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Biomedical subjects

F Nager

Publications and source records attributed to F Nager.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

[Medicine between technique and ethics].

In modern medicine technical and ethical questions develop continuously into a tension-loaded relationship. The actual controversy between technical and ethical imperative concerns primarily the fundamental dichotomy and dialectics of modern medical technology. In a second part the ethical challenge for physicians and nurses operating in our increasingly perfect hospitals is analysed. An outlook for future conditions for more harmony between medical technology and ethics is finally presented. A new medical spirit is needed to animate medical technology and to expand it to real art of healing.

Ethics, Medical↗
PubMed1992

[Therapy of chronic heart failure].

Symptoms of chronic cardiac failure depend on four determinants: The initial event concerns a decrease in contractility. The resulting complex neurohumoral regulatory mechanisms are essentially sympathicomimetic and stimulate the renin-angiotensin system. Accordingly, pre- and afterload will increase and symptoms may become aggravated by dys- or arrhythmias. Symptomatic pharmacotherapy of cardiac failure is directed to these four determinants. The actual rationale for its use is presented, putting emphasis on the renewed controversy on digitalis and on the importance of vasodilators, in particular ACE inhibitors. The relevance of diagnostic evaluation before and during treatment is indicated. The adaptation of treatment according to different causative disorders leading to cardiac failure is outlined. Finally, open questions and unsolved problems are brought up.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗
PubMed1991

[Goethe's struggle with depression].

Goethe was subjected during his whole life to extraordinary psychic threats and polar tensions often to the limits of destruction. For long periods of life he travelled in the mist of depression. By steady patience, constant endurance, disciplined diligence, self-control and self-denial as well as restless activity inward and outward he resisted serious depressive threats and did not get paralyzed. He rather faced his spiritual sorrow creatively and forced it into curative poetry. While being completely uncommon, his wise but old-fashioned recipes on ways to master one's depression are a psychotherapeutic bequest and remain valuable up to our days as complement to our modern concepts.

Depression↗
PubMed1991

[The clinical diagnosis of lung embolism].

The clinical classification, pathophysiology and often difficult diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism are reviewed. The diagnostic power of subjective and objective clinical symptoms and the diagnostic procedures (electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, echocardiography, pulmonary arteriography, pulmonary scintigraphy, determination of arterial blood gases) are evaluated and an actual investigative plan outlined. Diagnostic problems and frequent pitfalls are discussed. The often non characteristic and masked course in acute and chronically recurrent pulmonary embolism is emphasized.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1991

[Dysphagia: definition].

Dysphagia is a terminus which describes problems during the action of swallowing of fluids and/or food. The diagnosis is made by a detailed history according to a standard questionnaire, which then allows to distinguish between oropharyngeal and esophageal dysphagia.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1990

[Therapy of angina pectoris--state of the art].

A rational therapy of angina pectoris has to consider two recent pathophysiologic insights: 1. Not only in patients with instable but also with stable angina a dynamic, vasospastic component in addition to stenosis plays an important role. Stable angina is often a mixed form of disease. 2. In many patients stable angina is complicated by silent ischemia. Therapy of stable angina has 3 goals: 1. prevention or alleviation of angina; 2. reduction of silent ischemia episodes (number, extent); 3. cardioprotection i.e. prevention of instable angina, infarction and sudden death. The pharmacotherapeutic cornerstones are the nitrates, beta-blocking agents and calcium channel blockers. Their generally equivalent efficacy in short and longterm use is clinically and hemodynamically proven without doubt. Mode of action, pharmacokinetic aspects and recent as well as controversial questions regarding this group of drugs are reviewed. The pharmacotherapy of first choice should be determined for each patient individually and not according to schematic prescription. It should encompass pathogenesis of ischemia, specific indications for or adverse effects of the 3 drug classes, the question of induction of tolerance, possible cardioprotective benefit, side effects, compliance problems and finally cost of treatment. The rational aspects of combination therapy (nitrates and beta-blockers, beta-blockers and calcium antagonists) are explained and the therapeutic procedures for instable angina are outlined.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1990

[Clinical aspects of staphylococcal endocarditis].

Patients with staphylococcus endocarditis hospitalized at the Cantonal Hospital Lucerne from 1971 to 1988 are reviewed. A total of 50 patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria (in 60% of the cases the diagnosis was definite, in 26% probable, and in 14% possible). These 50 patients with staphylococcus infection account for 29% of all patients with infective endocarditis seen during this time interval. Staphylococcus endocarditis affected the mitral valve in 48%, the aortic valve in 36% and--unexpectedly often--the tricuspid valve in 30%. In 54% previously normal valves were infected. Diminished host defence (predominantly intravenous drug addiction and diabetes) was a predisposing feature in 52% of the patients. The average duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 11 days, and in patients with right heart endocarditis it was 21 days. In 20% the condition was not diagnosed before autopsy. The clinical picture was relatively nonspecific: 50% of patients had no diagnostic heart murmur and 10% had no fever. The dominant--often misleading--symptoms were due to embolic complications. Two thirds of the cases with right heart endocarditis had pulmonary emboli. In 38% of the patients endocarditis resulted in heart failure. Overall mortality was 51% and correlated with age and the presence of heart failure, uncontrolled infection or cerebral embolism. In contrast to the high mortality in patients with mitral valve infection (61%), only one of the 11 patients with isolated right heart endocarditis died.

Endocarditis, Bacterial↗
PubMed1989

[Heart valve replacement in active infectious endocarditis].

