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Biomedical subjects

N Konietzko

Publications and source records attributed to N Konietzko.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

[Smoking cessation for hospital staff. A controlled intervention study].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Smoking prevalence in Germany remains high instead of public information and education. Smoke free hospitals are propagated, but frequently the smoking prevalence in hospital staff is even higher than in the general population. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of smoking amongst hospital employees in a German teaching hospital and subsequently to promote and optimise smoking cessation within controlled trial with additional evaluation of mindfulness based stress reduction, supported by a common workplace action. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A hospital survey was carried out by anonymous questionnaires. Participation in a physician-supervised smoking cessation program with nicotine replacement, brief intervention and, additionally, in a 20-hour stress reduction program over 8 weeks (group B) was offered to all smokers. Primary outcomes were abstinence rates at 3 months, secondary endpoints included abstinence rates at 6 months, cigarette consumption in smokers and expiratory CO-concentration. RESULTS: Out of 345 employees 296 (86 %) revealed their smoking status, 140 were smokers (47,3 %). 116 of 140 smokers agreed with participation in a smoking cessation program. 53 subjects participated additionally in the stress reduction groups (Group B), 63 subjects wished no additional stress reduction (Group A). Abstinence rates at 3 and 6 months were 38,2 % and 29,7 % for all subjects. Participants with stress reduction showed non-significant higher abstinence rates (3 months: A: 35 % vs. B: 42 % and 6 months: A: 20 % vs. B: 41,2 %), a significant lower CO-concentration and a lower smoking intensity in recurrent smokers. CONCLUSION: With a common work place action a substantial part of employees quits smoking. Thus, the study provides support for the active promotion of physician-supervised smoking cessation programs among hospital employees. Supportive mindfulness-based stress reduction may enhance smoking cessation, yet has to be further tested in larger randomised controlled trials.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Diagnosis and staging of malignant pleural mesothelioma].

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive solid tumor with rising incidence and mortality. Due to a long latency period after asbestos exposure until tumor manifestation the peak of newly diagnosed MPM cases is to be expected for the year 2017 in Germany. One deciding factor for the poor prognosis with a median survival of 4 - 18 month is a late diagnosis at an advanced stage. Therefore, apart of improved stage related therapeutic options, early diagnostic procedures in suspected MPM play a key role. The diagnosis of MPM is made by the clinician as a synopsis of clinical, imaging and pathological findings. Computed tomography of the thorax and thoracoscopy with biopsy are the most important diagnostic procedures. Staging is recommended to be made as TNM description according to the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (IMIG) to allow a better comparability of various data in MPM.

Humans↗
PubMed2002

Screening for alpha1-Pi deficiency in patients with lung diseases.

In patients with pulmonary emphysema, studies have reported 2-3% of individuals with severe alpha1-Pi deficiency. The aims of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of a new method for quantifying alpha1-Pi through phenotyping from dried blood spots (DBS) and to test the hypothesis that the screening of a population at risk increases the detection rate for severe alpha1-Pi deficiency. The accuracy of phenotyping results from DBS was compared to conventional methods in a total of 555 individuals. In a prospective study 1,060 patients with chronic lung disease were screened for alpha1-Pi deficiency using DBS. The validation of the phenotyping method from DBS showed an accuracy of 100%. Out of 1,060 tested patients, none had a severe PiZ deficiency and only 3 had PiSZ, whilst 36 (3.34%) individuals were identified as heterozygous for PiMS and 39 (3.68%) for PiMZ. No patients with severe alpha1-Pi deficiency could be detected in this population and the frequency of PiMS or PiMZ detected was similar to that of the normal population. Thus, the screening of an unselected population of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma patients may not detect a large number of individuals with severe alpha1-Pi deficiency.

Adolescent↗