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Biomedical subjects

J Bolitschek

Publications and source records attributed to J Bolitschek.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Impact of nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment on quality of life in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.

Quality-of-life (QoL) issues have become increasingly important in health care practice and research. Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) results in an especially serious reduction in QoL. The purpose of this study was to measure the QoL (life satisfaction) of OSAS patients treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP). We aimed to determine whether and to what extent the QoL of OSAS patients using nCPAP differs from that of randomly selected subjects without this disorder. The QoL of 67 patients treated for at least 3 months with nCPAP, 21 OSAS patients at the time of OSAS diagnosis, and 113 randomly selected persons visiting the hospital (controls) was investigated with the help of the Munich life-quality dimension list (MLDL), an instrument for cognitive assessment of elementary components (physical condition, psyche, social life, everyday life) of QoL. It was found that QoL of OSAS patients treated with nCPAP did not significantly differ from that of control subjects with regard to elementary components. The 21 untreated OSAS patients showed significantly lower scores in all four subcategories: physical condition (p<0.0005), psyche (p<0.01), social life (p<0.0005) and everyday life (p<0.007). Thus, it may be concluded that nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy has an important impact on the quality of life of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome patients, and signifies a further advantage in addition to clinical aspects. Treated patients are as satisfied or dissatisfied with their life as persons without this illness.

Female↗
PubMed1995

[Sleep apnea as a risk factor].

Sleep apnea and snoring are widely discussed as risk factors for internal and neurological diseases. The prevalence of snoring in an Austrian population survey is about 27.2% (males 36.5%, females 18.9%), and that of apnea (respectively irregularity and/or cessation of breathing) about 8.5% (31% of all snorers). Clinical symptoms like naps, daytime sleepiness, unquiet sleep, hypertonia, headache in the morning and psychological symptoms may be characteristics of sleep apnea. They should lead to further diagnosis and removal of this risk factor for ischemic heart disease and stroke.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Diagnostic process of alveolitis--state of the art].

Diagnosing of alveolitis is a puzzle of many pieces, based on clinical experience and keeping in mind the criteria of extrinsic allergic alveolitis. They are antigen-exposure, typical delayed postexpositional symptoms (cough, chills, fever, dyspnea, tiredness), and serological tests of precipitating antibodies. Helpful findings are X-ray of the chest, high resolution computer tomography, auscultation findings, lowered diffusing capacity, bronchoalveolar lavage with lymphocytes > 50% and low T4/T8-ratio, histology of periphere lung specimens, and occasional inhaled provocation. Differential diagnosis are toxic lung disorders, drug adverse effects, sarcoidosis, silicosis, autoimmune alveolitis, idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis. The most frequent failure in diagnosis are common viral cold, bronchopneumonia, sarcoidosis, chronic bronchitis, and miliar tuberculosis.

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic↗
PubMed1994

[Epidemiology of sleep disorders in Austria].

UNLABELLED: Epidemiologic data on sleep disturbances in Austria were collected for the first time in March/April 1993 in a representative inquiry ( SAMPLE: n = 1000, 471 males, 529 females). 26% of the subjects reported sleep disturbances which were mostly chronic (21% had suffered from sleep disturbance for more than one year). The incidence of sleep disturbances increased with age, namely 13% in 14-30 year-old subjects, 22% in 31-50 year-old ones and 41% in subjects over 50. 7% suffered from disturbances in sleep initiation, i.e., they had a sleep latency of over 30 minutes. 19% of them had difficulties in getting to sleep at least once a week. Disturbances in maintaining sleep were reported by 28% of subjects, 56% of them needing longer than one hour to get back to sleep. 30% suffered from daytime sleepiness, 43% of the subjects were impaired by their sleep disturbances in some way, but only 34% had consulted their doctor.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Hospital-acquired pneumonia].

Nosocomial pneumonia is sometimes preventable. In manifestation it is a challenge to the interdisciplinary cooperation to pneumologists, internal medicine, intensive care medicine, clinical microbiologists, nursing staff and physiotherapists. Preventive measurements are of special value.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1993

[Comparative computerized tomography cephalometric and pharyngometric studies of patients with severe and mild sleep apnea, and in a control group].

116 males were examined. Of these, 52 belonged to a control group, whereas 40 had severe obstructive sleep apnoea (apnoea index > 20 + clinical symptoms) and 24 mild obstructive sleep apnoea (apnoea index 5-20 + clinical symptoms) (in the following, OSA signifies obstructive sleep apnoea). Cephalometry and planimetric examinations of the pharynx were performed in recumbent position with the head in neutral position and with shallow respiration. The narrowest passage of the pharynx was measured; other measured sites were the areas of the nasopharynx, oropharynx (at the level of the tip of the palatine uvula) and of the hypopharynx (at the level of the base of the tongue). The sum of all the measured cross-sections was obtained. The cephalogram was evaluated to obtain the length and thickness of the soft palate, the distance between the mandible and hyoid bone, the posterior airspace (PAS), the nuchal subcutaneous fatty tissue at the level of the spine of the second cervical vertebra (also known as axis), the thickness of the posterior pharyngeal wall at the level of the second cervical vertebra, or axis, and the angles between the sella, nasion and superior maxilla and between the sella, nasion and mandible (SNA and SNB, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Sleep apnea and the work site].

The sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS) is characterised by somatic, in particular cardiopulmonary and psychosocial, symptoms, the latter severely impairing the patient's social life. Excessive daytime somnolence and the resulting problems severely stress patients with SAS. Among 24 patients with SAS, 79.2% stated that they fell asleep during the day, frequently in 41.8% and occasionally in 37.4%. In addition, 70.8% of the patients with SA did not feel adequately rested on waking in the morning. Of the 24 patients, 17 had a job, and 11 of these experienced difficulty staying awake at the workplace. Suitable timely treatment (for example, with n-CPAP) improves not only the somatic, but also the neuropsychological symptoms.

Accidents, Occupational↗