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Biomedical subjects

A Zacher

Publications and source records attributed to A Zacher.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[The psychiatrist and the psychiatric hospital--an analysis of referral and aftercare].

OBJECTIVE: Against the background of the problematic interface between outpatient and inpatient care in the German psychiatric health care system, the role of psychiatrists in private practice concerning the pathways of psychiatric inpatients before and after their hospital stay should be evaluated. METHODS: Based on data of the psychiatric basic documentation (DGPPN-BADO) of 4905 patients admitted to the psychiatric hospital in 2003, predictors of the type of referral as well as the outpatient aftercare were analysed by means of logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: 9.8 % of patients were referred by psychiatrists in private practice. Patients sent by psychiatrists more seldom had an addiction disorder, more often were residents of sheltered homes, showed a present episode lasting more than three months and had a psychopharmacological pre-treatment with an atypical antipsychotic or SSRI. At discharge, outpatient aftercare by psychiatrists in private practice was recommended to 32.1 % of inpatients. Referral by a psychiatrist in private practice as well as the diagnosis of schizophrenia or affective disorder led more often to an outpatient aftercare by a psychiatrist. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the small number of patients referred by psychiatrists, the cooperation between psychiatric hospital and psychiatrists in private practice has to be focused by the quality management of the hospital.

Adult↗

[Pathological jealousy].

Pathological jealousy can make life unbearable for all concerned. The proximity of this condition to obsessive-compulsive phenomena has given rise to the notion that it might respond to substances of proven value in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders. This case history exemplifies the successful treatment of pathological jealousy with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine. The substance not only proved to be a successful antidepressant, but also effectively mitigated the anguish of the patient's pathological jealousy. On the basis of these findings, fluoxetine--as also other SSRIs--should always be considered as a possible effective pharmacological strategy for the treatment of pathological jealousy.

Adult↗

Anaemia in schoolchildren in eight countries in Africa and Asia.

OBJECTIVE: To report on the haemoglobin concentrations and prevalence of anaemia in schoolchildren in eight countries in Africa and Asia. DESIGN: Blood samples were collected during surveys of the health of schoolchildren as a part of programmes to develop school-based health services. SETTING: Rural schools in Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Tanzania and Vietnam. SUBJECTS: Nearly 14 000 children enrolled in basic education in three age ranges (7-11 years, 12-14 years and > or =15 years) which reflect the new UNICEF/WHO thresholds to define anaemia. RESULTS: Anaemia was found to be a severe public health problem (defined as >40% anaemic) in five African countries for children aged 7-11 years and in four of the same countries for children aged 12-14 years. Anaemia was not a public health problem in the children studied in the two Asian countries. More boys than girls were anaemic, and children who enrolled late in school were more likely to be anaemic than children who enrolled closer to the correct age. The implications of the four new thresholds defining anaemia for school-age children are examined. CONCLUSIONS: Anaemia is a significant problem in schoolchildren in sub-Saharan Africa. School-based health services which provide treatments for simple conditions that cause blood loss, such as worms, followed by multiple micronutrient supplements including iron, have the potential to provide relief from a large burden of anaemia.

Adolescent↗

[Writer's cramp--focal dystonia or psychogenic movement disorder? A critical literature study].

For more than 100 years there has been a discussion as to whether writer's cramp is caused by a disease of the central nervous system, or if it is to be considered as a disturbance of psychogenic origin. Whereas before 1982 there seemed to be a lot of evidence for the psychogenic theory many authors now tend to stress the opinion of Sheehy and Marsden who had explained that "writer's cramp" should be seen as a "focal dystonia". This article discusses the statements of Sheehy and Marsden in comparison with other scientific findings regarding the occupational cramps--above all "writer's cramp". It is concluded that there are different therapeutic approaches derived from the respective theory and which are considered to lessen the movement disorder. Scientific literature suggests that psychotherapy or some therapeutic approaches of behaviour therapy are more effectful in mastering this "mysterious" disorder than any pharmacological substance tested upto now.

Dystonia↗