Efficacy of bolus injections of landiolol hydrochloride as premedication in coronary artery CT angiography.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of bolus injections of landiolol hydrochloride as premedication in coronary artery CT angiography (CCTA).

Methods: The study population consisted of 37 patients (17 female; median age, 56 years; IQR, 19 years; range, 19-88 years) who underwent CCTA after intravenous injection of landiolol hydrochloride due to a heart rate > 60 bpm. Landiolol hydrochloride was administered in a stepwise manner until a heart rate of ≤ 60 bpm was achieved or a maximum dose of 60 mg was reached after six injections.

The systemic impact of different COVID-19 vaccines in 2-[18F] FDG-PET/CT.

Austria started its COVID-19-vaccination program in December 2020 with three different vaccines. As the vaccination program continues, we encountered increased 2-[18F] FDG-activity not only in axillary lymph nodes ipsilateral to the injection site but also in other organs. The aim of this retrospective study is to present results of the metabolic activity of ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes, liver, blood pool, spleen, and bone marrow after three different vaccines.

Periodontal disease and its association to endothelial dysfunction and clinical changes in limited systemic sclerosis: A case-control study.

Objectives: Periodontal disease occurs frequently in patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) while data about underlying pathways contributing to periodontal changes are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate periodontal disease and to investigate its association with endothelial dysfunction and clinical changes in patients with lcSSc.

Methods: In 38 lcSSc patients and 38 controls, periodontal status was evaluated by disease-specific questionnaire, dental examination including bleeding on probing (BOP), pocket depth, and plaque index, and dental panoramic radiograph.

Cholecalciferol supplementation to improve the hepatitis B vaccination response in hemodialysis patients: A first randomized open label pilot study (DeVitaHep).

Background: Patients with advanced chronic kidney disease should be vaccinated against hepatitis B. In observational studies vitamin D insufficiency is associated with a reduced seroconversion rate. The effect of cholecalciferol supplementation on hepatitis B vaccination response in haemodialysis patients with vitamin D insufficiency is unknown.

Evaluation of endothelial dysfunction and clinical events in patients with early-stage vasculopathy in limited systemic sclerosis.

Objectives: Limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) is characterised by vasculopathy contributing to vascular apoptosis, structural and functional changes. The aim of this study was to investigate parameters of endothelial dysfunction and their association to clinical events in lcSSc patients with early-stage vasculopathy.

Methods: Patients with lcSSc and early-stage vasculopathy defined as absent pre-existing pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), digital ulcers, and symptomatic cardiovascular diseases were recruited together with age-, race- and sex-matched controls with primary Raynaud's phenomenon.

Successful Two-Stage Exchange Arthroplasty for Periprosthetic Infection Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: The Impact of Timing on Eradication of Infection.

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) represents a serious complication following total knee arthroplasty. In the setting of chronic infections, the two-staged approach has traditionally been the preferred treatment method. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal period of rest between the first and second stage.

Adult patients' wellbeing and disturbances during early recovery in the post anaesthesia care unit. A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Assessment of patients' wellbeing in the post anaesthesia care unit and how much each disturbance influences it. Furthermore, assessment of the incidence of the correlated disturbances and whether there are gender-specific aspects.

Design/setting: Observational anonymised survey with a validated questionnaire in a university hospital in central Europe.

Concordance of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, PD-L1 and p16 expression in small biopsies, resection and lymph node metastases of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), especially human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated, is increasing worldwide. Immunotherapy become available for patients with carcinomas in the head and neck region, however without ideal biomarker. Markers like PD-L1 vary in the clone of the antibody used, and the method of evaluation.

Demodex Mite Infestation and its Associations with Tear Film and Ocular Surface Parameters in Patients with Ocular Discomfort.

Purpose: The presence of Demodex species can be associated with blepharitis. Their pathogenic potential in meibomian gland dysfunction is discussed herein. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Demodex mites in eyelashes of Austrian patients with ocular discomfort and to evaluate associated changes of the lid margins and meibomian glands.

Limiting factors for wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) in a health care environment evaluated in a randomised study.

Pandemics and re-emerging diseases put pressure on the health care system to prepare for patient care and sample logistics requiring enhanced personnel protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers. We generated quantifiable data on ergonomics of PPE applicable in a health care setting by defining error rates and physically limiting factors due to PPE-induced restrictions. Nineteen study volunteers tested randomly allocated head- or full body-ventilated PPE suits equipped with powered-air-purifying-respirators and performed four different tasks (two laboratory tutorials, a timed test of selective attention and a test investigating reaction time, mobility, speed and physical exercise) during 6 working hours at 22°C on one day and 4 working hours at 28°C on another day.

Extracts of different pollen species and their effect on human tear fluid and an epithelial cell line.

