Urologists will no longer provide bladder reflexes for patients for a short time: this action is intended to draw attention to excessive hygiene requirements in medical practices.
Stopped: As of mid-November, there may be no more bladder mirroring at resident urologists – at least for some time, except in emergencies.
BERLIN. Urologists sound the alarm: the requirements for reprocessing the instruments as well as requirements for proving the measures taken would become more and more comprehensive for established colleagues. In some federal states, the measures would also have to be paid for by external examiners, according to a statement by the Professional Association of German Urologists (BvDU).
Last weekend, the Board of Directors adopted a recommendation to its members that the urological examination for the diagnosis of bladder disease and the exclusion of bladder tumors (cytoscopy) and their follow-up should be temporarily suspended from mid-November. Emergencies would be treated further for the time being.
A stumbling block: At the end of last year, the Ludwigshafen health authority had banned the practice of cystoscopy by several urological practices in Rhineland-Palatinate because the treatment measures taken had not been validated by external examiners, writes the BvDU. The underlying legally binding hygiene guidelines, which are developed by the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO) at the RKI, however, mainly considered the situation in hospitals, the professional association points out. They could not be transferred to outpatient care without considerable logistical and personnel expenditure.
The BvDU had already in the first quarter of 2019 to the Kassenärztlichen associations and health insurance companies turned to address this problem, so that would be created for the outpatient care suitable framework conditions so far unsuccessful, so the criticism. Therefore, the suspension action should increase the pressure on the KVen and the Federal Ministry of Health. (run)
Germany also wants to introduce the Nutri score for food labeling from next year. In Europe, the colorful nutrition label has been on the triumphal march for some time.
By Detlef Drewes
What is healthy? Tested in EU countries, the Nutri-Score label aims to help consumers eat more balanced.
BRUSSELS. There are examples like this, which are often told in Brussels: On the first morning of her holiday in France, Johanna goes into a supermarché and discovers her favorite muesli on the shelf. But immediately she notices the colored code – and she is surprised that her cereal only gets the orange rating "D".
After the holidays, Johanna studies the German version of the food labeling of her cereal. She reads nutritional value tables. But how to interpret the numbers exactly, she is not clear. What is healthy now? What is balanced?
The Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband has written down this scene and advertises with it for the colored Nutri score. It is an invention of France, in which the National Agency for Public Health, Nutritionists, Food Industry Representatives and Consumer Protection Workers worked for almost 17 years before the 2018 logo was finally introduced. Surveys with our neighbors prove that this label performs best in terms of intelligibility.
Companies like
Just a few weeks after the official launch, Auchan, Intermarché, Leclerc and Fleury Michon have committed to introduce the system. "An easy-to-understand nutritional label is in line with Danone's strategy to help create healthier eating and drinking habits," said Richard Trechman, manager of yogurt giant Danone, explaining his company's commitment.
Many more companies have followed in the meantime. The Nutri score was an "important decision-making aid in the choice of food," emphasized Andreas Brosselmann, Quality Manager International at Bofrost.
In France in 2018, the first products entered the stores nationwide. Belgium followed in 2019. Spain and Portugal have decided to follow suit. Luxembourg and Switzerland are also determined to introduce the colorful labeling.
In Brussels, the project is sponsored by all means. Although there are weaknesses of the system, it says in the consumer protection department of the responsible European Commissioner Vera Jourova. But "the highest principle must be the intelligibility" is emphasized in the European Commission. There are obviously all agreed.
"The new labeling system must be understandable especially for the population groups affected by malnutrition and obesity," says Professor Berthold Koletzko, Chairman of the Nutrition Commission of the German Association for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Germany is still considering, the other Europeans are impressed to enthusiastic. Up to 94 percent of polls – also in the Federal Republic – favored this new form of labeling.
A good, easy to understand picture
The Nutri score is calculated on the basis of the nutritional information for every 100 grams or per 100 milliliters. The calculation includes on the one hand nutrients that may have negative effects on health: energy content, sugars, saturated fatty acids and salt (sodium).
On the other hand, properties of the products are taken into account, which can have a positive effect. For the different ingredients, there are points that give an overall rating. From this, the classification into the colored classes "A" (green) to "E" (red) is derived.
Of course that means a simplification, according to the National Public Health Agency in Paris. Not all ingredients like vitamins, minerals or unsaturated fatty acids would be evaluated. But for that the system is easy to understand for everyone and results – together with the list of ingredients – a good picture.
That the regionality of food, organic farming or genetically modified ingredients would not be included, however, is considered justifiable. Finally, there are organic and quality seals.
Skepticism not only in Germany
The skepticism that exists in Germany is also present in other EU states. Although the independent French-Belgian test organization Test Achat / Test Santé is fundamentally in favor of the nutritional color theory of the Nuri scores, it complains about the lack of consideration of additives such as sweeteners and dyes or preservatives.
However, in Belgium, too, the colorful scale is considered to be the best variant available to ensure rapid consumer information. "People read in the business no nutritional reports, which were printed anyway so small that they are hard to decipher," it says at the consumer advocates in our neighboring country.
The conclusion of the European discussion is therefore: The Nutri Score can not be beaten in terms of comprehensibility, even if it has weaknesses in detail. But they are acceptable, because many citizens would not perceive the endless imprints anyway. Manufacturers, in turn, are pushing for the widest possible uniform labeling in the light of the common market.
Even if the screen is so captivating: Let your eyes wander off and on. Blink a lot. Every drop of your eyelid spreads tears and keeps you from getting too dry, they do not catch fire quickly.
. 4 March
Put on shoes, put on sunglasses, and off you go through the white winter landscape. By the way, each step is also a treat for your eyes. And that twice: movement stimulates blood circulation and melts hip gold. This keeps the blood vessels elastic, which also benefits the sensitive organ of vision. Another plus: exercise in the fresh air prevents dry eyes.
. 5 Switch off more often
Relax! Not only psychologists swear by it, eye specialists also rely on the power of inner balance. "During stress, the intraocular pressure can increase," explains Professor Horst Helbig of the University Hospital Regensburg. Hypnosis or autogenic training can slow the progression of the disease in green-star, studies suggest. But they do not replace a therapy.
. 6 Smoking cessation
"Smoking increases aging mechanisms on the eye," warns Professor Horst Helbig of the German Ophthalmological Society. Who smokes, risks the lens becoming clouded early (cataract) or the blood circulation worsens. The risk of age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma is also increasing. Good reasons to put the glow stick out of your hands for good.
. 7 To feed vitamins
The list of eye-healthy foods is long: spinach, fish, carrots, wholemeal bread. "A balanced, vitamin-rich diet is the best protection factor," says ophthalmologist Helbig. Especially vitamin A, C and E, but also the plant dyes lutein and zeaxanthin (abundant in green vegetables) prevent cell damage to the eye. The best way to get the nutrients fresh from the plate. Helbig: "Take supplements only in consultation with the doctor."
. 8 Keep a look
The letters on the street sign become more illegible? "Many people believe that stronger glasses fix the visual damage," says eye expert Eckert. But the eye test at the optician is not enough. "If someone looks worse in old age, it's up to the eyes, not the strength of the glasses," emphasizes Eckert. Therefore go to the ophthalmologist first. Only in the second step is it necessary to find a suitable visual aid.
What is healthy? Tested in EU countries, the Nutri-Score label aims to help consumers eat more balanced.