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This consensus paper summarizes the expert consensus and recommendations of the working group "Heart and Kidney" of the German Cardiac Society (DGK) and the German Society of Nephrology (DGfN) on contrast medium-induced acute kidney injury. Potentially nephrotoxic contrast agents containing iodine are frequently used in interventional medicine and for computer tomography diagnostics. Acute kidney injury occurs in approximately 8-17% of patients exposed to contrast media. The risk factors and underlying pathophysiology are discussed and recommendations for the prophylaxis and treatment of contrast medium-induced acute nephropathy are presented.

Since the current guidelines were published in 2018, a total of 5 sham-controlled high-quality studies evaluating renal denervation have been conducted and the results were published. These five studies clearly confirmed the efficacy and safety of renal denervation, which correspond to the knowledge of the Clinical Consensus Conference. Thus, an update of the guidelines for the treatment of arterial hypertension regarding the clinical significance of renal denervation is urgently necessary. For this reason, the position paper of the working group of the European Society of Hypertension on the current state of renal denervation was reviewed. An approval of this procedure can soon be expected. In Germany there is a diagnosis-related group (DRG) for the reimbursement of renal denervation, which was suspended due to the erroneous Symplicity 3 study. This DRG should be revived in practice by a structured process of the implementation of renal denervation. It will then be a joint task of treating physicians and specialists in certified centers to identify eligible patients. In the future, antihypertensive treatment will consist of three pillars: lifestyle measures, pharmacotherapy and interventional treatment. These three treatment options should not be regarded as competitive (which is better) but alternative (patient preference) and additive (the aim is blood pressure control). It is the task of the treating physician to provide the patient with the ideal treatment concept. Clearly, renal denervation will not replace antihypertensive pharmacotherapy; however, it can lead to a reduction of the drug burden and increase of patient adherence to medication. It represents an option of modern antihypertensive treatment and will also become increasingly more important in special patient groups., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

This article provides an overview of current prevention and treatment options for typical cardiovascular side effects of oncological therapies as well as cardiovascular complications of malignant disease. Focus is put on the prevention and treatment of heart failure under potentially cardiotoxic cancer therapies. In addition, current options for the treatment of common venous thromboembolism in cancer patients will be discussed.

In recent decades, major advances in the treatment of malignant diseases have significantly improved long-term survival. However, this has increased the spectrum of side effects of these treatment methods, particularly for the cardiovascular system. Cardiotoxicity can be acute and chronic, including hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmias, acute myocardial infarction, venous thromboembolism, stroke, and valvular heart disease. While the occurrence of cardiotoxicity is known for many older cancer therapies, it needs to be largely evaluated for newer forms of therapy. Diagnosing possible cardiotoxic side effects is essential for optimal treatment, but remains a challenge. Troponin and the natriuretic peptides play an essential role as cardiac biomarkers in the diagnosis of conventional heart diseases. However, they also appear to play an important role in the detection of cardiotoxicity, as well as in the treatment of cardio-oncology patients. Elevated troponin or B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)/N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels are associated with increased overall mortality and were associated with the development of heart failure in selected cohorts. Troponin can also be used to identify myocarditis associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. This overview summarizes the current knowledge about biomarkers for the detection of cardiotoxicity due to tumor therapy. Possible clinical recommendations for the detection of cardiotoxic effects using biomarkers are also outlined.

