Nikolaus DUSCHEK's publications (17)

[Chronic leg ulcers in older patients].

Jul, 2019

Chronic ulcers of the lower extremities are one of the most common medical problems encountered in western societies. The prevalence of leg ulcers is estimated to be 0.5-1.0% of the German population and is clearly associated with age. Therefore, in an aging society chronic leg ulcers are an important health issue with respect to increased morbidity and healthcare costs. The most frequent causes of leg ulcers are chronic venous insufficiency, peripheral arterial occlusive disease and diabetes mellitus. Efficient treatment necessitates an exact diagnosis and a close interdisciplinary collaboration. Affected patients often require instructions regarding self-help and support for competent nursing and prophylaxis. Therapeutic strategies, especially in the geriatric setting, aim to maintain the quality of life through preservation of patient mobility and autonomy. read more

Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie

The Relevance of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 Alpha, and Clusterin in Carotid Plaque Instability.

Jun, 2019

Stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Thromboembolism, as a major cause of carotid artery-related stroke, can be caused by plaque rupture which is associated with neoangiogenesis within the carotid plaque. read more

Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association

Randomized controlled trial comparing the combination of a polymeric membrane dressing plus negative pressure wound therapy against negative pressure wound therapy alone: The WICVAC study.

Sep, 2016

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is the treatment of choice for chronic wounds; yet, it is associated with considerable workload. Prompted by its nonadhesive and wound-healing properties, this study investigated the effect of an additional polymeric membrane interface dressing (PMD; PolyMem WIC) in NPWT. From October 2011 to April 2013, 60 consecutive patients with chronic leg wounds or surgical site infections after revascularization of lower extremities were randomly allocated to either treatment with conventional NPWT (control arm) or NPWT with an additional PMD (intervention arm). The primary outcome was wound healing achieved within 30 days, the secondary endpoints included: number of days between dressing changes, wound-related pain, cost efficiency, and occurrence of adverse events (ClinTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02399722). Forty-seven patients completed follow-up. No difference in wound healing was observed (p > 0.05) between both study arms. The additional PMD allowed significantly longer wearing times (days) between dressing changes (intervention: 8.8 ± 0.5, control: 4.8 ± 0.2; p < 0.001). Pain was slightly higher in patients randomized to NPWT alone (VAS score: 4.8 ± 2.9) compared to NPWT + PMD (VAS score: 3.0 ± 2.9, p = 0.063). No wound infections were observed. Costs were reduced by 34% per patient in the intervention arm. These results suggest that the combination of NPWT and an additional interface PMD is a safe and economic method for the treatment of chronic wounds, which requires significantly fewer dressing changes for a comparable wound healing. read more

Wound repair and regeneration : official publication of the Wound Healing Society [and] the European Tissue Repair Society Load more  

B-Vitamin Serum Concentrations Predicting Long-Term Overall and Stroke-Free Survival after Carotid Endarterectomy.

May, 2016

Both deficiency and, according to recent reports, excess of vitamin B12 (B12) are associated with increased mortality. Thus, it is difficult to estimate the effect of B12 on overall survival, which also depends on folate (FA) in homocysteine lowering. This study aimed to assess FA and B12 serum concentrations associated with long-term survival of vascular surgery patients by means of a prognostic index (PI). read more

Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association

Degree of contralateral carotid stenosis improves preoperative risk stratification of patients with asymptomatic ipsilateral carotid stenosis.

Jan, 2016

The benefit of carotid surgery in asymptomatic patients with high-grade internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS) is subject of intense debate, and thus improved preoperative risk stratification is mandatory. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of contralateral ICAS (cl-ICAS) for the preoperative clinical presentation of patients with ipsilateral ICAS (primary outcome). read more

Journal of vascular surgery

Ratio of Apolipoprotein A-II/B Improves Risk Prediction of Postoperative Survival After Carotid Endarterectomy.

Jun, 2015

Even in patients with high-grade carotid stenosis, cardiovascular morbidity causes more deaths than strokes do. Despite successful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol lowering, a significant risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains, eventually rendering other lipid or lipoprotein ratios more efficient treatment targets. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the ratio of serum apolipoprotein A-II/B for overall mortality (primary outcome) of carotid surgery patients. read more

Stroke

A prospective, randomised study of a novel transforming methacrylate dressing compared with a silver-containing sodium carboxymethylcellulose dressing on partial-thickness skin graft donor sites in burn patients.

