Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Augsburg--an epidemiological overview.

This article provides an overview of the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and the antidiabetic treatment over a 17 year study period. The causes of the disease and the impact of diabetes on cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity are discussed. Furthermore, changes in lifestyle and risk factor profile in persons with diabetes are reported.

Combined application of RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry on paraffin embedded sentinel lymph nodes of prostate cancer patients.

The detection of tumor cells in the sentinel lymph node (SLN) is of great importance for the prognosis of cancer patients. At present, immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR for tumor marker expression are the most sensitive techniques available for this analysis. However, so far, most RT-PCR-based analyses of SLNs have been performed on fresh material, excluding a direct comparison with the (immuno)histologic results.

Metabolic changes and urodynamic findings after continent urinary diversion.

Methods of creating continent urinary diversions were developed in the mid-1980s (neobladder, pouch) providing patients with continence and anatomically appropriate voluntary urine discharge. In a follow-up investigation on 18 patients, the question to be clarified was whether continent urinary diversion meets the demands of an ideal bladder substitute. Follow-up examination showed normal clinical test values almost without exception.

The unreamed tibia nail. Multicenter study of the AO/ASIF. Osteosynthesefragen/Association for the Study of Internal Fixation.

In the last 10 years, traumatologists have become more aware of the importance of blood supply to fracture fragments for both the healing of fractures and prevention of infection. Due to our experience with fractures having severely disrupted periosteal blood supply, we are looking more critically at intramedullary reamed nailing as a treatment option. This research was a result of our increased knowledge of the interplay between periosteal and endosteal blood supply.

Multicentric quality assurance in cardiac surgery. QUADRA study of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (QUADRA: quality data retrospective analysis).

A method for initiating quality assurance in cardiac surgery was developed multicentrically by a commission of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (QUADRA Study). To appraise the quality of cardiosurgical action, variables were compiled from the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative treatment course. The data collection was carried out at the same time as treatment.

Pilot study on quality assurance in cardiac surgery.

In 1986 development, testing and improvement of a multi-center based quality assurance procedure has been started by the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery supplied by a research fund of the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology. Initially five cardiac surgery units took part in defining quality related items, collecting associated data and establishing a common data base. In the first year of its existence this data base received about 3800 records of patients undergoing cardiac surgery procedures using ECC.