[Forced centralized allocation in the emergency department-what has the COVID-19 pandemic changed?] / Akutbelegungen in der Notaufnahme ­ was hat die COVID-19-Pandemie verändert?

BACKGROUND: IVENA eHealth (IVENA, interdisziplinärer Versorgungsnachweis, mainis IT-Service GmbH, Offenbach am Main, Germany) supports the coordination of emergency admissions by providing real-time data on treatment options in hospitals. Overload or technical problems can lead to hospitals having to temporarily deregister parts or the entire emergency department, which can lead to acute admissions. The COVID-19 pandemic may have further exacerbated the situation, which was analyzed as part of this study. METHODS: This descriptive analysis used the IVENA eHealth information technology (IT) system to examine the occupancy and acute occupancy figures in the Munich ambulance service area from 2016-2022. Particular attention was paid to inpatient (SC II) and shock room + admissions in the specialties of internal medicine, neurology, trauma surgery and urology, as well as the development of acute occupancies, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the number of patients in the surveyed specialist areas fell by 23.7% (2021: -15% and 2022: -11% compared to 2019). The proportion of acute admissions fell in 2020 compared to 2019 (5.9% acute admissions vs. 6.8%) and rose disproportionately in 2021 (7.7% vs. 6.8%) and 2022 (24.9% vs. 6.8%). CONCLUSION: There are many reasons for the increase in acute admissions, including the increase in inpatient admissions, the bottleneck in transferring patients (exit block) and the shortage of staff in the healthcare system. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated some of these problems, which could explain the increase in acute admissions. A combination of different solutions is now needed to ensure adequate emergency care.

[Digital health applications in otorhinolaryngology]. / Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen in der Hals­, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde.

BACKGROUND: With the passing of the "Digital Care Act" by the German Bundestag at the end of 2019, it was made possible, among other things, for digital health applications to be reimbursed by statutory health insurance companies under certain conditions. The aim of this work is to identify digital health applications related to ear, nose, and throat medicine and to describe the underlying evidence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The digital health applications register was analyzed to identify digital health applications with an indication area relating to an otorhinolaryngologic disease. Digital health applications were included that were either permanently or provisionally included, or currently deleted if further information was available. The underlying evidence was assessed according to the recommendations of the Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine for therapeutic studies. RESULTS: A total of six digital health applications with a direct or indirect connection to otorhinolaryngology were identified, three of which were permanently and two provisionally included in the directory. One digital health application has currently been withdrawn by the manufacturer. The permanently recorded digital health applications are based on evidence level 1b. CONCLUSION: The introduction of digital health applications is sometimes also discussed critically, but they represent an innovative approach and various digital health applications with a high level of underlying evidence are already available, especially for the ear, nose, and throat area.

[Digitalization and telerehabilitation]. / Digitalisierung und Telerehabilitation.

Digitalization and digitization are becoming increasingly more important in medicine. Processes are being optimized and data are being digitally recorded, analyzed and archived. Although there is still a comparatively large need to catch up in Germany, we are on a solid transformation path. The establishment of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) in Brussels represents a milestone for the secure exchange of data. Digitalization holds the potential for extensive process optimization. While a large part of the working time of physicians in German is currently consumed by bureaucracy, a relevant part of this can be solved digitally. The digitalization does not replace the physician but plays a supporting role for the benefit of the patient. Numerous routes and the associated transport and logistics costs can be avoided or addressed digitally through digital supplementation and new forms of treatment administration. This conserves resources, saves time and optimizes the care of patients. The openness and affinity of physicians and patients towards the topic significantly depends on digital health literacy, i.e. the understanding and knowledge on the topic. The goal for the coming years is to continually reduce fears and increase acceptance. In addition, relevant investments are needed for the basic technical equipment on the software and hardware side.

[Analysis of rising treatment cost of elevated BMI in patients with proximal femoral fracture]. / Analyse steigender Behandlungskosten bei erhöhtem BMI von Patienten mit proximaler Femurfraktur.

