MEDIZINISCHE REHABILITATION UND HEILVERFAHREN BEI HAUTKRANKEN UND ALLERGIKERN AUS ARBEITS- UND SOZIALMEDIZINISCHER SICHT

A number of tables and illustrations shows the results of dermatological high alpine climate treatments in the German Clinic for Dermatology and Allergy in Davos; the average duration of climatic treatments in weeks; the degree to which it was possible to stop the corticosteroid medications that caused severe sequelae, especially when taken internally. The tables mentioned concern the period from 1.4.1961 to 31.12.1974. A report is given on the clinical results and on the changes in reaction, in the sense of a tendency to normalize, of patients with chronic dermatoses and allergies under treatments in the alpine climate. The latter include pharmacodynamic iontophoresis, the allergic mediator reactivity, the chemical and mechanical dermographia and the dermographic latency period. Of great importance for the patient is the prospect of the persistence of the effect of climatic therapy and the attainment of a degree of improvement that can be expected from a capacity for amelioration with age, for instance, of the neurodermitis syndrome in the course of the increasing lifetime (Rosa), that may be achieved earlier because of the climatic therapy. A good indicator of this is the maintenance of the 70% staying power to work after the high alpine treatment that was non existent before that treatment. Because of its social political, political economical and sociological significance it may be pointed out here as pars pro toto that, according to reports from a great insurance agent, on the average 2000 German marks are paid out for each patient admitted to the alpine climatic clinic. This works out as not only a benefit from the high alpine climatic therapy for the restoration and promotion of the patients' health and ability to work, but also as a calculable gain for the insurance company.