Sarcoidosis and berylliosis (chronic beryllium disease, CBD) are granulomatous diseases and are phenocopies which cannot be differentiated based on the clinical presentation. Whereas for sarcoidosis the eliciting agent is unknown, for berylliosis an exposure to beryllium (mostly as occupational exposure) can be confirmed that therefore induces a sensitization against beryllium. The diagnosis is generally made in patients with a typical clinical presentation, the histological proof of a non-necrotizing granuloma and the exclusion of other diseases causing granulomas. In most cases, granulomas can be detected in the lungs and/or (intrathoracic) lymph nodes. The proof of sensitization to beryllium for the differential diagnosis can be performed with a so-called beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test in peripheral mononuclear blood cells or cells from a bronchoalveolar lavage. The objectives of treatment are avoidance of functional organ impairment and symptom control. Immunosuppressive therapy (initially mostly with corticosteroids) and supportive measures can prove beneficial; however, in many cases clinical observation can be sufficient because of stable disease or spontaneous resolution. In addition, further beryllium exposure must be avoided, which mostly necessitates a change of the workplace., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Gastrointestinal infections are among the most frequent imported diseases diagnosed in Germany in travelers or migrants from the tropics. Acute traveler's diarrhea is the most frequent illness in long-distance travelers and in high-risk areas (e.g. India, Mexico) around one third of all travelers suffer from diarrhea. Chronic diarrhea plays a role especially after longer stays abroad (> 4 weeks) and in migrants and is often caused by protozoa. Helminths are less frequently the causative agent of gastrointestinal complaints (diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain). A worm infestation of the large and small intestines is often present but helminths can also affect the liver or lead to generalized symptoms of illness when larvae migrate. In principle, in the case of gastrointestinal complaints after exposure to the tropics, the possibility of an imported tropical endemic infectious disease must be considered and appropriate diagnostics initiated. For travelers returning from tropical countries other, sometimes life-threatening diseases, such as malaria, typhoid fever, rickettsiosis and viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) can present with gastrointestinal symptoms and should never be overlooked., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Background: Management of patients with respiratory disorders, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), became challenging during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic due to infection prevention measures. To maintain care, a remote monitoring program was initiated, comprising a smartphone app and a Bluetooth spirometry device., Objective: To assess patient- and physician-related experience with remote monitoring., Material and Methods: Structured questionnaires were developed to rate experiences from the patient or physician perspective on six-level Likert scales. Interactions between patients and physicians via the digital platform and overall utilization was analyzed., Results: A total of 745 patients with asthma, COPD, post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other respiratory diseases were enrolled from 31 centers in Germany. Mean follow-up was 49.4 ± 12.6 weeks. Each participant submitted on average 289 measurements. Patient-reported experience with the remote monitoring program was positive, with the highest satisfaction reported for "Experience with home measurement" (1.4 ± 0.5; 99% positive), followed by "Communication/interaction" (1.8 ± 0.9; 83% positive) and "Overall satisfaction with program" (1.8 ± 0.8; 87% positive). In all, 70% reported subjective quality of life improvements related to participation in the program. Physician satisfaction with the program was also high with a mean rating of 2.2 ± 1.2., Discussion: App-based remote monitoring was successfully implemented in routine care during the SARS-CoV‑2 pandemic and demonstrated potential for improvements in care. Patient-relevant experience was positive in all dimensions and remote monitoring was well accepted. Physicians who participated in the program also expressed positive experiences, as demonstrated by a high level of interaction with the platform and positive evaluations of effects from the program., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Atrial fibrillation is frequent and has severe sequelae, such as stroke, cardiovascular death and cardiac insufficiency. These sequelae can be effectively reduced by anticoagulants, a meticulous recognition and treatment of cardiovascular comorbidities and an early rhythm-preserving treatment. Catheter ablation leads to a better preservation of the sinus rhythm and in symptomatic patients to a better quality of life in comparison to treatment with antiarrhythmic agents. This should be included in the planning of early rhythm-maintaining treatment., (© 2021. Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Cardiovascular medicine is one of the most resource-consuming parts of the healthcare system and many examples of overdiagnostic and overtreatment can be found. The present article presents just three of these, one from cardiology and two from vascular medicine. The topic of chronic coronary heart disease concerns the unequivocal proof of ischemia before a coronary intervention. The sections on Duplex sonography of the cervical blood vessels and the diagnostics of thrombophilia describe which valid clinical problems may justify the performance of these examinations at all. The potential for harm caused by overdiagnostics in both cases lies not only in the unnecessary use of resources but, more importantly, in the subsequent overtreatment. The few appropriate indications are described in detail.

Home blood pressure monitoring in combination with cointerventions can contribute to a better blood pressure control. More complex telemonitoring projects have shown promising initial results in studies in primary care and also in certain patient groups (e.g. pregnant women). The integration into the clinical routine is of crucial importance because "stand-alone" solutions have yet to show convincing effects on blood pressure. The new German Digital Care Act (Digitale-Versorgung-Gesetz, DVG) provides a framework to introduce, validate and prescribe digital applications in routine care financed by the Statutory Health Insurance, when positive effects on care have been confirmed and they are listed in the register of the digital healthcare applications (Verzeichnis der digitalen Gesundheitsanwendungen, DiGA).

