Anaesthesist
· 2022 Feb · PMID 34882265
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Physicians in acute and emergency medicine are increasingly confronted by geriatric, multimorbid or oncology patients with advanced stages of disease. Lacking further information or specification about the patient's will...Physicians in acute and emergency medicine are increasingly confronted by geriatric, multimorbid or oncology patients with advanced stages of disease. Lacking further information or specification about the patient's will may result in overtreatment. An increasing part of the German population has advance directives; however, there is still uncertainty among physicians when dealing with advance directives and health care proxies. Misinterpretation may entail civil and criminal consequences or may lead to a withdrawal of the license to practice. Advance directives for instance are not equivalent to a general waiving of treatment and therapy. Besides life support, terminal care and its legal aspects must also be considered in acute medicine.
Anaesthesist
· 2022 Apr · PMID 34873631
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In 2019 a total of 756 people died in Germany while registered on the waiting list for an organ transplantation. With 10.8 organ donors/million inhabitants in 2019, Germany belongs to the bottom group in the Eurotranspla...In 2019 a total of 756 people died in Germany while registered on the waiting list for an organ transplantation. With 10.8 organ donors/million inhabitants in 2019, Germany belongs to the bottom group in the Eurotransplant foundation as well as worldwide. All political attempts to increase the number of organ donations have so far been unsuccessful. Furthermore, the pandemic triggered by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) led to a further decline in organ donations. Critical care physicians play an important role in the identification of potential doners and are also the main point of contact for relatives; however, multiple uncertainties exist regarding the process of organ donation not only in discussions in the media and society but also among physicians involved in intensive care medicine. Many assumptions and hypotheses, which have been associated with the low number of donors, lack scientific evidence and are discussed in this article.
Anaesthesist
· 2021 Dec · PMID 34854965
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In this study medical students of the generations Y and Z at the Georg-August University Göttingen were asked about their preferences in the workplace and the choice of an employer. MATERIAL AND...BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In this study medical students of the generations Y and Z at the Georg-August University Göttingen were asked about their preferences in the workplace and the choice of an employer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 2016, the survey was sent to 2637 students at the University Medical Center Göttingen using an online questionnaire via EvaSys and was answered by 742 (response rate: 28.1%). RESULTS: Regardless of the generation, with 89.5% the respondents felt predominantly "well" and "not so well" prepared for the transition from university to professional life. The most common fears were a lot of work/little free time, lack of time in patient care, lack of experience, stress, excessive technical demands and poor familiarization. In both groups almost 60% obtained information about future employers via the hospital's website. It was important for the students to have a particularly good education and a structured induction/advanced training curriculum. CONCLUSION: The further development of a structured induction concept for young professionals, a binding and structured further training curriculum, the establishment or further development of a mentoring program, the further development of leadership skills and the design of an appealing and updated website are essential prerequisites for future success in the highly competitive skilled labor market.
Anaesthesist
· 2022 Mar · PMID 34821956
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Medical liability is booming. Malpractice can entail both civil and criminal consequences. Besides financial and custodial penalties, at worst the license to practice medicine can be withdrawn. Physicians owe their patie...Medical liability is booming. Malpractice can entail both civil and criminal consequences. Besides financial and custodial penalties, at worst the license to practice medicine can be withdrawn. Physicians owe their patients a treatment according to current standards. Furthermore, physicians are obliged to fulfill their duty of care. Nevertheless, the patient's right of self-determination must not be violated. Especially in emergency situations, physicians have to focus on taking protective measures in order to avert further dangers to the health of patients. This article analyses common pitfalls in emergency medical treatment with respect to the legal aspects.
Anaesthesist
· 2022 Jan · PMID 34821955
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Due to the development of compact and mobile devices, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is now being used as one important point-of-care diagnostic method in emergency rooms, intensive care units and operating rooms...Due to the development of compact and mobile devices, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is now being used as one important point-of-care diagnostic method in emergency rooms, intensive care units and operating rooms. In the first part of this advanced training series, general aspects of the examination method and the procedure as well as indications and contraindications were outlined. In addition, an overview of application areas beyond cardiac surgery in which TEE can be used to monitor the patient or to assist with the operative procedure was provided. In the second part, the main findings during intraoperative TEE in the event of hemodynamic instability or unexplained hypoxemia are presented. A shortened emergency examination as proposed by Reeves et al. is outlined. The article concludes with an outlook on semiautomatic interpretation software and computer-aided image acquisition.
