Have "new" methods in medical education reached German-speaking Central Europe: a survey.

BACKGROUND: Simulation-based-training (SBT) in the education of health professionals is discussed as an effective alternative for knowledge and skills enhancement as well as for the establishment of a secure learning environment, for learners and patients. In the Anglo-American region, SBT and simulation and training centers (STC) are numbered as standard for medical training. In German-speaking Central Europe, priority is still given to the establishment of SBT and STC. The purpose of this study was (i) to survey the status quo relating to the existence and facilities of simulation and training centers at medical universities in German-speaking Central Europe and (ii) the evaluation of training methods, especially in the area of emergency medicine skills. METHODS: All public and private medical universities or medical faculties in Germany (36), Austria (4) and German-speaking Switzerland (3) were interviewed. In the survey, information regarding the existence and facilities of STCs and information with regards to the use of SBT in the area of emergency medicine was requested. The questions were partly posed in a closed-ended-, in an open-ended- and in a multiple choice format (with the possibility of selecting more than one answer). RESULTS: Of a total of 43 contacted medical universities/medical faculties, 40 ultimately participated in the survey. As decisive for the establishment of a STC the potential to improve the clinical-practical training and the demand by students were listed. Obligatory training in a STC during the first and sixth academic year was confirmed only by 12 institutions, before the first invasive procedure on patients by 17 institutions. 13 institutions confirmed the use of the STC for the further training of physicians and care-staff. Training for the acute care and emergency medicine skills in the field of pediatrics, for the most part, occurs decentralized. CONCLUSIONS: New methods in medical training have reached German-speaking Central Europe, but the simulation and training centers vary in size, equipment or regarding their integration into the obligatory curriculum as much as the number and variety of the offering to be trained voluntarily or on an obligatory basis.

[STEMI mimics : ST elevations on ECG: alternative diagnoses to acute coronary occlusion]. / "STEMI mimics" : ST-Hebungen im EKG: Alternative Diagnosen zum akuten Koronarverschluss.

BACKGROUND: The electrocardiogram (ECG) is an integral part of basic emergency medical diagnosis and preoperative evaluation. In cases of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) immediate treatment is mandatory after correlation of ischemic symptoms with the ECG pattern. However, there are also ECG patterns that can imitate STEMI, possibly resulting in the true underlying diagnosis being missed and inappropriate therapy being initiated. OBJECTIVES: This paper provides an overview of the most important diagnoses that can imitate STEMI on ECG. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A literature search was carried out to determine the most important differential diagnoses of ST elevation on ECG. These STEMI mimics are discussed in detail and their relevance for emergency medicine is explained. RESULTS: This article provides an overview of differential diagnoses that should be known in emergency medicine when assessing an ECG with ST elevations. CONCLUSION: Good knowledge of the ECG patterns presented here can support decision-making in emergency medicine.

[High-risk ECGs in acute chest pain : Signs of acute ischemia beyond STEMI]. / Hochrisiko-EKG bei akutem Thoraxschmerz : Akute Ischämiezeichen abseits des STEMI.

BACKGROUND: Obtaining an electrocardiogram (ECG) is the gold standard for initial diagnostics of atraumatic chest pain. To provide optimal patient care, the treating physician has to be proficient in recognizing early signs of myocardial ischemia. Information from the clinical assessment and typical ECG signs have to be recognized promptly in order to diagnose myocardial ischemia early. METHODS: A selective literature search in international databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar) was conducted; current, topic-specific websites and literature were also included and evaluated. RESULTS: Several subtle ECG abnormalities exist besides the typical ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and well-known STEMI equivalents and may point to possible myocardial ischemia. DISCUSSION: To fully evaluate the ECG in patients with atraumatic chest pain, typical signs of ischemia like STEMI as well as subtle ECG signs should be recognized to allow early cardiac intervention.

[German recommendations on lung and thoracic ultrasonography in patients with COVID-19]. / Empfehlungen zur Lungen- und Thoraxsonographie bei Patienten mit COVID-19-Erkrankung.

Lung and chest ultrasound are further examination modalities in addition to computed tomography and laboratory diagnostics in patients with COVID-19. It extends the clinical-physical examination because it can examine lung surface sensitively. Lung surface pattern changes have been found in sonograms of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and during the course of the disease. German specialist societies of clinical acute, emergency and intensive care medicine as well as imaging, which are concerned with the care of patients with SARS-CoV­2 infection and COVID-19, have coordinated recommendations for lung and thorax sonography. This document has been created within a transparent process, led by the German Society of Interdisciplinary Emergency and Acute Medicine e. V. (DGINA), and worked out by an expert panel and delegates from the societies. Sources of the first 200 cases were summarized. Typical thorax sonographic findings are presented. International sources or standards that were available in PubMed until May 24, 2020 were included. Using case studies and multimedia content, the document is intended to not only support users but also demonstrate quality features and the potential of chest and lung sonography. The German Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (DEGUM) is carrying out a multicenter study (study coordination at the TU Munich).