Background: Oncological therapies show a number of undesired adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. In particular, the side effects of recently established oncological therapies are incompletely understood and clinical data are lacking in the interpretation of novel cardiac complications., Objective: This article provides a short overview of the mechanisms of cardiac side effects of certain oncological therapies., Material and Methods: The review is mainly based on data from preclinical studies., Results: Numerous toxic side effects have already been described and investigated in preclinical models. For certain groups of drugs (e.g. anthracyclines, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors) the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not fully understood., Conclusion: An improved understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in cardiotoxicity might help improve the quality of clinical decisions. Additionally, it will provide new insights into the pathophysiology of cardiac diseases. The aim is to use the results of translational research and to clinically implement them in suitable cardio-oncology units.

As a result of the continuous development of modern cancer treatment, more cancer patients can be cured every year. However, since many patients experience cardiovascular problems before, during and after their cancer treatment, cardio-oncology is becoming increasingly important. Numerous therapies can cause cardiotoxicity, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, antibody therapy and radiotherapy. If these remain undetected, the patient may develop, e.g. heart failure or severe heart valve damage. The broad spectrum of cardiovascular comorbidities has become an immense challenge for cardiologists and oncologists. Cardio-oncology also deals with the effects that cancer has on the cardiovascular system. New research indicates that the tumor itself also has direct negative effects on the heart, mediated by messenger substances. Therefore, it is important to understand which cancer patients are at increased cardiovascular risk, thereby enabling the development of new therapeutic approaches in the long term to maintain mobility and improve patient prognosis.

Background: Malignant diseases lead to a decline in physical performance in a large number of patients. This includes a reduction of the musculoskeletal system, restrictions in cardiovascular fitness and psychogenically influenced syndromes such as fatigue and asthenia. It is not yet clear to what extent physical training can counteract these limitations or undesirable side effects and how this training needs to be designed in the individual situation., Aim of This Article: The aim of this article is to find out whether physical training can be performed in cancer patients, how this training should be designed and which physical disorders can be influenced favorably., Materials and Methods: In this review, the currently available work on this topic was evaluated and classified with regard to its feasibility and effects in cancer patients., Results and Discussion: Physical training can be performed without complications in most patients even under treatment for the underlying malignant disease. It has a positive effect on physical performance, cardiovascular function, the perception of one's own cancer and overall well-being. Ideally, physical training for cancer patients should include a mixture of strength and endurance training. It should be carried out regularly and its intensity should be slowly increased. The type of physical activity should be adapted to the individual needs of the patient, take into account the particularities of the malignant disease and exclude any risk to the patient., Conclusion: In summary, a physical training program to accompany cancer therapy should be offered to virtually all patients with malignant disease.

Cough and dyspnea are among the most common symptoms in primary medical care and potentially threatening diseases must be excluded in a timely manner, especially acute heart failure and its causes, pneumonia, pleural effusion, pulmonary embolism and pneumothorax. Anamnesis, inspection, physical examination and technical basic diagnostics are usually sufficient for an initial risk stratification. A reliable suspected diagnosis can often be made in this way; however, it is not uncommon for the findings to be ambiguous. Chest X‑ray diagnostics and laboratory diagnostics are established as the standard approach for these situations; however, a major limitation of these diagnostic techniques is the lack of immediate availability in the general practitioner's office and laboratory results are not available until the next day or the day after. Furthermore, the sensitivity and specificity of these diagnostic procedures are limited but often overestimated, especially in the case of mild to moderately pronounced alterations and in early stages of a disease. Thoracic sonography can be used in these situations as a direct extension of the physical examination. Its diagnostic value is undisputed. The most important pathological findings, such as pleural effusion and subpleural consolidations can be immediately visualized with sufficient certainty using miniaturized handheld ultrasound devices. The concept of the ultrasound stethoscope, which has been under discussion for more than 15 years, can also be implemented as point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). The POCUS will become established as routine diagnostics in the future, for example in emergency outpatient diagnostics. It is time for pulmonary ultrasound to be added to the repertoire of primary care diagnostics.

