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Biomedical subjects

B Schmelzer

Publications and source records attributed to B Schmelzer.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[A pragmatic assessment of sense of smell].

A new clinical odour test was developed and validated in a clinical trial including 50 healthy volunteers as well as 35 patients suffering from smell disorders. The aromas were incorporated in an inert gas under disclosure from oxygen, avoiding impairment caused by oxidative transformation. Conventional smell test by Elsberg bottles was used as standard. The spray test proved to be equally effective in discriminating subjects suffering from smell disorders as the standard procedure. Moreover the spray test is feasible and long term constance of the substances is guaranteed.

Aerosols↗

[Isolated sphenoid sinusitis].

Acute or chronic infections of the sphenoid sinus is often misdiagnosed. The most frequent symptom of sphenoid sinusitis is headache. The character ot the pain is best described as deep seated and dull, however there is no typical localisation. Early diagnosis and mostly a surgical treatment is most important in reducing the morbidity of this disease.

Humans↗

Male and female characteristics in vestibular testing: a step toward the selection of the best participants for space flight.

Vestibular disturbances in connection with space flight were reported by a majority of participating astronauts and cosmonauts. These include motion sickness symptoms in the first few days of the space flight, as well as standing, gait and orientation disturbances after the return to Earth. The Aerospace Medical Community has been trying to select those people that are particularly adapted to the above stresses or that can be further adapted through training programs. As the circle of selectees extends to women, the problem arises as to whether differences between men and women exist under the conditions of space flight. In seeking answers to this question we studied a group of 42 women and 44 men, who were further subdivided according to their subjective motion sickness sensitivity, as determined by a questionnaire. Using this material, 26 men and 22 women were designated as motion sickness resistant, and 18 men and 20 women were designated as nonresistant. The vestibular test battery given these test subjects consisted of caloric, rotatory, optokinetic, vestibulo-spinal and vestibulo-vegetative testing. Because of the mixed orthostatic and vestibular problems seen after space flights, we also studied the response of the vestibular apparatus during peripheral blood pooling as induced by lower body negative pressure. The collected historical and test data are analyzed in this paper with emphasis on the relationship to motion sickness tendency.

Aerospace Medicine↗

Treatment of the obstructive nose by CO2-laser reduction of the inferior turbinates: technique and results.

In our department we treat chronically enlarged inferior turbinates (not responding to adequate medical therapy) with the CO2-laser or by partial inferior turbinoplasty. In this work the technique is described and short- and long-term results are evaluated. We divided our study group into two populations: one group with a follow-up of 18 months for which we could obtain objective measurements of the nasal patency by means of a preoperative and postoperative active anterior rhinomanometry, and another group with a follow-up of more than 15 years, for which (because of the absence of a pre-operative rhinomanometry) we could only obtain a subjective evaluation of the results by means of a questionnaire. Relief of nasal obstruction was reported by 88.5% of the patients until 5 years after laser surgery on the inferior turbinates. There seems to be no functional impairment on the nasal mucosa after this kind of surgery. The advantages and drawbacks of this technique are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Long-term efficacy of our surgical approach to turbinate hypertrophy.

In our department, chronically enlarged inferior turbinates (not responding to adequate medical therapy) are treated with the CO2-laser or by partial inferior turbinoplasty. In this work, the latter technique is described and the short- and long-term results (up to 9 years of follow-up) are evaluated. Relief of nasal obstruction was reported by 93.5% of the patients. There was a good correlation between this success rate and the objective measurements of the nasal resistance by active anterior rhinomanometry. Rhinorrhea or postnasal drip was still present in 32.5%. Atrophic changes of the nasal mucosa were not observed in any of the patients. Early postoperative epistaxis was found in 6.5% of the patients. Late postoperative epistaxis did not occur.

Adolescent↗