Der Anaesthesist
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Acute pain management is an interprofessional and interdisciplinary task and requires a good and trustful cooperation between stakeholders. Despite provisions in Germany according to which medical treatment can only be rendered by a formally qualified physician ("Arztvorbehalt"), a physician does not have to carry out every medical activity in person. Under certain conditions, some medical activities can be delegated to medical auxiliary personnel but they need to be (1) instructed, (2) supervised and (3) checked by the physician himself; however, medical history, diagnostic assessment and evaluation, indications, therapy planning (e.g. selection, dosage), therapeutic decisions (e. g. modification or termination of therapy) and obtaining informed consent cannot be delegated. ⋯ The use of standards of care improves treatment quality but like any medical treatment it must be based on the physician's individual assessment and indications for each patient and requires personal contact between physician and patient. Delegation on the ward and in acute pain therapy requires the authorization of the delegator to give instructions in the respective setting. The transfer of non-delegable duties to non-medical personnel is regarded as medical malpractice.
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Based on the German Transfusion Law, the periodically updated guidelines "Richtlinien zur Gewinnung von Blut und Blutbestandteilen und zur Anwendung von Blutprodukten" ("Hämotherapierichtlinien") are intended to provide the current knowledge and state of the art of blood transfusion practice in Germany. The novel update 2017 contains relevant changes for blood donation, especially the extension of the exclusion period of persons at risk for sexually transmitted HBV, HCV and HIV diseases to 12 months. Moreover, the guidelines provide several changes relevant to blood transfusion practice in anesthesiology, such as: all autologous hemotherapy procedures including normovolemic hemodilution, cell saver, and autologous blood donation and transfusion require formal registration at the regulatory authority. ⋯ Guidance is provided for the clinical situation of lacking consent for blood transfusion in emergency situations (under certain circumstances blood transfusion may still be allowed). For the first time, the concept of "patient blood management" is explicitly mentioned and recommended in the guidelines. Especially the novel regulations regarding autologous blood use impose new challenges in clinical practice in anesthesiology.
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In 2015 practice management guidelines on prehospital emergency anesthesia in adults were published in Germany. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether emergency physicians follow these guidelines in daily practice and to assess their level of experience with the use of anesthetic agents. ⋯ The results of this survey demonstrate that clinical practice of emergency physicians is in high accordance with the recommendations named in the guidelines for prehospital emergency anesthesia in adults (except for cardiac patients and time of preoxygenation). With respect to the lower levels of experience of non-anesthetists in the use of anesthetic drugs, specific training concepts may help to further improve the quality of preclinical emergency care.
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Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a Gram-negative bacterium present in the oral cavities of cats and dogs. It is known for its capability to cause life-threatening sepsis following a dog bite, especially in immunocompromised patients. We report the case of a 67-year-old man who suffered from septic shock and multiorgan failure presumably following contamination of a pre-existing minor skin lesion by canine saliva. The purpose of this report is to raise awareness of Capnocytophaga canimorsus among physicians when faced with a patient presenting with fulminant septic shock and Gram-negative bacteremia, who has been exposed to dogs.
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Acute right heart failure is often overlooked as a cause of cardiopulmonary insufficiency. The various pathologies underlying right heart failure at the level of afterload, preload and contractility, make rapid, targeted diagnostics necessary. In addition to clinical symptoms and laboratory chemical parameters, echocardiography in particular is relevant for making a diagnosis. ⋯ The focus is on a reduction of right ventricular pressure and afterload, a correction of systemic hypotension and positive inotropic support of the right ventricle. Mechanical organ replacement and support procedures are increasingly being used in the case of persistent right heart failure and expand the possibilities for treatment. Decisive for the prognosis is a causal treatment adapted to the underlying triggering disease.