of the fin de siecle to various agents of alternative medicine such as proponents of Cartesianism, Homeopathy or lay-healers. Similarities could be found in the evolution of alternative medical approaches, the recollection of antique dietetics, observed in many cases as well as the intriguing self-concept of many healers.

The Republic of Austria and the Habsburg inheritance

Starting from the abdication of Charles Habsburg and its circumstances, the article undertakes to anamnesis the formation of the Law on the Habsburgs and the consequences of its enactment, both in terms of the banishment and emigration of the members of the family, as well as the acquisition, distribution and destination of their property, from 1918/19 to the present day, that is, in the subsequent forms of government that passed the Austrian Republic; from the first republic, through the years of fascism of the country and Anschlussu to the Third Reich, to the modern republic (since 1955). On this timeline, until the final national exhibition in the centenary of the abdication - "Snatches and Continuations" 2019, the analysis examines the ambivalent attitude of austrians to the former imperial family along with the constitutional element of this relationship: the unworked history of the Habsburgs in the collective memory of Austrian society.

Long-term care system for dependent people – Austrian experiences

Austrian society is an ageing society. Old age does not always mean dependence. However, the risk of disability and dependence increases with age. In addition, older people often experience multi-disease. High-quality long-term care services can help frail and dependent elderly on maintaining greater autonomy and participation in society, regardless of their condition. The aim of the article is to analyze legal, institutional and practical solutions in the field of long-term care system functioning in Austria. It should be emphasized that Austria is striving to develop services based on a social model and an independent life paradigm. Analysis of legal solutions indicates that the long-term care system in Austria is very complex. Institutional solutions are divided between the federal level and nine federal states. On the one hand, this results in decentralization and more effective help for the elderly, but on the other hand, it causes the diffusion and heterogeneity of standards.

Characterization, dietary habits and nutritional intake of omnivorous, lacto-ovo vegetarian and vegan runners \u2013 a pilot study

BackgroundThe number of people preferring plant-based nutrition is growing continuously in the western world. Vegetarianism and veganism are also becoming increasingly popular among individuals participating in sport. However, whether recreationally active vegetarian and vegan populations can meet their nutritional needs is not clear.MethodsThe purpose of this cross-sectional study was to compare the nutrient intake of omnivorous (OMN, n = 27), lacto-ovo vegetarian (LOV, n = 25) and vegan (VEG, n = 27) recreational runners (two to five training sessions per week) with intake recommendations of the German, Austrian and Swiss Nutrition Societies (Deutsche, Österreichische und Schweizerische Gesellschaften für Ernährung, D-A-CH) for the general population. Lifestyle factors and supplement intake were examined via questionnaires; dietary habits and nutrient intake were determined based on 3-day dietary records.ResultsMore than half of each group did not reach the recommended energy intake (OMN: 10.4, 8.70–12.1; LOV: 9.67, 8.55–10.8; VEG: 10.2, 9.12–11.3 MJ). Carbohydrate intake was slightly below the recommendations of > 50 EN% in OMN (46.7, 43.6–49.8 EN%), while LOV (49.4, 45.5–53.3 EN%) and VEG (55.2, 51.4–59.0 EN%) consumed adequate amounts (p = 0.003). The recommended protein intake of 0.8 g/kg body weight (D-A-CH) was exceeded in all three groups (OMN: 1.50, 1.27–1.66; LOV: 1.34, 1.09–1.56; VEG: 1.25; 1.07–1.42 g/kg BW; p = 0.047). Only VEG (26.3, 22.7–29.8 EN%) did not achieve the recommended fat intake of 30 EN%. The supply of micronutrients, such as vitamin D and cobalamin, was dependent on supplement intake. Additionally, female OMN and LOV achieved the recommended daily intake of 15 mg iron only after supplementation, while VEG consumed adequate amounts solely via food.ConclusionAll three groups were sufficiently supplied with most nutrients despite the exceptions mentioned above. The VEG group even showed advantages in nutrient intake (e.g. carbohydrates, fiber and iron) in comparison to the other groups. However, the demand for energy and several macro- and micronutrients might be higher for athletes. Thus, it is also necessary to analyze the endogenous status of nutrients to evaluate the influence of a vegetarian and vegan diet on the nutrient supply of athletes.Trial registrationGerman Clinical Trial Register (DRKS00012377), registered on April 28, 2017.

