Der Anaesthesist
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The guarantee of quality of care and patient safety is of major importance in hospitals even though increased economic pressure and work intensification are ubiquitously present. Nevertheless, adverse events still occur in 3-4 % of hospital stays and of these 25-50 % are estimated to be avoidable. The identification of possible causes of error and the development of measures for the prevention of medical errors are essential for patient safety. ⋯ Information technology (IT) support systems, such as the computerized physician order entry system, assist in the prevention of medication errors by providing information on dosage, pharmacological interactions, side effects and contraindications of medications. The major challenges for quality and risk management, for the heads of departments and the executive board is the implementation and support of the described actions and a sustained guidance of the staff involved in the modification management process. The global trigger tool is suitable for improving transparency and objectifying the frequency of medical errors.
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Review Meta Analysis
[Perioperative transesophageal echocardiography in non-cardiac surgery : Update].
The aim of this article is to impart knowledge concerning focused transesophageal echocardiographic examination (TEE) for non-cardiac surgery which is an essential part of perioperative monitoring. It allows a rapid echocardiographic examination without interference with the surgical field or under limited transthoracic examination conditions. New recommendations for a comprehensive perioperative TEE examination with expanded standard views and the recently published consensus statement for a shortened baseline examination were crucial for this study. ⋯ Even in non-cardiac surgery TEE is an important tool allowing clarification of a life-threatening perioperative hemodynamic instability within a few minutes. Furthermore, the hemodynamic management of high-risk patients can be facilitated. Appropriate qualification and continuous training are necessary in order to assure the competence of the examiner.