Driven by the aging population, the proximal femoral fracture is a rising fracture entity, challenging trauma surgeons as well as the German healthcare system as a whole. The rising average age of the population is accompanied by a rising BMI in the German population, resulting in longer operation times, longer average length of stay (ALOS) as well as more postoperative complications.The aim of this study was to demonstrate the economic correlation between body mass index and hospital costs. The retrospective analysis of 950 patient cases suffering from a proximal femoral fracture resulted in the finding of rising treatment costs being positively associated with rising BMI due to longer operation times and longer length of hospitalization (10,452 €, 11,505 €, 12,085 € and 13,681 € for patients with BMI < 18.5 kg/m2, BMI = 18.5-24.9 kg/m2, BMI = 25.0-29.9 kg/m2 and BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2, respectively).

Proposal of a New Rating Concept for Digital Health Applications in Orthopedics and Traumatology.

BACKGROUND: Health-related mobile applications (apps) are rapidly increasing in number. There is an urgent need for assessment tools and algorithms that allow the usability and content criteria of these applications to be objectively assessed. The aim of this work was to establish and validate a concept for orthopedic societies to rate health apps to set a quality standard for their safe use. METHODS: An objective rating concept was created, consisting of nine quality criteria. A self-declaration sheet for app manufacturers was designed. Manufacturers completed the self-declaration, and the app was examined by independent internal reviewers. The pilot validation and analysis were performed on two independent health applications. An algorithm for orthopedic societies was created based on the experiences in this study flow. RESULTS: "Sprunggelenks-App" was approved by the reviewers with 45 (98%) fulfilled criteria and one (2%) unfulfilled criterion. "Therapie-App" was approved, with 28 (61%) met criteria, 6 (13%) unfulfilled criteria and 12 (26%) criteria that could not be assessed. The self-declaration completed by the app manufacturer is recommended, followed by a legal and technical rating performed by an external institution. When rated positive, the societies' internal review using independent raters can be performed. In case of a positive rating, a visual certification can be granted to the manufacturer for a certain time frame. CONCLUSION: An objective rating algorithm is proposed for the assessment of digital health applications. This can help societies to improve the quality assessment, quality assurance and patient safety of those apps. The proposed concept must be further validated for inter-rater consistency and reliability.

Pathological Reporting of Radical Prostatectomy Specimens Following ICCR Recommendation: Impact of Electronic Reporting Tool Implementation on Quality and Interdisciplinary Communication in a Large University Hospital.

Prostate cancer represents one of the most common malignant tumors in male patients in Germany. The pathological reporting of radical prostatectomy specimens following a structured process constitutes an excellent prototype for the introduction of software-based standardized structured reporting in pathology. This can lead to reports of higher quality and could create a fundamental improvement for future AI applications. A software-based reporting template was used to generate standardized structured pathological reports of radical prostatectomy specimens of patients treated at the University Hospital Klinikum rechts der Isar of Technische Universität München, Germany. Narrative reports (NR) and standardized structured reports (SSR) were analyzed with regard to completeness, and clinicians' satisfaction with each report type was evaluated. SSR show considerably higher completeness than NR. A total of 10 categories out of 32 were significantly more complete in SSR than in NR (p < 0.05). Clinicians awarded overall high scores in NR and SSR reports. One rater acknowledged a significantly higher level of clarity and time saving when comparing SSR to NR. Our findings highlight that the standardized structured reporting of radical prostatectomy specimens, qualifying as level 5 reports, significantly increases objectively measured content quality and the level of completeness. The implementation of nationwide SSR in Germany, particularly in oncologic pathology, can serve pathologists, clinicians, and patients.

A Review of Functional Outcomes after the App-Based Rehabilitation of Patients with TKA and THA.