Jun, 2015

This prospective, randomised study compares a new transforming methacrylate dressing (TMD) with a silver-containing carboxymethylcellulose dressing (CMC-Ag) after application to split-thickness skin graft (STSG) donor sites. This was an unblinded, non-inferiority, between-patient, comparison study that involved patients admitted to a single-centre burn unit who required two skin graft donor sites. Each patient's donor sites were covered immediately after surgery: one donor site with TMD and the other with CMC-Ag. The donor sites were evaluated until healing or until 24 days post-application, whichever came first. Study endpoints were time to healing, daily pain scores, number of dressing changes, patient comfort and physicians' and patients' willingness to use the dressings in the future. Nineteen patients had both the dressings applied. No statistically significant difference was noted in time to healing between the two dressings (14·2 days using TMD compared with 13·2 days using CMC-Ag). When pain scores were compared, TMD resulted in statistically significantly less pain at three different time periods (2-5 days, 6-10 days and 11-15 days; P < 0·001 at all time periods). Patients also reported greater comfort with TMD (P < 0·001). Users rated TMD as being less easy to use because of the time and technique required for application. Reductions in pain and increased patient comfort with the use of the TMD dressing, compared with CMC-Ag, were seen as clinical benefits as these are the major issues in donor site management. read more

International wound journal

Prognostic relevance of ischemia-modified albumin and NT-proBNP in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

Jan, 2015

Cardiovascular morbidity is high among patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP), and high-sensitive cardiac Troponin T (hs-cTnT) to predict cardiovascular complications in male patients with Fontaine stage II PAOD. read more

Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry

Homocysteine improves risk stratification in patients undergoing endarterectomy for asymptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis.

Aug, 2013

A limited life expectancy reduces the benefit from carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for treatment of asymptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis. The aim of this study was to assess homocysteine as stratifying biomarker to improve prediction of postoperative survival. read more

Stroke

Simulator training on pulsatile vascular models significantly improves surgical skills and the quality of carotid patch plasty.

Apr, 2013

Vascular surgeons perform numerous highly sophisticated and delicate procedures. Due to restrictions in training time and the advent of endovascular techniques, new concepts including alternative environments for training and assessment of surgical skills are required. Over the past decade, training on simulators and synthetic models has become more sophisticated and lifelike. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of a 3-day intense training course in open vascular surgery on both specific and global vascular surgical skills. read more

Journal of vascular surgery

Quantification of skin lesions with a 3D stereovision camera system: validation and clinical applications.

Feb, 2013

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging of the skin is a challenging technique. A new 3D digital camera system has been developed that enables 3D reconstruction of the skin and subsequently allows volumetric quantification. Herein we present validation data on calibrated phantoms and the clinical application of this technology. read more

Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI)

High-affinity IgE receptors on dendritic cells exacerbate Th2-dependent inflammation.

Jul, 2011

The IgE-mediated and Th2-dependent late-phase reaction remains a mechanistically enigmatic and daunting element of human allergic inflammation. In this study, we uncover the FcεRI on dendritic cells (DCs) as a key in vivo component of this form of allergy. Because rodent, unlike human, DCs lack FcεRI, this mechanism could be revealed only by using a new transgenic mouse model with human-like FcεRI expression on DCs. In the presence of IgE and allergen, FcεRI(+) DCs instructed naive T cells to differentiate into Th2 cells in vitro and boosted allergen-specific Th2 responses and Th2-dependent eosinophilia at the site of allergen exposure in vivo. Thus, FcεRI on DCs drives the cascade of pathogenic reactions linking the initial allergen capture by IgE with subsequent Th2-dominated T cell responses and the development of late-phase allergic tissue inflammation. read more

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)

Value of micromorphometric criteria of sentinel lymph node metastases in predicting further nonsentinel lymph node metastases in patients with melanoma.

