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J Hartung

Publications and source records attributed to J Hartung.

150 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital neuroblastoma. Analysis of 4 cases and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: Advances in prenatal diagnostics during the last 10 years have enabled the examiner to detect even rare fetal disorders such as fetal tumours. Congenital neuroblastoma is the most frequent solid neoplasm in infancy, with a retroperitoneal cystic or solid mass being a sonographic sign of the conditions. METHODS: We present 4 cases of neuroblastoma showing suspicious prenatal ultrasound findings. The investigation comprises detection during pregnancy, typical sonographic signs, as well as the postnatal outcome. In addition, a review of the literature is undertaken with a focus on prenatal sonographic signs of congenital neuroblastomas. RESULTS: In all 4 cases, a cystic tumour was detected during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy by means of B-mode sonography. One boy died of disseminated metastases at the age of 26 months. The other 3 survived after surgery and have remained healthy. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of a cystic suprarenal mass is suspicious of a congenital neuroblastoma. The delivery should take place at a perinatal centre.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Amniotic fluid pressure in both cavities of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome: a vote against septostomy.

OBJECTIVE: To report our results of the measurement of the amniotic fluid pressure in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome before and after amniodrainage and the separate measurement in the cavity of the stuck twin and the recipient, respectively, in 2 cases. METHOD: Six patients with severe TTS underwent therapeutic amniodrainage. Amniotic fluid pressure was obtained before and after reduction of the fluid volume. In 2 of these cases we were able to calculate the pressure separately in both amniotic cavities, the donors (stuck twin) and the recipients. RESULTS: In all cases of TTS, amniotic pressure was high before and reduced after amniodrainage. The pressure was equal in the donors and in the recipients cavity. CONCLUSION: Amniotic pressure seems to be high in TTS, but equal in both cavities. Therefore, amniotic septostomy is probably of low value, especially if a high-risk monoamniotic situation is artificially created.

Amnion↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A different approach--a new instrument for expert assessment of disability stages?].

A New Tool for Expertising Nursing-Care Need? Since the introduction of the long-term care insurance in April 1995 criticism of the mode of expertise used to assign a particular nursing status to a patient has not ceased. Nursing status is required to receive monetary benefit from the long-term care insurance. According to the code of social law (SGB XI) nursing status is based on the total amount of time in minutes a care-needing person requires help to perform certain activities of daily living (ADL). This time-based classification is the bone of contention. As the currently used classification instrument has not been validated and is not reliable, it has been the aim of the present study to introduce a more objective mode of expertise. In our study we used the Barthel-Index as an instrument that allows to assign nursing status to a person in agreement with the person's respective ability to fulfil ADL. In a prospective study 252 patients were examined by the raters of the MDK Bavaria (Medical Service of Health Insurance) according to the SGB XI and the Barthel-Index. On the basis of the Barthel-Index and a certain discriminatory function more than 86% of the patients were assigned the same nursing status as with the normally used mode of expertise. Most of the differing results were borderline cases between two levels of nursing status. The new mode of expertising results in a more balanced distribution of different levels of nursing status. Therefore, the Barthel-Index in combination with the discriminatory function is as effective as the normally used mode of expertising. It is a valid and reliable instrument which could well replace the mode of expertising used so far.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The dust and microbial content in a horse stable during the use of a dust-binding agent].

Dust in horse barns is assumed to contribute to pulmonary disease, it is attempted to reduce the airborne dust by soaking or sprinkling the hay before feeding. Both means cause considerable efforts and increase the relative humidity of the air. This is why a commercial dust-binding agent (Revesto pur) was used in a pilot investigation which was carried out during 2 weeks - one week for control and one week using the agent - in a private horse barn where three horses were regularly stable. The airborne dust was measured by a continuously working instrument. Once a day (7.00 a.m.) the number of airborne germs was estimated. The dust is reduced to 0.03 mg/m3 during the night, (8.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m.), as compared to the control (0.05 mg/m3). However, the total dust content during 24 h increases after spraying with the aid of the instruments supplied by the manufacturer to 0.12 mg/m3 (control 0.07 mg/m3). The airborne germs show a decreasing tendency after application of the agent. The use of the sprayers is very time-consuming, their use inside of the barn obviously increases the particles in the air. Thus, it seems advisable to spray outside of the stable. Further investigations are necessary in order to evaluate whether the reduction of the dust during night which was indicated in this study may have a positive clinical effect.

Air Microbiology↗