Following the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, several elective surgeries were cancelled, and rehabilitation units were closed. This has led to difficulties for patients seeking access to rehabilitation in order to achieve the best possible outcome. New applications with or without sensors were developed to address this need, but the outcome has not been examined in detail yet. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic literature review on smart phone applications for patients suffering from hip and knee osteoarthritis after arthroplasty. The MEDLINE/PubMed and Google databases were queried using the search term "[APP] AND [ORTHOPEDIC]" according to PRISMA guidelines. All prospective studies investigating rehabilitation applications reporting the functional outcome in hip and knee osteoarthritis after arthroplasty were included. The initial search yielded 420 entries, but only 9 publications met the inclusion criteria, accounting for 1067 patients. In total, 518 patients were in the intervention group, and 549 patients were in the control group. The average follow-up was 9.5 ± 8.1 months (range: 3 to 23.4 months). Overall, significantly lower A-VAS values were observed for the interventional group in the short term (p = 0.002). There were no other significant differences observed between the two groups. Smart phone applications provide an alternative to in-person sessions that may improve access for patients after total joint arthroplasty. Our study found there are significant improvements in the short term by using this approach. In combination with a blue-tooth-enabled sensor for isometric exercises, patients can even receive real-time feedback after total knee arthroplasty.

Is the Use of Segways or E-Scooters in Urban Areas a Potential Health Risk? A Comparison of Trauma Consequences.

Background and objectives: Electromobility has become increasingly popular. In 2001, Segway personal transporters (Segway) were established for tourists, and e-scooters have been in use since their approval in 2019. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the types of injuries directly related to the use of Segways and e-scooters, respectively, in a German city and to phrase potential safety advice. Materials and Methods: All patients presenting to our emergency department after Segway incidents were retrospectively analyzed and compared with the prospectively collected cohort of patients following e-scooter incidents. Presented injuries were analyzed by body region and injury severity score (ISS). Epidemiological data were collected. Results: Overall, 171 patients were enrolled. The Segway group included 56 patients (mean age 48 years), and the e-scooter group consisted of 115 patients (mean age 33.9 years). Head injuries (HI) occurred in 34% in the Segway group compared to 52% in the e-scooter group. The ISS was approximately equal for both groups (mean ISS Segway group: 6.9/e-scooter group: 5.6). Conclusions: Since the e-scooter group presented a high number of HI along with a higher likelihood and greater severity of HI, mandatory use of helmets is suggested.

Treatment of vascular graft infections: gentamicin-coated ePTFE grafts reveals strong antibacterial properties in vitro.

Vascular graft infections (VGI) are severe complications in prosthetic vascular surgery with an incidence ranging from 1 to 6%. In these cases, synthetic grafts are commonly used in combination with antimicrobial agents. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is in clinical use as a synthetic graft material and shows promising results by influencing bacterial adhesion. However, the literature on antibiotic-bound ePTFE grafts is scarce. Gentamicin is a frequently used antibiotic for local treatment of surgical site infections, but has not been evaluated as antimicrobial agent on ePTFE grafts. In this study, we examine the antimicrobial efficacy and biocompatibility of novel types of gentamicin-coated ePTFE grafts in vitro. ePTFE grafts coated with gentamicin salt formulations with covalently-bound palmitate were evaluated in two drug concentrations (GP1.75% and GP3.5%). To investigate effects from types of formulations, also suspensions of gentamicin in palmitate as well as polylactide were used at comparable levels (GS + PA and GS + R203). Antibacterial efficacies were estimated by employing a zone of inhibition, growth inhibition and bacterial adhesion assay against Staphylococcus aureus (SA). Cytotoxicity was determined with murine fibroblasts according to the ISO standard 10993-5. Gentamicin-coated ePTFE grafts show low bacterial adherence and strong antibacterial properties in vitro against SA. Bactericidal inhibition lasted until day 11. Highest biocompatibility was achieved using gentamicin palmitate GP1.75% coated ePTFE grafts. ePTFE grafts with gentamicin-coating are effective in vitro against SA growth and adherence. Most promising results regarding antimicrobial properties and biocompatibility were shown with chemically bounded gentamicin palmitate GP1.75% coatings. Graphical abstract.

