[Innovative techniques in atrial fibrillation therapy]. / Innovative Verfahren der Vorhofflimmertherapie.

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the established cornerstone in most catheter-based ablation treatment strategies for atrial fibrillation (AF); however, it is still a challenge to create contiguous, transmural and permanent ablation lesions using radiofrequency current in combination with three-dimensional mapping systems. To overcome these limitations, innovative spiral mapping and ablation catheters as well as balloon-based ablation catheters incorporating alternative energy sources, such as cryoenergy and laser were developed and evaluated and have proved their potential for safe and clinically effective PVI. In addition, novel ablation strategies, such as identification and ablation of AF-inducing foci and/or AF-perpetuating rotors using either endocardial or epicardial mapping systems were introduced and are currently under clinical evaluation. The identification and modulation of atrial ganglionic plexi (GP) and, therefore, of the autonomous nervous system is another additive ablation approach which requires further clinical evaluation.

Effects of ezetimibe on plasma lipoproteins in severely hypercholesterolemic patients treated with regular LDL-apheresis and statins.

Ezetimibe, a cholesterol absorption inhibitor, can be combined with statins to lower LDL-cholesterol. We evaluated additional ezetimibe (10 mg/day) in a placebo-controlled, double blind, randomized cross-over study in 20 patients (age 56+/-9 years, m:f 10:10, BMI 27.5+/-4.0 kg/m(2)) suffering from severe hypercholesterolemia and CHD who were treated by statins and regular LDL-apheresis. Lipoproteins (cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, VLDL-triglycerides, lipoprotein(a)) were determined twice (before and during ezetimibe/placebo, each given for 5 weeks), dietary behaviour was analyzed once (3-days-protocol) during each treatment period. During ezetimibe the mean (+/-S.D.) preapheresis LDL-cholesterol concentration decreased from 159+/-26 mg/dl (4.11+/-0.67 mmol/l) to 133+/-28 mg/dl (3.44+/-0.72 mmol/l) (-16+/-11%, P<0.0001, Wilcoxon test) and the postapheresis LDL-cholesterol from 51+/-9 mg/dl (1.32+/-0.23 mmol/l) to 43+/-8 mg/dl (1.11+/-0.21 mmol/l) (-14+/-25%, P<0.05), while there was no significant change during placebo. Mean VLDL-cholesterol fell by 18+/-71% (P<0.05) during ezetimibe and was not significantly changed by placebo (+19+/-70%). Furthermore, during ezetimibe less plasma volume was treated (3725+/-1560 versus 3870+/-1549 ml, P<0.05). Ezetimibe had no effect on pre- and postapheresis triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol and lipoprotein(a) levels. The effect of ezetimibe was independent of the statin dose. Dietary behaviour did not change and no side effects were observed. Thus, in patients with severe LDL-hypercholesterolemia and CHD the addition of ezetimibe to intensive lipid lowering therapy (statins and LDL-apheresis) resulted in a further, clinically significant decrease of LDL-cholesterol.

[Requirement for the structure and function of a nutritional support team]. / Anforderungen an Struktur und Funktion eines Ernährungsteams. Projektgruppe KlinischerErnährung (PROKER).

Procedures in clinical nutrition have gained both invasiveness as well as the complexity. Thus improved education of professionals and their alliance in hospital based nutritional support teams (NST) is demanding. Two forms of collaboration, the "interdisciplinary nutritional committee" and the "department for nutritional therapy", are discussed. It is the goal of this contribution to present structure and tasks of an independently working department for nutritional support therapy. The pertinent areas of activity are composed as followed: clinical nutritional therapy, home nutrition, education, research, and quality management. The team members include the physician, the dietitian, the nurse, the nutritionist, and the pharmacist. The individual tasks as well as the areas of responsibility are presented. We discuss, whether nutritional support teams might be suitable to achieve cost reduction, provided adequate working conditions are available. Issues like "performance related reimbursement" and "NST certification" by health care organizations are discussed. We also elude to the option to merge services with other health care providers in order to built up an inter-disciplinary organization system. We conclude that nutritional support teams have to be prepared to meet hospital needs. Costs/benefit balances have to be assessable and must be documented. Although the effectiveness of selected nutritional support teams was clearly shown, it is the challenge of each individual team to produce proof of effectiveness for itself. Acceptable working conditions, however, should be provided as they have to be considered indispensable to achieve high quality performance.