Der Anaesthesist
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Candida infections represent a relevant risk for patients in intensive care units resulting in increased mortality. Echinocandins have become the agents of choice for early and specific antifungal treatment in critically ill patients. Due to cardiac effects following echinocandin administration seen in intensive care unit (ICU) patients the in vitro effects of echinocandins and fluconazole on isolated cardiomyocytes of the rat were examined. ⋯ Echinocandins impact the in vitro contractility of isolated cardiomyocytes of rats. This observation could be of great interest in the context of antifungal treatment.
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The current situation in hospitals is characterized by financial limitations and simultaneously by increasing demands on quality and safety. The operative interface between anesthesia and transfusion medicine affects both factors. ⋯ The measures described are appropriate to cost-effectively improve quality and patient safety. The optimization measures presented in this article can be implemented in other hospitals to increase quality and safety after individual adjustment to the local circumstances.
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The profession of the anesthetist in Germany includes the disciplines anesthesia, intensive care, emergency and pain medicine. Despite the versatility and competence of the profession, patients do not appear to have recognized anesthesiology as a medical discipline or anesthetists as medical doctors. ⋯ Unfortunately, the perception of patients on the versatility and characteristics of anesthetists are poorly developed. However, the knowledge differs significantly depending on previous experience and gathered information. Interestingly patients with previous experience mostly showed better knowledge compared to interested patients. Results suggest that personal interaction, patient-physician communication in general and improved collaboration between general practitioners and anesthetists are the key elements for better patient knowledge, which could lead to increased patient satisfaction.
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Many anesthesia departments operate a pre-anesthesia assessment clinic (PAAC). Data regarding organization, equipment and structure of such clinics are not yet available. Information about modern anesthesiology techniques and procedures contributes to a reduction in emotional stress of the patients but such modern techniques often require additional technical hardware and costs and are not equally available. ⋯ The PAACs are now well established. This may make economic sense but is accompanied by an anonymization of care in anesthesiology. The high quality, safety and availability of modern anesthesiology procedures and monitoring concepts should be communicated to patients all the more as an expression of trust and high patient safety. These factors can be facilitated in particular by multimedia tools which have as yet only been sparsely implemented in PAACs.
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With the justification that the treatment and medical liability act suffers from a lack of transparency and reliability due to being characterized by many isolated decisions, in 2013 this was made into statute law in the form of the patients rights act in the German Civil Code (BGB). It was considered that "currently existing comprehensive rights of patients" would be strengthened through clarity and "legal transparency" and that the practical "implementation" would be improved. That this target will be achieved with these new statutory provisions is doubtful. ⋯ Furthermore, this has given rise to more bureaucratization of medicine with the compulsion to fulfil new formalities in clinics and doctors' offices. In this article the most important regulations for physicians will be presented and explained. Due to limited space and with due respect to the readership a subtle legal analysis of the regulations will be dispensed with.