[Analysis of 6851 foot and ankle injuries from 2010-2017 in an emergency department]. / Analyse von 6581 Fuß- und Sprunggelenkverletzungen einer Notaufnahme im Zeitraum von 2010­2017.

BACKGROUND: Foot and ankle injuries are among the most common lesions in traumatology, accounting for more than one in ten human fractures. The aim of this study was to investigate the demographic changes of patients with foot and ankle injuries, the temporal occurrence and the development over the years in an emergency department. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of patients treated for foot and ankle injuries in the emergency department from 2010-2017. Patients were identified by ICD codes and demographic changes, temporal occurrence and the development over the years were analyzed. Using quantile-quantile plots, continuous variables were tested for normal distribution and, if applicable, tested for significance using t­tests or non-parametric Mann-Whitney U­tests. RESULTS: A total of 6581 foot and ankle injuries were included in the analysis. The mean age of patients with a foot fracture was 39 ± 17.4 years and with an ankle fracture 47 ± 19.2 years (p < 0.001). Ligamentous ankle injuries occurred particularly in younger patients during the summer months. The age distribution of ankle fractures showed a peak incidence between 30-39 years of age for men and an increased occurrence in women over 50 years. In the age group between 65 and 75 years trimalleolar ankle fractures represented the second most common ankle fracture. Fractures of the foot most commonly affected patients aged 20-29 years, with a second peak incidence in women between the ages of 50 and 59 years. CONCLUSION: Ligamentous injuries of the ankle joint are common injuries in the emergency department and affect mainly younger patients. Ankle fractures showed a bimodal age distribution for women and especially bimalleolar and trimalleolar fractures were more common in women aged 65 years and older. Because of the increased prevalence of foot and ankle fractures in older women, further osteoporosis evaluation should be initiated in this patient population.

Digital implications for human resource management in surgical departments.

BACKGROUND: Changes in demographics and dynamics of our society are affecting the healthcare system, leading to an intensified "war for talents," especially for surgical departments. Also with regard to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the present work analyzes the potential of digitalization for human resource management of surgical departments in hospitals. METHODS: PubMed and Google Scholar were searched to identify articles referring to the specific subject of human resource management and its digital support in hospitals and surgical departments in particular. RESULTS: The main topics include the digital affinity of young physicians and surgeons in terms of staff recruiting, digital support for everyday working life in surgical departments, and the potential of digital approaches for surgical training. These topics are put into the context of company strategies, and their future potential is identified accordingly. CONCLUSION: Digital programs, digital structures, and digital tools can today be used by human resources departments to advertise the hospital and to make the recruitment of future candidates increasingly attractive. In addition, by making digital tools available, the employees' satisfaction can be raised with the potential of a strong employer branding. In times of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital personnel strategies and training formats have to be regarded a contemporary offering.

[Decline in work and commuting injuries during the first lockdown in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic : Comparison to the time period 2015-2019]. / Rückgang der Arbeits- und Wegeunfälle während des 1. Lockdowns 2020 im Rahmen der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie : Vergleich zu den Zeiträumen der Jahre 2015­2019.

