Dtsch Arztebl Int
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From the 1990's onward, it has been possible to assess changes in the lacrimal duct by direct, minimally invasive diagnostic inspection with the aid of miniaturized endoscopes originally used in gastroduodenal surgery. It has been shown in this way that mechanical lacrimal duct stenosis often develops gradually as the result of recurrent chronic inflammation. Absolute stenoses are often located at a single point rather than extending over a longer segment of the duct. ⋯ With the methods described here, it is now possible for the first time to perform surgery that obviates the need for a bypass procedure and maintains or restores the normal physiological function of the lacrimal system.
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Despite calls for improved quality and efficiency in medical emergency departments, there exist hardly any quality indicators, and no methods of calculating efficiency have been published to date. The present study illustrates a means of presenting numerical parameters of a medical emergency department and of identifying potential quality indicators. ⋯ Numerical parameters and quality indicators for a hospital emergency department can be presented in transparent fashion. DA and DE can be used as parameters for diagnosis-related and intradepartmental quality assessment.