Anaesthesist
· 2022 Feb · PMID 34817633
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We report on a 28-year-old female patient who had no history of diseases and who was brought to our intensive care unit in a comatose state by the ambulance service. The clinical picture corresponded to sepsis with a mas...We report on a 28-year-old female patient who had no history of diseases and who was brought to our intensive care unit in a comatose state by the ambulance service. The clinical picture corresponded to sepsis with a massively increased blood sugar concentration (> 2000 mg/dl) as well as a pronounced skin mycosis in the groin region of the very obese patient (body mass index [BMI]: 33.7 kg/m) in the physical examination. The treatment of sepsis was initially supplemented by a calculated antifungal treatment. The blood culture diagnosis confirmed the presence of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. Despite adequate anti-infective treatment, the patient developed a septic shock in the further course, so that the additional escalation of treatment was initiated by renal replacement therapy on the second day and venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation because of an ARDS. Despite all of these measures and maximum intensive care treatment, the patient developed a progressive multiple organ failure. When the pupils became rigid to light, a cerebral computed tomography was carried out. This showed evidence of a severe cerebral edema without signs of cerebral bleeding. Multiple examinations of somatosensory evoked potentials and electroencephalograms showed signs of irreversible brain damage. In view of this poor prognosis the therapeutic measures were limited. The patient died on day 24 after admission to the intensive care unit. The case study shows that antifungal treatment should definitely be considered in the context of sepsis treatment if there is a clinically justified suspicion.The role of the severely altered metabolic situation with massive hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis cannot be finally assessed.
Anaesthesist
· 2022 Apr · PMID 34811572
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The outbreak of SARS-CoV‑2 and the associated COVID-19 pandemic pose major challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. New data on diagnosis, clinical presentation and treatment of the disease are published on a daily ba...The outbreak of SARS-CoV‑2 and the associated COVID-19 pandemic pose major challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. New data on diagnosis, clinical presentation and treatment of the disease are published on a daily basis. This case report describes the fatal course of severe COVID-19 pneumonia in an 81-year-old patient with no previous pulmonary disease who developed a giant bulla during non-invasive high-flow oxygen therapy. Virus-induced diffuse destruction of alveolar tissue or patient self-inflicted lung injury (P-SILI) are discussed as possible pathomechanisms. Future studies must determine whether lung-protective mechanical ventilation with high levels of sedation and paralysis to suppress spontaneous respiratory drive and to reduce transpulmonary pressure can prevent structural lung damage induced both by the virus and P‑SILI in COVID-19 patients with ARDS.
Anaesthesist
· 2022 Jan · PMID 34767054
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To date no biomarker has been identified bringing together perfect sensitivity and specificity to discriminate between inflammation and infections. Since the 1930s new markers of tissue damage and endothelial damage have...To date no biomarker has been identified bringing together perfect sensitivity and specificity to discriminate between inflammation and infections. Since the 1930s new markers of tissue damage and endothelial damage have been identified but which are incapable of identifying infections in every clinical setting to enable initiation of early antibiotic treatment. In this review the most important classical biomarkers and upcoming new PCR-based approaches are addressed. These markers are highlighted with respect to special clinical settings and to control the success of antibiotic treatment. The issue of discrimination between inflammation and infection is not yet solved. Based on one single biomarker it is impossible to decide whether infection is the reason for the patient's worsening condition but the combination of biomarkers or the integration of new biomarkers may be a meaningful supplement. The measurement of different biomarkers of infection or inflammation is part of the routine in critical care and will be essential in the future.
Anaesthesist
· 2021 Dec · PMID 34762164
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Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is firmly established in cardiac surgery for diagnostics, hemodynamic monitoring and as a guiding tool. Dynamic and (patho)physiological processes of the heart can be immediately de...Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is firmly established in cardiac surgery for diagnostics, hemodynamic monitoring and as a guiding tool. Dynamic and (patho)physiological processes of the heart can be immediately depicted. Ideally, therapeutic changes can be derived. For this reason, TEE is increasingly used in high-risk non-cardiac surgery interventions and in the interventional setting. In the first part of this advanced training series, general aspects regarding TEE examinations as well as indications and contraindications are presented. Clinical fields of application, where TEE can play a role in hemodynamic monitoring are outlined. The second part focusses on an emergency examination pathway and differential diagnoses, which can be made in the event of intraoperative hemodynamic instability or unexplained hypoxemia using TEE. The article concludes with an outlook on the use of computer-aided evaluation of TEE images.