BACKGROUND: Measures such as restrictions on personal contact and going out were taken to reduce SARS-CoV­2 infection numbers, ultimately resulting in the first lockdown. This was intended to create capacity in the healthcare system to manage the pandemic. AIM OF THE WORK: To analyze whether the number of work and commuting injuries decreased during the lockdown compared to the years 2015-2019. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All work and commuting accidents treated at the Klinikum rechts der Isar and the Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Murnau during the observational period 16 March-4 May 2020 were retrospectively compared with the figures from the same observation period in the years 2015-2019. The data on case numbers according to the transit physician procedure (DAV) were further broken down into cases of the injury type procedure (VAV) and severe injury type procedure (SAV) according to the injury type index of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV). In addition, the collected data were compared with data from the Federal Statistical Office on the numbers of traffic accidents and traffic fatalities. RESULTS: A total of 4313 cases were considered. In 2020, the number of work and commuting accidents decreased by 31% compared to the observation period 2015-2019. VAV cases were decreased by 26% in 2020. SAV cases decreased by 5% in 2020. Road traffic accidents decreased by 17% in thre first four months in 2020 compared to the first four months in 2019. Traffic fatalities decreased by 11%. DISCUSSION: There was a 31% decrease in work and commuting accidents. This contributed to resource reallocation in the context of the pandemic. Nevertheless, almost constant numbers of severely injured patients and accidental deaths occurred, which shows the relevance of trauma surgery structures especially in times of crisis and makes it indispensable to include them in the calculation of intensive care resources.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are rare and severe skin and mucosal reactions that are associated with high mortality. Despite the severity, an evidence-based treatment protocol for SJS/TEN is still lacking. METHOD: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the PubMed database was searched using the following terms: [Stevens-Johnson syndrome] OR [toxic epidermal necrolysis] AND [therapy] OR [treatment] over a 20-year period (1999-2019) in the German and English language. All clinical studies reporting on the treatment of SJS/TEN were included, and epidemiological and diagnostic aspects of treatment were analysed. A meta-analysis was conducted on all comparative clinical studies that met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: A total of 88 studies met the inclusion criteria, reporting outcomes in 2647 patients. Treatment was either supportive or used systemic corticosteroid, intravenous immunoglobulin, plasmapheresis, cyclosporine, thalidomide or cyclophosphamide therapy. The meta-analysis included 16 (18%) studies, reporting outcomes in 976 (37%) patients. Systemic glucocorticoids showed a survival benefit for SJS/TEN patients in all analyses compared with other forms of treatment. Cyclosporine treatment also showed promising results, despite being used in a small cohort of patients. No beneficial effects on mortality could be demonstrated for intravenous immunoglobulins. CONCLUSION: Glucocorticoids and cyclosporine may be tentatively recommended as the most promising immunomodulatory therapies for SJS/TEN, but these results should be investigated in future prospective controlled trials.

Emergency room as primary point of access in the German healthcare system : Objective evaluation and interview of motivation for ER entrance of 235 ER patients in a German hospital.

BACKGROUND: The importance of emergency rooms (ERs) as everyday healthcare suppliers is growing. Due to increasing patient flows, hospitals are forced to raise physicians' and caregivers' headcount continuously to meet the new demand of patients seeing the ER as primary point of contact in non-emergency situations. Patients from various cultural and educational backgrounds approach the ER for different reasons. Detailed understanding of these reasons and their roots is key to be able to offer guidance for patients as well as planning and staffing of hospitals in the future. AIM: This study examines motivation for the entrance to the medical system via the ER in Germany via an anonymized patient survey. Evaluation in regard to socioeconomic and medical reasons is taken into account. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over the course of 210 h in the ER, a total of 235 patients were interviewed in the surgical emergency room of Klinikum rechts der Isar in the year 2016. Focus was set on standard cases to allow for facilitated comparability. Heavily injured patients were excluded from the study. RESULTS: The main reasons for patients entering the ER were immediate help (45.9%) and treatment by a specialist (35.4%). Furthermore, the location/good accessibility (47.9%) and prior positive experience with the emergency room (20.7%) were decisive reasons for choosing the hospital over the outpatient sector. Analysis of demands of patients in relation to their migration background and their religious confession showed no significant difference between groups. CONCLUSION: Younger patients tend to more often access the ER instead of an outpatient clinic or doctor in private practice. As a survey suits the less urgent patients, our research describes this population in detail. The need for better information of patients regarding treatment options becomes apparent. The study's outcomes aim to teach physicians as well as operators how to influence resource management in the healthcare system by meaningful information of patients. Further research may evaluate long-term results of information measures.

[E-scooter accidents and their consequences : First prospective analysis of the injury rate and injury patterns in the urban area of a German city with over 1 million residents]. / E-Scooter-Unfälle und deren Folgen : Erste prospektive Analyse der Verletzungsrate und Verletzungsmuster im urbanen Raum einer deutschen Millionenstadt.

