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Biomedical subjects

Herbert Kurz

Publications and source records attributed to Herbert Kurz.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Long-acting beta-2 agonists in pediatric asthma therapy--friend or foe].

Recent publications suggest that long-acting beta-2 agonists (LABAs) increase the risk for death in asthma. The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a relevant alert in 2005. In the currently valid Austrian consensus guidelines for drug therapy of bronchial asthma in children and adolescents, LABAs are only recommended as add-on therapy in those patients whose asthma is not sufficiently controlled by inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) alone. LABAs have no established role in earlier steps of the therapeutic algorithm; consequently, the prescription of ICS-LABA combinations for initial treatment of paediatric asthma is not supported by these consensus treatment guidelines.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗
PubMed2004

German-language paediatric websites.

BACKGROUND: Among medical subspecialties, paediatrics is relatively well represented on the Internet, as evidenced by the number of topical pages retrieved with different search engine queries. We sought to identify the kind of information that is readily available and to evaluate those resources for the quality of patient education from the consumer's perspective. METHODS: A review was conducted of paediatric material found on German-language websites. In November 2002, we used a popular method of searching information on the Internet to locate German-language websites identified by the search string "kinderarzt". The first 200 websites listed in the most popular search engine 'Google' were recorded in a database and compared with one another. RESULTS: A search of the Internet identified 40.900 potential paediatric sites. The most common features of the reviewed websites included information about a specific paediatric practice (71%); general health-care information (52%); and a description of vaccinations (30%). E-mail consulting was offered by 44% of the sites. Only a few sites conform to the code of the Health On the Net (HON) Foundation, clearly state authorship, or exactly identify the most recent material update. CONCLUSIONS: The Internet is a tool capable of providing an unprecedented amount of information to patients interested in paediatric health topics. Our assessment of the status of German-language paediatric information on the Internet indicates that many colleagues use the Internet only to promote their private practice. Our findings indicate that Internet-based information regarding paediatric health care is extensive at present, but is also poorly organised and hard to find.

Austria↗
PubMed2003

[Breast feeding support, incidence of breastfeeding and duration of breast feeding in a Vienna perinatal center].

AIMS: Evaluation of factors influencing the incidence and duration of breastfeeding. METHODS: In a retrospective study we sent a questionnaire to the parents of 1518 infants born consecutively in the Center of Perinatology at the Danube Hospital, Vienna, during a 10 months period. The questionnaire consisted of items addressing duration of breastfeeding, time of initiation of formula supplement, support in breastfeeding and the time mothers were provided with information on breastfeeding. Data on mothers age, parity, mode of delivery, duration of pregnancy and infants birth weight were taken from the records. RESULTS: 95% of mothers began breastfeeding, 56% continued breastfeeding for more than 5 months. The impression or fact of no support was associated with a higher rate of not breastfeeding (p < 0.001). "Little support" was associated with a higher rate of terminating breastfeeding during the first three months and with a lower rate of breastfeeding for more than 5 months (p < 0.01). Provided information on breastfeeding shows no effect on the duration of breastfeeding, but "no information" corresponds with not breastfeeding (p < 0.01). Mothers who got repeated information breastfed longer (p < 0.01). The number of mothers who did not breastfeed and was higher among three or multipare compared to primipare (p < 0.025). They also breastfed shorter (p < 0.05). Mothers under 20 years of age more often terminated breastfeeding in the first month (p < 0.001). Low birth weight (< 2000 g) and caesarean sectio increased the number of mothers who did not breastfeed (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Repeated information and individual support increases the number of breastfeeding mothers and the duration of breastfeeding. Additional support should be provided for mothers under 20 years of age, three and multiparae and mothers after caesarean sectio.

Austria↗
PubMed2003

[An increase in allergic diseases in childhood--current hypotheses and possible prevention].

During the last few decades there has ben a significant rise in the prevalence of allergic diseases such as asthma, hay fever and atopic dermatitis. Epidemiological studies strongly suggest that this increase is real and not due to changes in diagnostic labelling. It has become increasingly clear that a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors account for this phenomenon. Genetically predisposed individuals are at an increased susceptibility to develop asthma or other allergic diseases when exposed to certain environmental or lifestyle factors. Particularly passive smoking has been shown to increase the risk for asthma in many studies and for atopy at least in some studies. This association is less clear for the exposure to sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, diesel exhaust and ozone. Lifestyle factors like socioeconomic status, sib-ship size, early childhood infections, dietary habits, growing up in antroposophic families or on a farm are more and more realised to be of great relevance for the development of allergic conditions. At the moment, there is a lot of uncertainty about which recommendations should be given for primary prevention. Recent studies have challenged the old paradigma that avoidance of early allergen contact could prevent the development of allergic disease. However, there is consensus that avoidance of smoking during pregnancy and avoidance of passive smoking during childhood should be recommended for primary prevention of asthma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Does professional counseling improve infant home monitoring? Evaluation of an intensive instruction program for families using home monitoring on their babies.

UNLABELLED: Home apnea/bradycardia monitoring was widely used in the 80s and 90s in the hope that Sudden Infant Death (SID) could be prevented. As no evidence could be found in favor of this hypothesis, HM today is restricted to symptomatic preterm infants, infants with cardiorespiratory problems and infants after an apparent life threatening event (ALTE). HM can impose substantial stress on families, especially mothers. We introduced an intensive counseling program (IC) for home monitoring and evaluated its effects, using a questionnaire. The control group consisted of families who were using a home monitor before the IC program was instituted, and were instructed according to the standard protocol given by the "Austrian SIDS-Consensus". The IC program consisted of standard monitor instruction as well as instruction in infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and was extended by providing intensive support at the beginning and throughout the monitoring period with special regard to the monitor weaning phase. RESULTS: Fifty-eight percent of the 90 questionnaires of the IC-families and 66% of the 70 questionnaires of the control families were returned. Home monitoring was considered to be reassuring by more than 60% of the families. We found the following differences between the two groups: parents taking part in the IC program liked the instruction better, were less stressed by the monitor and reacted less aggressively to monitor alarms. They used the monitor predominantly during sleeping periods and for a shorter period of time (6 vs. 7 1/2 months). IC could not reduce SID related anxiety or change the feelings associated with the use of the home monitor. CONCLUSION: Intensive counseling leads to a better use of home monitoring and reduces parents' stress. Even if home monitoring is used less frequently today, families should still be instructed and counselled intensively.

Consumer Behavior↗