Prevention and Therapy of Preterm Birth. Guideline of the DGGG, OEGGG and SGGG (S2k Level, AWMF Registry Number 015/025, February 2019) - Part 2 with Recommendations on the Tertiary Prevention of Preterm Birth and the Management of Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes

This is an official guideline of the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG), the Austrian Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (ÖGGG) and the Swiss Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (SGGG). The aim of this guideline is to improve the prediction, prevention and management of preterm birth based on evidence obtained from recently published scientific literature, the experience of the members of the guideline commission and the views of self-help groups. The members of the participating medical societies and organizations developed Recommendations and Statements based on the international literature. The Recommendations and Statements were adopted following a formal consensus process (structured consensus conference with neutral moderation, voting done in writing using the Delphi method to achieve consensus). Part 2 of this short version of the guideline presents Statements and Recommendations on the tertiary prevention of preterm birth and the management of preterm premature rupture of membranes.

Diagnosis and Treatment Before Assisted Reproductive Treatments. Guideline of the DGGG, OEGGG and SGGG (S2k Level, AWMF Register Number 015-085, February 2019) - Part 2, Hemostaseology, Andrology, Genetics and History of Malignant Disease.

Introduction Supporting and counselling couples with fertility issues prior to starting ART is a multidisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The first German-language interdisciplinary S2k guideline on "Diagnosis and Therapy Before Assisted Reproductive Treatments (ART)" was published in February 2019. The guideline was developed in the context of the guidelines program of the German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG) in cooperation with the Swiss Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (SGGG) and the Austrian Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (OEGGG). Aim In one third of cases, the cause of involuntary childlessness remains unclear, even if the woman or man have numerous possible risk factors. Because the topic is still very much taboo, couples may be socially isolated and often only present quite late to a fertility center. There is no standard treatment concept for these patients at present, as there are currently no standard multidisciplinary procedures for the diagnostic workup and treatment of infertility. The aim of this guideline is to provide physicians with evidence-based recommendations for counselling, diagnosis and treatment. Methods This S2k guideline was developed on behalf of the Guidelines Commission of the DGGG by representative members from different professional medical organizations and societies using a structured consensus process. Recommendations This second part of the guideline describes the hematological workup for women as well as additional diagnostic procedures which can be used to investigate couples and which are carried out in cooperation with physicians working in other medical fields such as andrologists, geneticists and oncologists.

Diagnosis and Therapy Before Assisted Reproductive Treatments. Guideline of the DGGG, OEGGG and SGGG (S2k Level, AWMF Register Number 015-085, February 2019) - Part 1, Basic Assessment of the Woman.

Introduction Supporting and counselling couples with fertility issues prior to starting ART is a multidisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The first German/Austrian/Swiss interdisciplinary S2k guideline on "Diagnosis and Therapy Before Assisted Reproductive Treatments (ART)" was published in February 2019. This guideline was developed in the context of the guidelines program of the German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG) in cooperation with the Swiss Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (SGGG) and the Austrian Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (OEGGG). Aims One third of the causes of involuntary childlessness are still unclear, even if the woman or man have numerous possible risk factors. Because the topic is still very much taboo, couples may be socially isolated and often only present quite late to a fertility center. At present, there is no standard treatment concept, as currently no standard multidisciplinary procedures exist for the diagnostic workup and treatment of infertility. The aim of this guideline is to provide physicians with evidence-based recommendations for counselling, diagnostic workup and treatment. Methods This S2k guideline was developed on behalf of the Guidelines Commission of the DGGG by representative members from different professional medical organizations and societies using a structured consensus process. Recommendations The first part of this guideline focuses on the basic assessment of affected women, including standard anatomical and endocrinological diagnostic procedures and examinations into any potential infections. Other areas addressed in this guideline are the immunological workup with an evaluation of the patient's vaccination status, an evaluation of psychological factors, and the collection of data relating to other relevant factors affecting infertility. The second part will focus on explanations of diagnostic procedures compiled in collaboration with specialists from other medical specialties such as andrologists, human geneticists and oncologists.