BACKGROUND: Since their approval in Germany in June 2019 e­scooters have become increasingly more popular; however, with growing popularity and easy access for everybody the number of accidents has increased, sometimes even resulting in severe injuries. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to collect demographic data and analyze injury patterns of accidents due to e­scooter use in a large German city and to give suggestions on future safety concepts and rules of conduct. METHODS: All patients who presented at the interdisciplinary emergency room of the Klinikum rechts der Isar, University hospital of the Technical University in Munich between 1 July 2019 and 1 April 2020 after suffering an e­scooter accident were included in this study. Demographic data as well as information with respect to the trauma mechanism were prospectively collected. RESULTS: During the study period 60 patients were identified of which 34 (56.7%) were male with an average age of 34.7 years (range 18-73 years) at the time of the accident. Of the patients 22 rode the e­scooter under the influence of alcohol and only 1 wore a helmet. The head was the most injured body region, followed by the upper and lower extremities and 2 (3.3%) patients were severely injured with an injury severity score (ISS) ≥16. CONCLUSION: Due to the growing popularity of e­scooter use more injuries have been registered. The head was the most affected body region, therefore emphasis should be put on wearing a helmet. Furthermore, strict rules and more police controls should take place to identify and reduce the number of accident victims under the influence of alcohol.

HIF-1α Stimulators Function Equally to Leading Hair Loss Agents in Enhancing Dermal Papilla Growth.

INTRODUCTION: Androgenic alopecia (AGA) occurs due to progressive miniaturization of the dermal papilla (DP). During this process the hair follicle loses nutrition over time and eventually dies, causing the hair to fall out. Recent evidence suggests that hypoxia-inducible factor-1a (HIF-1α) modulation may counteract hair loss. This study aims to evaluate the proliferation of dermal papilla cells (DPCs) under the influence of a selection of commercially available topical hair loss drugs, compared to HIF-1α-stimulating agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the hanging drop method, DPCs self-organized into spheroid shape, mirroring the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the DP in vivo. DP analogs were treated with established substances against AGA (minoxidil and caffeine) compared to HIF-1α-stimulating agents (deferoxamine [DFO] and deferiprone [DFP]), at 10 mM doses. DP analogs were simultaneously stained with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to evaluate impact of drug compounds on DP daughter cell production. Concurrently, fluorescent microscopy visualization of migration of daughter cells after 48 h in culture was performed. RESULTS: DPC proliferation within the spheroid structure was significantly enhanced by caffeine, minoxidil, and the HIF-1α-stimulating agent DFP when compared to control. Highest proliferation was seen in the DFP-treated DP analogs. Migration of peripheral DP daughter cells was highest in control and DFO groups. CONCLUSION: Here we demonstrate a significantly enhanced proliferative activity for both established substances against AGA (minoxidil and caffeine) and the HIF-1α-stimulating agent DFP in a 3D DPC spheroid culture model with equal results for DFP and minoxidil. These favorable characteristics make such compounds potential water-soluble alternatives to minoxidil.

[Economic aspects of digitalization in orthopedics and trauma surgery]. / Ökonomische Aspekte der Digitalisierung in Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie.

INTRODUCTION: In addition to the advantages for patients and physicians, the progression of digitalization will also have economic implications for healthcare systems in toto worldwide. The integration of digital innovations enables healthcare institutions to transform their current activities and processes and to create a new form of patient care. IMPORTANT ECONOMIC TOPICS OF DIGITALIZATION: Using digital applications process optimization can be achieved by increased efficiency and therefore a reduction in costs in the healthcare system. Improved processes can in turn achieve an increase in quality in the treatment of patients. Simultaneously, a duplication of investigations can be avoided through digital interfaces and the communication among the healthcare professions involved can be improved, which would result in a conservation of resources. Finally, these influences can lead to more precision in medicine, acceleration of healing processes and represent an advantage for all parties involved. PERSPECTIVES: Economic redistribution due to digitalization of medicine will become increasingly apparent in the future. Ethical considerations as well as data protection will be important topics. At the same time investments and digital innovations must be sponsored by the government and industry. Scientific studies are necessary to secure the evidence of new methods for practice in orthopedics and trauma surgery.