Purpose: Hazelnut and birch pollen are known to destroy tear film components and attack ocular surface cells. We investigated further pollen species from different plant families, whether they show similar effects on human tear fluid and an epithelial cell line in vitro, to provide a broad basis for further research on pollen reactions affecting the tear film and ocular surface.

Materials And Methods: Regional pollen species from different plant families (Adoxaceae, Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Juglandaceae, Malvaceae, Oleaceae, Pinaceae, Plantaginaceae, Poaceae, Salicaceae, Sapindaceae) were collected.

CXCL13 is an activity marker for systemic, but not cutaneous lupus erythematosus: a longitudinal cohort study.

Serum levels of the IFN-regulated cytokine CXCL13 have been found to correlate with SLEDAI and renal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus. This study investigates whether CXCL13 can also be a marker of disease activity in patients with subacute cutaneous or chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE, CCLE). We analysed CXCL13 levels in 60 patients' sera (18 SLE, 19 SCLE, 23 CCLE) at five time points within 1 year and correlated these levels with disease activity scores and laboratory markers.

The prevalence of meibomian gland dysfunction, tear film and ocular surface parameters in an Austrian dry eye clinic population.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and its association with tear film and ocular surface parameters in an Austrian clinical population of dry eye patients.

Methods: The records of 1372 consecutive patients from a dry eye unit were analysed retrospectively. Symptoms and objective tear film and ocular surface parameters were evaluated.

Depth of focus after implantation of spherical or aspheric intraocular lenses in hyperopic and emmetropic patients.

Purpose: To evaluate whether hyperopic patients with short axial length and high dioptric intraocular lens (IOL) power can achieve a higher depth of focus after implantation of a monofocal spherical or aspheric IOL than emmetropic patients.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.

Design: Prospective case series.

Istaroxime, a potential anticancer drug in prostate cancer, exerts beneficial functional effects in healthy and diseased human myocardium.

Unlabelled: The current gold standard for prostate cancer treatment is androgen deprivation therapy and antiandrogenic agents. However, adverse cardiovascular events including heart failure can limit therapeutic use. Istaroxime, which combines Na+-K+-ATPase (NKA) inhibition with sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 2a (SERCA2a) stimulation, has recently shown promising anti-neoplastic effects in prostate cancer (PC) models and may also improve cardiac function.

Small airway function before and after cold dry air challenge in pediatric asthma patients during remission.

Background: We wanted to compare cold dry air challenge (CACh) induced changes in spirometric parameters with changes in nitrogen multiple breath washout (N MBW) parameters in pediatric asthma patients during clinical remission over the past year (ie, with "inactive asthma"). As N MBW assesses ventilation heterogeneity we expected to gain detailed information about peripheral airways contribution.

Methods: In subjects with normal spirometry N MBW, spirometry and body plethysmography were performed at baseline, after CACh, and after salbutamol inhalation.

A retrospective study of isolated fractures of the alveolar process in the permanent dentition.

Background/aim: There is a lack of studies of fractures of the alveolar process (FAP). Only five were published in the last 50 years. The aim of this study was to analyze the risk of pulp necrosis and infection (PN), pulp canal obliteration (PCO), infection-related root resorption (IRR), ankylosis-related resorption (ARR), marginal bone loss (MBL), and tooth loss (TL) as well as to identify the possible risk factors for teeth involved in an isolated alveolar process fracture.

Superficial Vancomycin Coating of Bone Cement in Orthopedic Revision Surgery: A Safe Technique to Enhance Local Antibiotic Concentrations.

Background: The use of antibiotic-loaded cement has become a well-accepted method to develop high local antibiotic concentrations in revision surgery of infected arthroplasty. A new surgical technique has been established to further increase the local antibiotic concentration and thereby minimizes the risk of reinfection. Our study aim was to investigate the safety of additional superficial vancomycin coating (SVC) by analyzing postoperative joint and serum vancomycin concentrations, as well as the creatinine levels of patients with orthopedic revision surgery.

Short-term effects of physiotherapy on ventilation inhomogeneity in cystic fibrosis patients with a wide range of lung disease severity.

Background: Lung clearance index (LCI) is increasingly used as a study endpoint for therapeutic interventions in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. We set out to assess the effect of chest physiotherapy on ventilation inhomogeneity in clinically stable patients with CF lung disease of varying severity.

Methods: In 29 CF patients (7.

Short-term intravenous fish-oil emulsions in pediatric oncologic patients--effect on liver parameters.

Pediatric oncologic patients often need parenteral nutrition (PN) during chemotherapy. Long-term use of soybean-based lipid emulsions is associated with progressive liver disease and cholestasis, whereas fish-oil based emulsions have anticholestatic effects. We studied the potentially hepato-protective effects of short-term use of SMOF lipids in children undergoing chemotherapy.