Der Chirurg; Zeitschrift für alle Gebiete der operativen Medizen
-
Cytoreductive surgery followed by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is now an established therapy with a curative option for patients with gastrointestinal and gynecological peritoneal carcinomatosis as well as for primary peritoneal carcinomatous tumors. Decisive for the prognosis is a complete cytoreduction, which in most cases necessitates multi-organ resection in addition to a partial or subtotal parietal peritonectomy (PE). The highest priority is given to maintain an adequate quality of life for the patient while performing maximum tumor resection. ⋯ Consideration must be given not only to the technical surgical aspects and the intraoperative decision-making but also to the intraoperative management, intensive care therapy, pain therapy, management of complications, physiotherapy and many more. The greatest challenge in the management of peritoneal carcinomatosis is still patient selection. Computed tomography imaging together with (18)fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) plays an important role in the assessment of operability.
-
The treatment of emergencies in a hospital should be organized in a central interdisciplinary emergency department (ER). It is the main entrance for all patients with acute illness or injuries. There are multiple advantages of such a central unit. ⋯ The interdisciplinary diagnostics and treatment at one place prevents time-consuming and unnecessary transport. The fact that more complex diseases and injuries need specialized doctors in specific disciplines should be considered in personnel planning of the ER. To reinsure that the entire medical staff of the hospital is familiar with the daily routine and clinical pathways of the ER, doctors from other departments of the hospital should always be part of the ER team.
-
Modern processes in the organization in German hospitals are decisive to the development of emergency departments and as these represent the interface between outpatient and inpatient care, they have been identified as a strategic success factor. In larger hospitals emergency departments are generally run as independent units with their own management. ⋯ Clear job profiles for the leadership, staff members and structures of these units are needed. This article highlights the requirements for these structures from the perspective of the German Interdisciplinary Association of Critical Care Medicine (DIVI).
-
Almost 16 million Germans are treated annually in an emergency room (ER). Most patients are seen in a specialty ER and only 10-20% of all hospitals have a centralized ER facility. ⋯ It remains unclear whether the implementation of specialized ER physicians is more cost-effective than centralized specialization. However, it appears reasonable to centralize all ER resources, to optimize the workflow using electronic patient charts and order entry sets and to incorporate the general practitioner into the treatment of simple medical problems.