[Digitalization in orthopedics and trauma surgery: current status of clinical and practical aspects 2020]. / Digitalisierung in Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie: Stand 2020 in Klinik und Praxis.

This article deals with the current state mid-2020 in the clinical and practical aspects from the perspective of orthopedics and trauma surgery. The risks, difficulties, potentials and options are discussed in detail. The following topics are specifically debated: infrastructure of telematics, apps and mobile health, online video consultation, electronic medical records and data protection. The advantages and disadvantages and the current state of each topic in the special case of orthopedics and trauma surgery are discussed. Additionally, seven meaningful examples from the field of digital applications are named. A survey of members of the Professional Association of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgeons (BVOU) is described and analyzed. In a concluding perspective the current hurdles and future topics that need clarification are addressed.

Online Patient Consultation. / Die Online-Videosprechstunde.

New communication technologies allow patients to communicate with their physicians from anywhere using computer or smartphone. Adding video to the mere phone call optimizes the personal contact between patient and physicians regardless of distance. Legal and reimbursements requirements must be taken into account, especially only certified software products must be used. In addition, patient consent is needed and confidentiality must be assured. The video patient consultation can be reimbursed by the health insurance companies. As with all new technologies, the introduction of these video consultations faced some challenges. Although patients and physicians have expressed great interest in this technology, it has been rarely used so far. The current COVID crisis increased the need for video consultations resulting in an increasing use of video patient consultation. It can be expected that this demand will still exists after the COVID crisis.

The Association between High Body Mass Index and Early Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Proximal Femur Fractures.

BACKGROUND: Fractures of the proximal femur constitute daily work in orthopedic trauma surgery. With the continuous increase of obesity in the general population, surgeons face several known technical challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of high body mass index (BMI) in patients with proximal femur fractures with intra- and postoperative adverse events, as well as with functional outcomes after successful surgery. METHODS: In this retrospective, single-center cohort study, 950 patients who sustained a fracture of the proximal femur (femoral neck fracture or trochanteric fracture) and underwent surgical treatment at our level I trauma center between 2003 and 2015 were included. Patient-specific data were obtained in regard to demographics, comorbidities, and fracture morphology. In-hospital postoperative complications (i.e., need for revision surgery, wound site infection, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, necessary transfusion, and deep-vein thrombosis) were analyzed, along with the length of hospitalization and overall mortality rate. Functional outcome was assessed using the Barthel index and the patient's ability to walk on crutches. Mortality rate and need for revision surgery were assessed over a two-year time period. Any adverse event was correlated to one of the four WHO's BMI groups. RESULTS: The cohort included 80 (8.4%) underweight patients, 570 (60.0%) normal weight patients, 241 (25.4%) overweight patients, and 59 (6.2%) obese patients. We found more femoral neck fractures (506, or 53%) than trochanteric fractures (444, or 47%). In bivariate analysis, no significant difference was found in regard to overall mortality or postoperative complications. Hospitalization time (LOS) differed between the underweight (12.3 ± 4.8 days), normal (13.6 ± 7.8 days), overweight (14.2 ± 11.7 days), and obese patients (16.0 ± 9.7 days) (p = 0.040). Operation time increased stepwise with increasing BMI: underweight = 85.3 ± 42.9 min; normal weight = 90.2 ± 38.2 min; overweight = 99.9 ± 39.9 min; obese = 117.2 ± 61.5 min (p < 0.001). No significant difference was found by analyzing functional outcomes. However, patients with intermediate BMI levels (18.5-30 kg/m2) tended to achieve the best results, as represented by a higher Barthel index score and the patient's ability to walk on crutches. CONCLUSION: Increased BMI in patients with proximal femur fractures is associated with both longer operation time and length of hospitalization (LOS). Postoperative mobilization and functional outcomes appear to follow a reversed J-curve distribution (with overweight patients showing the best functional results), whereas both obese and underweight patients have associated poorer function.