Biomedical subjects

H P Hutter

Publications and source records attributed to H P Hutter.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Persistent sciatic artery: an uncommon cause of intermittent claudication.

Persistent sciatic artery (PSA) is a rarely seen variation of the lower limb vessels. Anatomically the PSA is the continuation of internal iliac arteries. It follows the sciatic nerve from the sciatic foramen to the level of the knee. We report our experience with conservative therapy in a patient with complete occlusion of a PSA. A 54-year-old man with typical symptoms of intermittent claudication on the left limb was referred to our Department. After clinical examination Doppler and duplex sonography were performed. Angiography showed bilateral PSA. On the left side the PSA was occluded. The patient received 20 intravenous courses of prostaglandin E1 for 4 weeks, followed by oral anticoagulation with phenprocoumon for life (INR: 2.5-3.5). After 3 years therapy he does not show any typical symptoms of intermittent claudication or limb ischemia. This case shows that conservative therapy may be effective. However, it has to be emphasised that this approach requires frequent clinical and duplex sonography follow-up every 3 to 6 months with oral anticoagulation.

Alprostadil↗

PubMed2002

Moulds in housing: visual inspection and spore counts comparison--implications for future strategies in the public health setting.

OBJECTIVES: Among the problems of health related to living conditions presented to a public consulting centre for environmental medicine in Vienna, the main point at issue was damp housing and mould growth. On answering this demand indoor exposure to fungal spores was identified by visual semi-quantitative assessment of fungal growth on the one hand and quantitative measurement of viable spores on the other hand. The validity and practicability of this approach was investigated. METHOD: We applied these two simple methods in a standardised form and compared the results in a field study, which has been conducted between 1995 and 1999. In 197 rooms in Viennese flats (183 of which were claimed to be "mouldy") fungal spore concentrations were measured by RCS-impactor and Rose-Bengal-agar. Outdoor measurements were taken simultaneously outside the buildings and were used for reference. RESULTS: Independent classification of visible growth of mould in flats correlated significantly (r = 0.635; p < 0.0001) with the ratio of indoor/ outdoor concentration of fungal spores. CONCLUSIONS: It is usually possible to classify the severity of the problem just by local inspection. Visible plaques should always be an indication for sanitary measures. However, spore counting is indicated for quantifying health relevant exposures, for scientific comparisons and in documentation and follow up such as for litigation purposes. Quantitative data bear more credibility and so help to prove the need of sanitation.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed2001

[Determinants of patient satisfaction with services of the Vienna environmental medicine counseling center].

Client satisfaction is a relevant aspect for assessing the efficiency of a Medical Advisory Board. The study presented here aimed at determining the factors that guarantee satisfaction. These findings are essential for the further development of the service of the Advisory Board of the City of Vienna for Environmental Medicine ("UMB"). To this end a brief anonymous questionnaire was sent to 245 clients. This comprised elements evaluating the degree of satisfaction with the consultant service of the Advisory Board, fulfillment rate of expectations, solutions offered for various problems, and whether--if necessary--the "UMB" Advisory Board would be consulted again. A satisfactory response rate of 43% was obtained. The results show a high degree of satisfaction among the clients with the consultations (= 78%) despite unresolved or only partly resolved problems (71%) and questions that remained open for discussion (38%). Approximately 90% of the clients would again consult "UMB" for advice. The reasons for consultation did not show any significant influence on the client satisfaction. However, satisfaction of clients depended on whether or not a solution was found in respect of their problem and on the action taken by "UMB" to solve it. Summarising the findings, the analyses show that apart from on-the-spot assessment and detailed inspection, comprehensive case histories and interviews are an important basis for further clarification of problems caused by environmental factors.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

[Toxicologically determined indoor air guidelines values].

At the Austrian Ministry for Environment (now: Federal Ministry for agriculture and forestry, environment and water management) a working group was established to propose indoor air guideline values. This consists of representatives of different disciplines, such as physicians, toxicologists, engineers and lawyers. Already in the constituent meeting it was decided to employ a set pattern for establishing toxicologically sound guideline values. It was then agreed to use the pattern proposed by the German ad-hoc-working team. The interdisciplinary discussions, however, demonstrated the need for additional clarification, since representatives of different disciplines obviously interpret the various terms and principles differently. In particular, there is a need for discussing in detail the relation between the guideline values for indoor air to other air quality standards (outdoor air and workplace) and to specify their scope and application, especially the need to describe in greater detail what should be done in case either guideline value I or II was exceeded.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