Integration of refugees at universities: Austria\u2019s more initiative

The so-called refugee wave in the summer of 2015 led to an impressive wave of helpfulness in Austrian society. Universities Austria (uniko)—the umbrella organization of the 22 public universities in Austria—set up and launched an initiative called MORE. MORE provides refugees and asylum seekers with additional opportunities and perspectives that go beyond basic tools for survival. All 22 public universities implemented MORE, albeit in different ways. The article draws on a specific case—the MORE initiative—which aims to integrate refugee students into university life and higher education, as well as on data collected within the scope of evaluating the particular cases at hand. Analysis focuses on whether MORE has contributed to integrate refugee students. Drawing on different integration theories, the findings of this evaluation provide an insight as to how integration is achieved and affected by influencing factors such as personal characteristics, the usage of program elements, etc. Hence, the paper gives insight in the applicability of different integration theories and may be helpful for improving MORE or similar initiatives. The results confirmed the assumptions of modern sociological integration theories. Universities who offer the MORE program can conclude that they should take care of special, vulnerable groups, and that they should offer more than language classes in order to foster integration. Integration depends on the characteristics of the refugee group, the general societal and political climate, and on the specific attitudes towards the group in question.

Blood pressure changes after renal denervation are more pronounced in women and nondiabetic patients: findings from the Austrian Transcatheter Renal Denervation Registry.

Three recently published sham-controlled studies proved the efficacy of renal denervation (RDN) in hypertensive patients. The study presented here analyzed a nationwide multicentre registry database to clarify which patient subgroups benefit most from radiofrequency RDN. This is a post hoc analysis from the multicentre Austrian Transcatheter Renal Denervation Registry hosted by the Austrian Society of Hypertension. We correlated change of SBP after RDN to sex and presence/absence of comorbidities. Univariable correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Two hundred and ninety-one patients (43% women, median age 64 years) undergoing RDN between April 2011 and September 2014 were included in this analysis. Mean baseline ambulatory 24 h BP (systolic/diastolic) was 150 ± 18/89 ± 14 mmHg and mean baseline office BP was 170 ± 16/94 ± 14 mmHg.After RDN, mean ambulatory 24 h BP reduction was 9 ± 19/6 ± 16 mmHg. The following features were associated with a good response to RDN: high baseline systolic ambulatory BP, high baseline diastolic office BP, female sex, absence of diabetes mellitus, and absence of peripheral artery disease. Multivariable analysis identified female sex and absence of diabetes mellitus as strongest predictors for ambulatory BP reduction, although those groups had the lowest baseline ambulatory BP. Ambulatory BP reductions after RDN were substantially more pronounced in female and in nondiabetic patients despite lower baseline BP. It is concluded that in terms of efficacy female patients and nondiabetic patients might benefit more from RDN.

4th Joint Annual Meeting of the Swiss and Austrian Societies of Pathology

4th Joint Annual Meeting of the Swiss and Austrian Societies of Pathology

Clinical practice guidelines of medical societies in Switzerland: analysis of the current state.

In Switzerland, clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are not generally registered by a single central institution. Therefore, the total number and overall quality of the existing guidelines are not known. Our aim was to identify and describe the characteristics of current CPGs developed or endorsed by Swiss medical societies, by conducting a comprehensive systematic search. A systematic search was done in two medical literature databases (PubMed and OVID), two major non-indexed Swiss medical journals, Swiss medical societies’ websites and the FMH guidelines platform. Synonyms of “guidelines” in English, German, French and Italian were used as search terms, complemented by a hand search. Inclusion criteria for the retrieved documents were that they: (1) contained recommendations for patient care provided by physicians; (2) defined specific clinical circumstances; (3) were developed, adapted or endorsed by one of the Swiss national medical specialty societies. Documents with publication date before 1 January 2008 or containing only general and public health recommendations were excluded. Retrieved documents were screened by two reviewers in parallel. Data on the reported methods as well as transparency and quality indicators of the CPGs were extracted in a standardised way. A total of 295 CPGs were included in the analysis, 199 of which were found only on the societies’ websites, 44 only in the literature and 13 only on the FMH platform. Overall, 159 (54%) of guidelines had at least one predefined keyword in the title, most frequently “Empfehlung” or “guideline”. Health areas with the highest number of CPGs were cardiovascular (55) and infectious (52) diseases. Most CPGs were developed in Switzerland (212); the rest were developed in cooperation with German societies (6) or with both German and Austrian societies (23), or by other international organisations (54). At least one author and the date of publication were reported in 83% and 94% of guidelines, respectively. Conflicts of interest were stated in 44% and financial support documented in 29% of the guidelines. Any method of guideline development was mentioned in 56%. Numerous CPGs provide recommendations for clinical practice in Switzerland. The majority are published on medical societies’ websites only. The quality of reporting is extremely heterogeneous, ranging from documents without reported authors, methods of development and publication date, to graded, continuously updated guidelines based on a systematic review of evidence. CPGs could potentially be improved by using a standardised development and reporting framework.