Zentralblatt für Chirurgie
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While substantial and practical qualification for medical practice within the framework of emergency medical services have to be proven by an advanced training, there are no special training programs for in-hospital emergency situations. As in the emergency room a transparent in-hospital emergency management has to be established including definite competencies to avoid time delays and inadequate treatment due to disputes about competence. ⋯ Thus, the physician working in ICUs needs professional qualification and specialized knowledge as well as marked competence to co-operate. In any case the final clinical responsibility has to be taken over by physicians who not only have performed their internship on a ICU but are highly qualified in the whole range of intensive care medicine including all topics required in advanced intensive care medicine curricula.
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Due to European law all examinations taken by officially recognized national boards have to be accepted in every member state. In 1958 the UEMS was founded on behalf of the European Council. Several Divisions in the "Section of Surgery" and the "European Board of Surgery" have to define the content and duration of their knowledge within the common trunk as well for the division's specialty itself. ⋯ East European countries start to harmonize their structure due to the demands of the UEMS. The charter on continuing Medical Education was established by the UEMS in 1998. This concept was also accepted by the national authorities in Germany and will be officially structured in our country very soon.
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Post-laminectomy segmental hypermobility as well as appositional ossification were suggested by many authors to contribute to the unsatisfactory long-term results of laminectomy. The aim of this study was to find out whether segmental instability, among other factors, influences the degree of appositional ossification following laminectomy. ⋯ Simultaneous lumbar fusion with laminectomy is proved to be associated with less appositional ossification. Therefore lumbar fusion should be considered when planning surgery for spinal stenosis.
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Review Case Reports
[Ethical challenges in preclinical emergency medicine].
Out-of-hospital emergency medicine, just like any other medical field, must be guided by general ethical principles of medical action. These include respecting the patient's autonomous decision, acting for his benefit, avoiding harm, and justice in distributing the available means. The confrontation with ethical conflicts in the routine of emergency medicine is illustrated by a case report. ⋯ Physiologically defined futility justifies the decision to withhold resuscitative efforts. In a particular case the refusal by the patient as well as an expected bad prognosis which is inconsistent with the patient's interest could support the emergency physician's decision not to initiate resuscitation. Such an individual decision should not only be guided by medical, but also by ethical considerations and be based on general ethical principles.