Employee health and ability to perform is essential to a functioning health care system. Even before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a substantial proportion of employees reported impaired mental health at work. This paper outlines the state of knowledge and evidence on interventions to promote mental health in the workplace, with particular focus on the organization of work and activities. In addition to an initial review of approaches, the factors facilitating successful and effective approaches are addressed., (© 2021. Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Castleman disease (CD) is a very rare disorder characterised by hyperplasia of the lymphoid tissue. The aetiology varies considerably and includes autoimmunological, infectious, autoinflammatory and paraneoplastic diseases (e.g. MGUS with POEMS syndrome). What they all have in common is usually a dysregulation/overproduction of certain cytokines and growth factors (including interleukin 6 and VEGF). The sum of these changes sometimes causes very heterogeneous symptoms and thus often makes early diagnosis difficult. The prognosis of unrecognised and untreated disease is very serious and has an average 5‑year survival rate of 55-77%. The present paper describes the case of a 79-year-old patient with refractory polyserositis who was correctly diagnosed after > 8 years.

Background: The induction of protective T cell responses requires two signals: Signal 1 is generated by activation of the T cell receptor (TCR) and signal 2 results from ligation of the CD28 molecule. Costimulation of the TCR and CD28 is necessary, as the TCR is very good at discriminating between endogenous and foreign structures (antigens), but not all foreign antigens (such as food antigens) are dangerous to the body. A strong CD28 signal, thus, indicates to the T cell that there is indeed a threat and that an immune response is urgently required. However, to avoid autoimmunity and excessive immune responses, further regulatory circuits, provided by immune checkpoints, are necessary., Objectives: To provide an introduction to immunoregulation mediated by checkpoint molecules., Materials and Methods: Review of basic science papers and reports on clinical studies., Results: The most prominent and best characterized checkpoint molecules, cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein‑4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death‑1 (PD-1), both physiologically dampen CD28-mediated costimulation. Pathologically, malignancies exploit the immunoregulatory function of checkpoint molecules by, for example, expressing ligands for PD‑1 on the cell surface, thus, avoiding being attacked by T cells. Our understanding of these negative feedback regulations has led to the development of checkpoint inhibitors, which have already become part of routine clinical care of cancer patients., Conclusions: Due to the clinical success of checkpoint inhibitors, the concept of cancer immunotherapy has received a massive boost and hopes are high that many more clinical advancements in cancer therapy can be achieved with novel forms of immunotherapy.

Two decades after "To Err Is Human", the groundbreaking report published by the Institute of Medicine in the US, the German Patient Safety Alliance (Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit, APS) has published the "White Paper on Patient Safety". Based on the throughput model of health services research, the paper proposes a revised concept and definition of patient safety that focuses not only on the presence of adverse events (AE), but also on the ability of organizations and systems to adequately prioritize patient safety and implement this sustainably with improvement processes. Accordingly, a concept for measuring patient safety will be developed that no longer only quantitatively records AE, but also focuses on patient safety indicators that describe innovation competence. The epidemiological data will be updated; the rates of approximately 2-4% avoidable AE and 0.1% avoidable deaths among hospital patients appear to be highly conservative estimates. Data from non-representative sources, such as on legal procedures, underestimate frequencies by a factor of 30 ("litigation gap"). The most important obstacles to improving the situation are analyzed and give rise to the recommendation that, instead of one-point interventions (e.g., of a technical nature, such as IT-supported procedures), complex multicomponent interventions should increasingly be used in Germany, combining interventions with different approaches. Interventions at team level and with regard to management structures are focused on here.

Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is often diagnosed in an advanced stage. Accordingly, revascularization is also performed late., Objectives: In this paper, the authors describe the progression to critical limb ischemia and cardiovascular risk. Revascularization for secondary prevention is explained. Revascularization strategies according to lesion location and complexity of the stenosis or occlusion are discussed., Materials and Methods: The current guidelines and randomized controlled studies and meta-analyses are analyzed., Results: PAD is associated with a considerable level of suffering and a high cardiovascular risk. Up to 20% of patients with claudicants will progress to critical limb ischemia. Progression and risk of mortality increase during the course of the disease. Improvement of walking ability by revascularization is a major goal of secondary prevention. In the femoropopliteal segment, drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty and bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation are the methods of choice. In long lesions, spot-stenting should be preferred. For treatment of in-stent restenosis, DCB have proven their effectiveness. In severely calcified or dissected lesions, BMS are well suited. Infrapopliteal lesions should be revascularized to provide in-line flow to the foot through the target arterial path. According to current evidence, DCB or drug-eluting stents are more effective than plain old balloon angioplasty or BMS.

