Zentralblatt für Chirurgie
-
Hypothermia, defined as a body core temperature below 35 °C, could be divided into an endogeneous, therapeutic and accidental hypothermia. At admission in the emergency room multiple trauma patients show a hypothermic core temperature in up to 66 %. A core temperature below 34 °C seems to be critical in these patients as this temperature limit has been demonstrated to be associated with an increased risk for post-traumatic complications and a decreased survival. In polytraumatised patients with a core temperature below 32 °C a mortality rate of 100 % has been described. ⋯ Accidental hypothermia represents a serious problem in multiple trauma patients due to its frequency and negative pathophysiological effects. Therefore, early and effective re-warm-ing is essential in the treatment of hypothermic trauma patients. Possible protective effects of a therapeutic hypothermia in the treatment of trauma patients after initial resuscitation and operative bleeding control have to be clarified in further experimental and clinical studies.
-
Providing surgical treatment for patients colonised or infected with multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) is daily routine in German hospitals. However, there is uncertainty about the application of adequate infection control measures in the OR. One of the reasons is that specific guidelines are not available. ⋯ Guidelines addressing perioperative infection control measures for patients harbouring MDROs should be developed with a focus on practicability to reduce both transmission of MDROs and unreasonable measures. Implementation of existing SOPs can be a target for optimisation.
-
Parapneumonic pleural empyema has been classified into different stages and classes. While the American Thoracic Society (ATS) classification is based on the natural course of the disease, Light has classified pleural empyema according to the radiological, physical and biochemical characteristics, and the American College of Chest Physician (ACCP) has categorised the patients with pleural empyema according to the risk of a poor outcome. ⋯ Primary lung abscesses develop in previously healthy lung parenchyma and are caused by aspiration. In addition, abscess formation can occur without aspiration, and important differences relate to community-acquired, nosocomial abscesses and those in the immunosuppressed host. 90 % of all lung abscesses can be cured with antibiotic treatment alone, 10 % have to be treated with an interventional catheter or chest tubes and only 1 % require thoracic surgery because of complications independent of the former conservative or interventional treatment strategies.