Anti-Bacterial Effects of Essential Oils against Uropathogenic Bacteria.

Given the increasing antimicrobial resistance in urinary tract infections (UTI), alternative strategies need to be investigated. Determination of minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of essential oils from cajeput, lemongrass, tea tree, and thyme in artificial urine, revealed bactericidal activity of all four tested essential oils against seven uropathogenic species with values ranging between 0.78-50 mg/mL.

Auricular vagal nerve stimulation in peripheral arterial disease patients.

Background: Auricular nerve stimulation has been proven effective in different diseases. We investigated if a conservative therapeutic alternative for claudication in peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD) via electroacupuncture of the outer ear can be established.

Patients And Methods: In this prospective, double-blinded trial an ear acupuncture using an electroacupuncture device was carried out in 40 PAD patients in Fontaine stage IIb.

A randomized placebo-controlled phase II study of a Pseudomonas vaccine in ventilated ICU patients.

Background: Currently, no vaccine against Pseudomonas is available. IC43 is a new, recombinant, protein (OprF/I)-based vaccine against the opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major cause of serious hospital-acquired infections. IC43 has proven immunogenicity and tolerability in healthy volunteers, patients with burns, and patients with chronic lung diseases.

Austrian Lipid Consensus on the management of metabolic lipid disorders to prevent vascular complications: A joint position statement issued by eight medical societies. 2016 update.

In 2010, eight Austrian medical societies proposed a joint position statement on the management of metabolic lipid disorders for the prevention of vascular complications. An updated and extended version of these recommendations according to the current literature is presented, referring to the primary and secondary prevention of vascular complications in adults, taking into consideration the guidelines of other societies. The "Austrian Lipid Consensus - 2016 update" provides guidance for individualized risk stratification and respective therapeutic targets, and discusses the evidence for reducing vascular endpoints with available lipid-lowering therapies.

Paclitaxel-Coated Balloon in Infrapopliteal Arteries: 12-Month Results From the BIOLUX P-II Randomized Trial (BIOTRONIK'S-First in Man study of the Passeo-18 LUX drug releasing PTA Balloon Catheter vs. the uncoated Passeo-18 PTA balloon catheter in subjects requiring revascularization of infrapopliteal arteries).

Objectives: The aim of BIOLUX P-II (BIOTRONIK'S-First in Man study of the Passeo-18 LUX drug releasing PTA Balloon Catheter vs. the uncoated Passeo-18 PTA balloon catheter in subjects requiring revascularization of infrapopliteal arteries) trial was to compare the safety and efficacy of a novel paclitaxel-coated drug-eluting balloon (DEB) versus an uncoated balloon (percutaneous transluminal angioplasty [PTA]) in de novo or native restenotic lesions of the infrapopliteal arteries in patients with claudication and critical limb ischemia.

Background: DEB have shown promising results in femoropopliteal lesions, but data for infrapopliteal lesions are scarce.

Primary Self-EXPANDing Nitinol Stenting vs Balloon Angioplasty With Optional Bailout Stenting for the Treatment of Infrapopliteal Artery Disease in Patients With Severe Intermittent Claudication or Critical Limb Ischemia (EXPAND Study).

Purpose: To compare primary placement of a self-expanding nitinol stent to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with bailout stenting in infrapopliteal arteries of patients with severe intermittent claudication or critical limb ischemia (CLI).

Methods: In the EXPAND trial (ClinicalTrials.gov; identifier NCT00906022), 92 patients (mean age 72.

Trial of a Paclitaxel-Coated Balloon for Femoropopliteal Artery Disease.

Background: The treatment of peripheral artery disease with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is limited by the occurrence of vessel recoil and restenosis. Drug-coated angioplasty balloons deliver antiproliferative agents directly to the artery, potentially improving vessel patency by reducing restenosis.

Methods: In this single-blind, randomized trial conducted at 54 sites, we assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, 476 patients with symptomatic intermittent claudication or ischemic pain while at rest and angiographically significant atherosclerotic lesions to angioplasty with a paclitaxel-coated balloon or to standard angioplasty.

Stent placement vs. balloon angioplasty for popliteal artery treatment: two-year results of a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial.

Purpose: To investigate the 2-year technical and clinical results of primary nitinol stent placement in comparison with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in the treatment of de novo lesions of the popliteal artery.

Methods: The ETAP study (Endovascular Treatment of Atherosclerotic Popliteal Artery Lesions: balloon angioplasty vs. primary stenting; www.

Acute wiiitis representing as thrombosis of the inferior vena cava and left pelvic veins.

Deep venous thrombosis as a result of venous wall injury provoked by trauma is a common finding. It often occurs in patients with sportive overstraining, caused by over fatigue of the body structures. In 2007, the entity of "acute wiiitis" was first described in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine.

Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio: a novel marker for critical limb ischemia in peripheral arterial occlusive disease patients.

Background: Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) is an easily applicable blood test. An elevated PLR has been associated with poor prognosis in patients with different oncologic disorder. As platelets play a key role in atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis, we investigated PLR and its association with critical limb ischemia (CLI) and other vascular endpoints in peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) patients.

Safety and efficacy of periprocedural anticoagulation with enoxaparin in patients undergoing peripheral endovascular revascularization.

Background: Periprocedural anticoagulation is primarily used in endovascular procedures to prevent acute reocclusion of the target vessel, but periprocedural anticoagulation might also have an impact on long-term outcome. Consecutive bleeding events are feared complications. Despite changes in peripheral endovascular revascularizations (EVRs), the periprocedural management has remained unchanged for years.

Foreign body pulmonary embolism.

