Der Chirurg; Zeitschrift für alle Gebiete der operativen Medizen
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After a proximal humeral fracture in older patients, locked plate fixation and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty are two competing surgical procedures. Even if recent clinical studies indicate a functional superiority of reverse shoulder arthroplasty over locked plate fixation, health-economic comparative data are lacking in the literature. Health claims data of 55,070 patients aged 65 years or older who were treated with reverse total shoulder arthroplasty or locked plate fixation after proximal humeral fractures, were analyzed regarding length of hospital stay and costs. ⋯ The length of hospital stay after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty with 20.0 days (±13.5 days) was statistically noticeable longer compared to locked plate fixation with 14.6 days (±11.4 days, p < 0.001). The costs per case showed a clear difference with 11,165.70€ (±5884.36€) for reverse total shoulder arthroplasty and 7030.11€ (±5532.02€) for locked plate fixation (p < 0.001). Statistically noticeable cost increases due to comorbidities and complications underline the urgent need for specialized geriatric trauma centers.
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Triage decisions are concerned with the distribution of limited resources in times of crises, which is why the term is normally used in war and catastrophe scenarios. Under the leadership of the Academy for Ethics in Medicine (AEM) and the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI), intensive care physicians from nine specialist societies together with representatives from medical ethics and jurisprudence elaborated clinical and ethical recommendations on "necision on the allocation of intensive medical care resources in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic". ⋯ After a critical consideration of the comments a second version was published on 16 April 2020. In the currently occurring second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the question of triage now threatens to become acute.
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Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) describes an endovascular procedure in which a blocking balloon is introduced into the aorta to reduce bleeding situated distal to the balloon and simultaneously to improve cardiac and cerebral oxygenation. ⋯ A balloon block of the aorta is well established in the treatment of ruptured aortic aneurysms. There is growing evidence that REBOA is a minimally invasive alternative to open surgical cross-clamping of the aorta by thoracotomy for the treatment of patients with polytrauma and hemorrhagic shock due to abdominal or visceral bleeding. Due to the development of new balloon catheters, which can be placed without stiff guidewires and require smaller sheath diameters, REBOA is also discussed for treatment of postoperative abdominal or gynecological bleeding or as a possible adjunct to cardiopulmonary resuscitation for nontraumatic cardiac arrest.
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In Germany, the scarcity of donor organs has persisted over decades and reached an historical low point in the year 2017. A thorough analysis of the causes revealed structural deficits in the identification and registration of possible donors as one of the central reasons for the low donation rate. This prompted the political authorities to act and resulted in two new laws, which led to a modification of the German Transplantation Act. ⋯ In order to enable a reliable and transparent documentation an organ donor registry will be established. The practical implementation of the various measures of both Acts is supported by a multi-institutional collaborative initiative plan for organ donation. The legal regulations and their practical implementation are depicted in detail.
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Periprosthetic fractures (PPFx) are becoming an increasingly important topic in orthopedics and trauma surgery due to the rising number of endoprosthetic joint replacements. The recently published unified classification system (UCS) has replaced numerous historical classification systems and can be applied to all PPFx regardless of the bone or joint involved. ⋯ In contrast, the choice between operative treatment and deciding between osteosynthesis or revision arthroplasty is particularly based on the assessment of the implant stability. In order to achieve fracture consolidation and also a good functional outcome, knowledge of the basic biomechanical principles of operative (osteosynthesis or endoprosthesis) treatment of periprosthetic fractures is necessary.