Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin
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Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed · Sep 2011
Review[Geriatric patients in intensive care medicine. Ethical aspects].
Due to demographic change and progress in medicine, the percentage of geriatric patients treated in intensive care is continuously increasing. In addition to the acute disease, many of these patients may also have chronic illnesses, multimorbidity, and cognitive limitations. ⋯ The denial of access to intensive care, however, cannot be justified by the advanced age of the patient alone. This would display an ethically problematic form of discrimination (ageism).
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Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed · Sep 2011
Review[Scientific acquisition of knowledge in operative medicine. The importance of intensive care medicine].
The forms of treatment in intensive care medicine and the medicinal and instrumental equipment for maintaining the circulation, pulmonary and renal functions as well as surveillance for recognition of life-threatening arrhythmias or multiorgan failure have experienced an enormous development in recent decades. Survival of traumatized or critically ill patients has been substantially improved. Due to these developments surgeons are confronted with new patterns of diseases which necessitate the development of new operative measures. This article gives a review of the most important changes in operative medicine (e.g. traumatology and vascular surgery) which can essentially be attributed to experience and success in intensive care medicine.
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Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed · Sep 2011
[Mid-term outcome of cardiac surgery patients with prolonged postoperative intensive care treatment].
The number of patients of advanced age and with severe comorbidities undergoing cardiac surgery is rising. Therefore, in addition to the cardiac surgery procedure itself, postoperative intensive care treatment plays an increasingly important role. The mid-term outcome of patients with postoperative long-term stays in intensive care and perioperative risk factors for an adverse outcome have not been sufficiently evaluated. ⋯ Mid-term survival among patients who underwent cardiac surgery followed by a complicated postoperative course is encouragingly high. The risk factors identified for an adverse prognosis may be helpful in improving therapy strategies and general therapy decision-making.