Englbrecht JS, Lanckohr C, Ertmer C
… +1 more, Zarbock A
Anaesthesist
· 2022 May · PMID 34748026
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BACKGROUND: The number of organs donated after brain death in Germany is far lower than the demand. This underlines the importance of providing the brain-dead donor with optimal medical care throughout the donation proce...BACKGROUND: The number of organs donated after brain death in Germany is far lower than the demand. This underlines the importance of providing the brain-dead donor with optimal medical care throughout the donation process to decrease the risk of graft dysfunction. Several international guidelines and national recommendations guide the intensivists in organ-protective intensive care management of the brain-dead donor. OBJECTIVE: The anesthetist is a key member during organ retrieval procedures and plays a crucial role in physiological donor management; however, evidence-based recommendations for the perioperative anesthetic management, drug treatment strategies and target values are lacking. Anesthesia literature about donor management is scarce and predominantly composed of reviews of practice, with little exploration of the scientific foundations. The aim of this review is to guide the anesthetist in the organ-protective perioperative therapy. The pathophysiological changes in patients who progress to brain death are briefly summarized. The available evidence, guidelines and expert opinions regarding medical treatment strategies and therapeutic goals in organ-protective therapy are reviewed. The ethical and pathophysiological considerations regarding the performance of anesthesia during organ retrieval are discussed. METHODS: This review is based on a selective literature search in PubMed for publications regarding organ donation after brain death (keywords: "brain dead donor", "organ procurement", "organ protective therapy", "donor preconditioning", "perioperative donor management", "ethical considerations of brain dead donor"). International guidelines, national recommendations and expert opinions were given special consideration. RESULTS: Overall, the evidence for optimal perioperative organ-protective care of the brain-dead donor is limited. Most elements in the current recommendations and guidelines are based on pathophysiological reasoning, epidemiological observations or extrapolations from general organ-protective management strategies, and not on evidence from randomized controlled trials. National and international recommendations on treatment goals and drug therapy differ considerably in some aspects. The therapy concepts applied are very heterogeneous. Apart from medical challenges, the ethical circumstances are an additional burden for the entire treatment team. Whether anesthesia is reasonable during organ retrieval remains unclear. There is uncertainty about possible organ-protective effects of anesthetic drugs. Furthermore, ethical considerations raise the question of whether the determination of brain death and the use of anesthetic drugs during the procedure of organ retrieval are compatible with each other. CONCLUSION: Due to the lack of evidence, perioperative treatment should be guided by intensive care therapy strategies. The discussion about using anesthetic drugs during organ retrieval remains controversial. Pathophysiological considerations support the use of volatile anesthetics because of possible organ-protective effects. The use of neuromuscular blocking is justified to control any possible motor response resulting from spinal cord reflexes, whereas there is no evidence for a benefit from using opioids. Apart from that, it seems ethically problematic to anesthetise a brain-dead donor. Consequently, knowledge about the pathophysiological processes caused by brain death and about organ-protective therapy concepts are just as much a basic requirement as the consideration of ethical problems in organ donation after brain death. Only then are the caregivers able to do justice to both the organ recipient and the organ donor, as well as their relatives in this challenging situation.
Anaesthesist
· 2021 Nov · PMID 34709412
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Endoscopy is most frequently performed in intensive care units (ICU) for gastrointestinal bleeding; however, there are other indications for performing an endoscopy on the ICU. This article shows the indications for this...Endoscopy is most frequently performed in intensive care units (ICU) for gastrointestinal bleeding; however, there are other indications for performing an endoscopy on the ICU. This article shows the indications for this, the background and the peri-interventional and postinterventional management. The endoscopic placement of a postpyloric feeding tube is a well-established procedure. For anastomotic leakage in the esophagus and rectum, the endoscopic vacuum therapy is the treatment of choice. Gastrointestinal motility disorders are a frequent phenomenon in critically ill patients and are associated with increased mortality. With a cecal diameter > 9-12 mm, endoscopic decompression can be performed; however, this is associated with an increased risk of perforation and should only be carried out after the failure of conservative treatment.