Background: Patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC, formerly primary biliary cirrhosis) and insufficient treatment response or risk factors exhibit a remarkably increased risk for disease progression and associated complications. Furthermore, extrahepatic manifestations may considerably reduce quality of life in affected patients., Objectives: This article presents an overview on standard therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and further therapeutic options in patients with insufficient treatment response. In addition, symptom-orientated therapies will be presented in a practical and compact way., Methods: The current European and German guidelines from 2017 in addition to several research papers and expert opinions are the basis for this review., Results: Every PBC patient should be treated with UDCA life-long. In case of insufficient response to UDCA, obeticholic acid (OCA) has been approved as second line therapy since 2016. Fibrates and budesonide present off-label options for certain patient subpopulations. Pruritus should initially be treated with colestyramine. In case of insufficient efficacy or intolerance, rifampicin represents the most effective off-label option. If fatigue is present, differential diagnoses shall be excluded and coping strategies combined with regular physical activity can have a positive effect., Conclusion: UDCA and OCA are effective and approved drugs for treating PBC. Patients with insufficient treatment response or risk factors have to be treated consequently. Due to the improved anti-cholestatic treatment options, therapies to reduce fatigue and pruritus are increasingly important.

Intensive care medicine is an important and integral part of internal medicine. Modern intensive care medicine permits survival of many patients with severe and life-threatening internal diseases in acute situations. Decisive for therapeutic success is often not the application of complicated and expensive medical technologies, but rather the rapid diagnosis and identification of core issues, with immediate and competent initiation of standard treatment regimens. An adequately staffed, well-organized interprofessional team is of central importance. With the application of standard therapies, it has been increasingly demonstrated that "less is more", and that personalized treatment concepts are better than aggressive strategies with higher therapeutic goals. In accordance with the Choosing wisely recommendations of the American societies for intensive care medicine, the extended board of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internistische Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin (DGIIN) has formulated five positive and five negative recommendations reflecting these principles. The current paper is an updated version of the manuscript originally published in the Deutsches Ärzteblatt. When applying these recommendations, it is important to consider that intensive care patients are very complex; therefore, the applicability of these principles must be assessed on an individual basis and, where necessary, modified appropriately.

In this paper, chronic rejections after transplantation of the lungs, heart, liver, and kidney are described. Chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD) plays an important role in all of these transplantations and has a significant influence on patient survival. The pathophysiological reasons for CAD varies greatly in the various organs.Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) is the most important determinant of survival and quality of life after lung transplantation. Diagnosis is based on lung function, especially forced expiratory flow in 1 s (FEV1) decline. Prevention, early detection, and rapid treatment are extremely important. Azithromycin and extracorporeal photopheresis are commonly used for treatment because they usually positively influence the progression of lung remodeling.The expression for chronic rejection of the heart is cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). Immunological and nonimmunological factors are important for its development. Due to limited therapeutic options, prevention is of utmost importance (administration of mTOR inhibitors and minimizing cardiovascular risk factors).The mid- and long-term survival rates after liver transplantation have hardly changed in recent decades, which is an indication of the difficulty in diagnosing chronic graft dysfunction. Chronic ductopenic rejection accounts for a small proportion of late graft dysfunction. Idiopathic posttransplant hepatitis and de novo autoimmune hepatitis are important in addition to recurrence of the underlying disease that led to transplantation.Chronic allograft nephropathy is the result of severe rejection which cumulates in increasing fibrosis with remodeling. The earliest possible diagnosis and therapy is currently the only option. Diagnosis is based on evidence of donor-specific antibodies and histological findings.

Background: Therapeutic efficacy and safety in infections due to multiresistant bacteria can be improved by the clinical development of new compounds and devising new derivatives of already useful antibiotics. Due to a striking global increase of multiresistant gram-negative and gram-positive organisms, new antibiotics are urgently needed. This paper provides a review of new pharmaceuticals which are already in clinical development, mainly in phase III trials., Conclusion: Each of these new trials increases the possibility of new antibiotics receiving approval.