[Improvement of the diagnostic accuracy in patients with suspected rheumatic disease by preselection in the early arthritis clinic : An alternative to the appointment service point model of the Healthcare Improvement Act].

The diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory rheumatic diseases can be delayed by a long waiting period for an appointment with a rheumatologist. This study investigated whether preselection of patients in an early arthritis clinic is a suitable tool to improve this situation. In 2006 an early arthritis clinic was founded by the Collaborating Center of Rheumatology in Halle (Saale).

Clot waveform analysis in patients with haemophilia A.

Unlabelled: Clot waveform analysis extends the interpretation of aPTT measurement curves. The curve is mathematically processed to obtain information about fibrin formation kinetics including semiquantitative determination of thrombin, prothrombinase and tenase activity.

Patients, Method: In this study the feasibility of clot waveform analysis for monitoring of haemophilia A was investigated using blood samples from healthy controls as well as haemophilia A patients under various clinical conditions.

[Cardiac surgery in severe haemorrhagical diseases].

Cardiovascular diseases are the most common disorder in the developed countries. Invasive cardiological and cardiosurgical techniques are known therapies. Yet, patients with severe hereditary haemorrhagical diseases (haemophilia, rare deficiencies of coagulation factors) have an increased bleeding risk by the use of anticoagulants.

[Von Willebrand disease type 1 and pregnancy].

The von Willebrand-Jürgens syndrome (VWJS) type 1 is a common hereditary bleeding disorder with a bleeding tendency located especially in the mucous membranes. Women suffering from VWJS type 1 show menorrhagia and prolonged postoperative bleedings. During pregnancy the clinical presentation varies by the increase of the von Willebrand factors.

Effects of primary and secondary prophylaxis on the clinical expression of joint damage in children with severe haemophilia A. Results of a multicenter non-concurrent cohort study.

Patients with severe haemophilia A (HA) can either be treated by regular FVIII infusions twice or three times per week (prophylaxis), or only in case of bleeding episodes (on-demand). Whereas prophylaxis reduces the number of bleeding episodes and may therefore prevent the development of haemophilic arthropathy, there is still a lot of controversy surrounding recommendations on age and dose at start of prophylactic regimens. The present database study was performed to investigate the role of primary versus secondary prophylaxis in HA children.