A material of 87 patients who underwent cardiac surgery for active infective endocarditis from 1975 to 1987 is analyzed retrospectively. 91 emergency operations were performed in 19 women and 68 men with a mean age of 48 years. 72 native valves and 19 prosthetic valves were involved. Streptococci (41%) and staphylococci (27%) were the most frequent bacteriological isolates, whereas 19% of the cultures remained negative. Heart failure (52%), embolism (21%), uncontrolled infection (11%), prosthetic valve endocarditis (10%), atrioventricular block (4%) and ventricular septal defect (2%) were the indications for surgery an average of 22 days after diagnosis. 17 patients (19%) died, 9 during hospitalization from heart failure or septicemia and 8 in the later course. 16 patients required reoperation for valvular incompetence (5), paravalvular leak (4) or prosthesis infection (7). Five relapses (5.5%) and two reinfections (2.5%) were treated surgically while two reinfections responded to medical therapy alone. Postoperatively, 34 patients (39%) suffered severe complications such as neurological deficits, prosthetic valve endocarditis or anticoagulant haemorrhage. After a mean observation period of 52 months (range 1-147 months) 64 (91%) of the surviving patients were in NYHA classes I + II and 6 (9%) in NYHA classes III + IV.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Medical and psychological problems of smoking].

In the medical part of this review the devastating role of the "modern plague" smoking is exposed. The numerous and variable diseases of this habit or dependence are depicted. The most serious consequences of smoking concern--next to pulmonary diseases--the vascular system. Smokers are at risk for ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular insults, peripheral arterial occlusive disease and thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms. The pathogenic mechanisms promoting atherosclerosis and thrombosis are reviewed: smoking promotes atherogenesis on one hand, on the other hand it initiates thrombotic and spastic vascular occlusion. Sympathico-adrenergic and hemostatic mechanisms thus affect the coronary system, partly in a reversible manner. This view is supported by the high incidence of mainly acute coronary events (infarction, instable angina, ventricular fibrillation) in smokers with rapidly improved prognosis after tobacco withdrawal. In the psychologic part of the review smoking is viewed as self-medication, and the attempt is made to depict the various types of smokers and their psychologic profiles.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1987

[Endocarditis with unusual causative agents].

In the period 1947-1985, 601 patients with infective endocarditis were seen at the University Hospital Zurich and the Kantonsspital Lucerne. Streptococci, enterococci and staphylococci were the predominant causative organisms in two-thirds of all cases. In more than 25% of the patients blood cultures remained negative. In 6 patients endocarditis was caused by very rare organisms, viz. Coxiella burnetii (2 cases), Hemophilus parainfluenzae, Corynebacterium bovis (diphtheroids), Brucella melitensis and Aspergillus terreus. The clinical and microbiological characteristics of these cases are described and compared with the results in the literature. Diagnostic and therapeutic problems are discussed. Only with special awareness of the role of these unusual organisms in causing infective endocarditis, especially Q fever endocarditis with its notoriously atypical course, can the number of "culture negative" cases be diminished and the prognosis thereby improved.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Diagnosis of lung embolism. Prospective study].

In a prospective study over the years 1983-1985, 300 cases of acute pulmonary embolism were analyzed in relation to predisposing factors, clinical signs, arterial blood gas analysis and isotope perfusion scanning. Comparison of this prospective study with an earlier retrospective one showed similar results, with the exception of isotope scanning, an investigation which has gained increasing diagnostic reliability (highly suggestive results in 94% of patients with massive pulmonary embolism and in 64% with submassive pulmonary embolism). In two thirds of the cases the diagnosis was established during the first day after hospitalisation. In 10% of the patients pulmonary embolism occurred despite anticoagulant therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

[Clinical demonstrations: Heart rupture in acute myocardial infarct. Infectious endocarditis. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome].

This clinical demonstration includes three topics of clinical cardiology: myocardial rupture in acute myocardial infarction, infective endocarditis, and WPW-syndrome with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. In the first part three cases with septal perforation or papillary muscle rupture are demonstrated. Our experience with myocardial rupture (free wall, septum, papillary muscle) during the last six years is summarized with special reference to the significance and the differential diagnosis of systolic regurgitant murmurs after myocardial infarction. Special features of acute mitral incompetence (papillary muscle dysfunction) in myocardial infarction are outlined and diagnostic guidelines for differentiation between septal perforation and papillary muscle rupture are discussed. In the second part two patients with aortic (e.g. mitral) valve rupture in the course of infective endocarditis are presented. The synoptic comparison of these two patients is related to the results of our own clinical studies on the changing pattern of infective endocarditis (epidemiologically, clinically) during the last three decades. The clinical picture of acute aortic valve rupture is outlined and the bedside signs indicating catastrophic complications of infective endocarditis are summarized. In the third part the odyssey of a patient with WPW-syndrome and consecutive paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia is described. Progress in electrophysiological analysis of the re-entry circles in preexcitation syndromes is outlined.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

[Diagnostic problems in acute pulmonary embolism].

In a retrospective study over the years 1978-1982, 729 cases of acute pulmonary embolism were analyzed in relation to history, clinical signs and laboratory findings and the results compared with the findings of the urokinase pulmonary embolism trial. As far as history and clinical symptoms were concerned, breathlessness, chest pain, tachypnea, tachycardia and cyanosis were the dominating features. Among laboratory tests, the radiological and electrocardiographic findings of pulmonary hypertension were of little value. In contrast, arterial hypoxemia and isotope scanning provided the most reliable diagnostic information. The most frequent problem in differential diagnosis was acute myocardial infarction.

Acute Disease↗