Apr, 2011

Patients with metastases in the sentinel node (SN) are advised to undergo complete lymph node dissection, although the majority of them will have no further metastatic disease. Some of these patients undergo unnecessary surgery. In this study, we tried to predict the likelihood of further non-SN metastases on the basis of earlier published micromorphometric classifications of SN metastases. Metastases in the SN were re-evaluated on the basis of the microanatomic location of the lesions according to the Dewar's criteria, the S-classification of SN, and tumor burden in accordance with the Rotterdam criteria. The results of these classifications were correlated with the presence of further non-SN metastases. Specimens of 124 positive-SN basins and subsequent complete lymph node dissection were investigated. Further metastases in non-SNs were found in 30 lymph node basins (24.2%). All of the above-mentioned classification systems were significantly correlated with non-SN tumor status. Especially, in patients with SN metastases in subcapsular location, a maximum depth of invasion of less than 0.3 mm (stage I according to the S-classification) or metastases of less than 0.1 mm in diameter had a very low probability of further non-SN metastases (0-5%). The validity of earlier published classifications of SN metastases-based on the micromorphometric criteria in predicting non-SN status was confirmed. Especially, in patients with subcapsular metastases, SI stage metastases or metastases of less than 0.1 mm had a very low risk of further non-SN metastases. read more

Melanoma research

De novo tuberculosis during infliximab therapy in a patient with Behçet disease.

Jul, 2009

A woman with oculocutaneous Behçet disease developed primary tuberculosis while being treated with infliximab. A latent tuberculosis infection had been excluded before therapy. After more than 80 weeks of treatment, the patient complained of fevers, night sweats, shivering and vigorous cough. The chest x-ray showed miliary shadowing. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was identified. The history revealed recent contact to an individual with smear-positive tuberculosis. This constellation speaks in favor of a de novo tuberculosis infection with a fulminant course. read more

Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG

Successful treatment of patients with severe secondary Raynaud's phenomenon with the endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan.

Oct, 2006

Secondary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and other collagen vascular diseases is a serious manifestation of microvascular damage that may precede the onset of visceral and/or cutaneous sclerosis for years. Recent studies have demonstrated that the endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan prevents the development of new digital ulcers in SSc. We investigated the potential benefits of bosentan in patients with secondary RP associated with pre-scleroderma and with SSc, independent of digital ulcers. Three patients with secondary RP received bosentan 62.5 mg twice daily for 4 weeks followed by 125 mg twice daily for 12 weeks during the winter season. Pain (visual analogue scale), Raynaud's disease activity (Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire), number and severity of daily Raynaud's attacks (diary) and peripheral thermoregulation (thermography) were assessed during treatment periods. Pain, Raynaud's disease activity, number and severity of Raynaud's attacks significantly decreased during treatment periods. Thermography after 16-week treatment demonstrated improved peripheral thermoregulation. Although this is a small observational study, treatment with bosentan appears to measurably reduce the daily impact of Raynaud's disease and improve peripheral thermoregulation in patients with secondary RP, independent of digital ulcers. read more

Rheumatology (Oxford, England)

Melanoma epidemiology of Austria reveals gender-related differences.

2013

Cutaneous melanoma shows gender-specific trends worldwide, with highest rates in older men. In Austria, women show greater knowledge about the early detection of skin cancer by screening. Our aim was to analyse national melanoma incidence and mortality rates with regard to gender to improve our prevention efforts. read more

European journal of dermatology : EJD

Self-reported screening for skin cancer in Austria.

2009

Prevention is the target of the campaigns informing the public about skin cancer. For the first time for Austria we report on the prevalence of self-reported knowledge and participation in screening for skin cancer. In two population-based representative cross-sectional studies, conducted in 1995 and 2005 attitudes towards cancer in the Austrian population were evaluated. In total, 966 men and 1081 women in 1995, and 951 men and 1021 women in 2005, aged 15-79 years were surveyed. Knowledge about early detection of skin cancer by screening decreased in men from 59.4% in 1995 to 53.9% in 2005 but increased from 57.5% to 64.1% in women. Screening itself increased in men from 8.1% to 13.3% and in women from 11.2% to 22.4%. More than 70% of the screens were performed by dermatologists. The effectiveness of screening for skin cancer in Austria seems to be proven by a reduction of tumour thickness at time of treatment and by the trends in mortality, where a levelling-off in males and even a slight reduction in females can be observed. read more

European journal of dermatology : EJD