We report a case of a foreign body embolism caused by a tip of an explanted port-a-cath system. The embolus could be removed with a gooseneck snare catheter, the patient fully recovered.

Regulatory T cells improve nephrocalcinosis but not dystrophic cardiac calcinosis in DBA/2 mice.

Nephrocalcinosis is characterized by aberrant deposition of calcium in the kidneys and is seen in phosphate nephropathy, primary hyperparathyroidism, and distal renal tubular acidosis. To further evaluate the specific pathophysiologic role of T cells in ectopic calcification, we used DBA/2 mice that are prone to develop nephrocalcinosis and dystrophic cardiac calcinosis. Female DBA/2 mice were depleted of T cells (n = 10) or regulatory T cells (Tregs) (n = 15) using either an anti-CD3ɛ or an anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody and compared with isotype-treated controls (n = 9; n = 15), respectively.

Stent placement versus balloon angioplasty for the treatment of obstructive lesions of the popliteal artery: a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial.

Background: Stenting has been shown to improve patency after femoral artery revascularization compared with balloon angioplasty. Limited data are available evaluating endovascular treatment for obstructive lesions of the popliteal artery.

Methods And Results: This prospective, randomized, multicenter trial compared primary nitinol stent placement to percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty in patients with peripheral artery disease Rutherford-Becker class 2 to 5 who had a de novo lesion in the popliteal artery.

Primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome-one further aspect of thrombophilia in overweight and obese patients with venous thromboembolism.

Objective: Overweight and obesity are established risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE). We examined the difference in the frequency of primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (PAPS) in VTE patients according to their BMI.

Design And Methods: We included 998 VTE patients treated at our institution between 2009 and 2011 in a retrospective data analysis.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and its association with critical limb ischemia in PAOD patients.

Background: The Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an easy to perform test from the white blood cell count. An increase in NLR has been associated with vascular endpoints reflecting inflammation in atherosclerotic lesions. Atherosclerosis is a global threat and vascular endpoints, like myocardial infarction or critical limb ischemia (CLI), are a leading cause of death in industrialized countries.

Unusual deep vein thrombosis sites: magnetic resonance venography in patients with negative compression ultrasound and symptomatic pulmonary embolism.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with pulmonary embolism (PE), negative compression ultrasound (CUS) of the lower limbs and detection of unusual deep vein thrombosis (DVT) sites by means of magnetic resonance (MR) venography.

Methods: A retrospective data analysis of PE patients hospitalized at our institution from April 2009 to 2011.

Results: From April 2009 to 2011, a total of 762 PE patients were treated at our institution.

A high CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score is associated with a high risk for critical limb ischemia in peripheral arterial occlusive disease patients.

Background: The CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥ 75 years (doubled), type 2 diabetes, previous stroke, transient ischemic attack, or thromboembolism (doubled), vascular disease, age 65-75 years, and sex category) score was published as a predictive scoring model for stroke in atrial fibrillation patients. As multiple vascular risk factors are included in this score we evaluated the occurrence of critical limb ischemia (CLI) in peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) patients according to their CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score independent of a coexisting atrial fibrillation.

Methods: We evaluated 2237 PAOD patients treated at our institution from 2005 to 2010.

Neointimal hyperplasia after silverhawk atherectomy versus percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in femoropopliteal stent reobstructions: a controlled, randomized pilot trial.

Background: Due to intimal hyperplasia instent reobstruction in the femoropopliteal arterial segment is still an unsolved problem. Different techniques have been discussed in case of reintervention to guarantee longlasting patency rate.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, controlled, pilot trial comparing Silverhawk atherectomy with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in patients with a first instent reobstruction in the femoropopliteal arterial segment, to evaluate intima media thickness (IMT) within the treated segment, as a parameter of recurrence of intimal hyperplasia.

Asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis and superficial vein thrombosis in ambulatory cancer patients: impact on short-term survival.

Background: Asymptomatic venous thrombotic events (VTEs) are possible findings in ambulatory cancer patients. Data regarding the incidence and clinical impact of asymptomatic VTEs are conflicting. We therefore conducted a study to evaluate the occurrence of asymptomatic VTEs of the lower limbs in ambulatory cancer patients to further evaluate the association of these asymptomatic VTEs on survival during a 9-month follow-up period.

Impaired endothelial-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilatation in patients with thromboangiitis obliterans.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is the key process in the development of atherosclerosis. The aim of our study was to evaluate endothelial dysfunction measured by the noninvasive technique of Celermajer that plays a role in the pathogenesis of thrombangitis obliterans.

Methods: A total of 36 patients with thrombangitiis obliterans ([TAO]; mean age 44.

Massive pulmonary embolism caused by internal iliac vein thrombosis with free-floating thrombus formation in the inferior vena cava.

Nowadays, compression ultrasonography (CUS) is the gold standard for the routine diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). The drawback of CUS is the low sensitivity concerning the diagnosis of isolated pelvic vein thrombosis, especially referring to isolated internal iliac vein and ovarian vein thromboses. Therefore, magnetic resonance (MR) venography has become a valuable alternative.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty versus primary stenting in infrapopliteal arteries in critical limb ischemia.

Background: In endovascular recanalisation of infrapopliteal arteries, studies have already pointed out the value of balloon angioplasty, but for stent implantation very few randomized controlled data exist so far.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled prospective trial in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) comparing the effect of percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTA) versus primary stenting in infrapopliteal arteries, concerning 1-year clinical benefit and reobstruction rate.

Results: 54 patients were either randomized for primary stenting (balloon expandable stent) or PTA alone, 33 patients were assigned to the PTA group, 21 patients to the stent group.