[Short version of the 2nd edition of the German-Austrian S3 guidelines "Cardiogenic shock complicating myocardial infarction-Diagnosis, monitoring and treatment"]. / Kurzversion der 2. Auflage der deutsch-österreichischen S3-Leitlinie "Infarkt-bedingter Kardiogener Schock ­ Diagnose, Monitoring und Therapie".

BACKGROUND: The present guidelines ( http://leitlinien.net ) focus exclusively on cardiogenic shock due to myocardial infarction (infarction-related cardiogenic shock, ICS). The cardiological/cardiac surgical and the intensive care medicine strategies dealt with in these guidelines are essential to the successful treatment and survival of patients with ICS; however, both European and American guidelines on myocardial infarction and heart failure and also position papers on cardiogenic shock focused mainly on cardiological aspects. METHODS: Evidence on the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of ICS was collected and recommendations compiled in a nominal group process by delegates of the German Cardiac Society (DGK), the German Society for Medical Intensive Care Medicine and Emergency Medicine (DGIIN), the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (DGTHG), the German Society for Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (DGAI), the Austrian Society for Internal and General Intensive Care Medicine (ÖGIAIM), the Austrian Cardiology Society (ÖKG), the German Society for Prevention and Rehabilitation of Cardiovascular Diseases (DGPR) and the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI), under the auspices of the Working Group of the Association of Medical Scientific Societies in Germany (AWMF). If only poor evidence on ICS was available, general study results on intensive care patients were inspected and presented in order to enable analogue conclusions. RESULTS: A total of 95 recommendations, including 2 statements were compiled and based on these 7 algorithms with defined instructions on the course of treatment.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in long noncoding RNA, ANRIL, are not associated with severe periodontitis but with adverse cardiovascular events among patients with cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Biological plausibility of an association between severe periodontitis and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been proven. Genetic characteristics play an important role in both complex inflammatory diseases. Polymorphisms (single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) in the long noncoding RNA, antisense noncoding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL), were shown to play a leading role in both diseases. The primary objectives of the study were to assess, among cardiovascular (CV angiographically proven ≥50% stenosis of a main coronary artery) patients, the impact of ANRIL SNPs rs133049 and rs3217992 on the severity of periodontitis and the previous history of coronary events, as well as on the occurrence of further adverse CV events. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The prevalence of severe periodontitis was analyzed in 1002 CV patients. ANRIL SNPs rs133049 and rs3217992 were genotyped. The prognostic value of both ANRIL SNPs for combined CV endpoint (stroke/transient ischemic attack [TIA], myocardial infarction, death from a CV-related event, death from stroke) was evaluated after a 3-year follow-up period. Hazard ratios (HRs) were adjusted for established CV risk factors applying Cox regression. RESULTS: ANRIL SNPs rs133049 and rs3217992 were not associated with severe periodontitis or history of CVD in CV patients. In the Kaplan-Meier survival curve including the log rank-test (P = .036) and Cox regression (hazard ratio = 1.684, P = .009) the AA genotype of rs3217992 was shown to be an independent predictor for adverse CV events after 3 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: SNPs in ANRIL are not risk modulators for severe periodontitis and history of CVD in CV patients. The AA genotype of ANRIL SNPs rs3217992 possesses prognostic power for further CV events within 3 years of follow-up.

[Choosing wisely recommendations in cardiology]. / Klug-entscheiden-Empfehlungen in der Kardiologie.

This article describes controversially discussed Choosing wisely recommendations presented by the German Cardiac Society: anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation and "only" moderate stroke risk, on the one hand, and goal-directed low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol-lowering, on the other. Presuming an adequate regime, patients with atrial fibrillation and only moderate risk of stroke (CHA2DS2-VASc Score of 1 in men and of 2 in women) also benefit from anticoagulation therapy, even in elderly patients. In patients with coronary heart disease, the German Cardiac Society recommends reducing LDL-cholesterol serum levels with a statin to values lower than 70 mg/dl (1.8 mmol/l) or at least reducing the basal level by 50%. With this recommendation, the German Cardiac Society unequivocally prioritizes the "goal-oriented statin therapy" above the "statin strategy of fixed dose". The reasons for this preference are discussed.

[National disease management guidelines (NVL) for chronic CAD : What is new, what is particularly important?]. / Nationale Versorgungsleitlinie (NVL) Chronische KHK : Was ist neu, was ist besonders wichtig?

Coronary heart disease (CAD) is widespread and affects 1 in 10 of the population in the age group 40-79 years in Germany. The German national management guidelines on chronic CAD comprise evidence and expert-based recommendations for the diagnostics of chronic stable CAD as well as for interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary therapy and care of patients with stable CAD. The focus is on the diagnostics, prevention, medication therapy, revascularization, rehabilitation, general practitioner care and coordination of care. Recommendations for optimizing cooperation between all medical specialties involved as well as the definition of mandatory and appropriate measures are essential aims of the guidelines both to improve the quality of care and to strengthen the position of the patient.

Use of floss/interdental brushes is associated with lower risk for new cardiovascular events among patients with coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Periodontitis has been found to be associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. However, only little is known about whether periodontitis and associated confounders are associated with new cardiovascular events among patients with CHD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 942 inpatients with CHD were examined regarding periodontitis, oral care habits, bacteria in the subgingival biofilm and the expression of interleukin-(IL)-6 c. (coding DNA)-174 genotypes (rs 1800793) to determine whether these confounders are associated with new cardiovascular events within a 1-year follow-up period. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with respect of age, gender, smoking, body mass index, use of aids for interdental hygiene, plaque index, occurrence of severe periodontitis and further internal diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipoproteinemia, number of missing teeth, serological parameters and IL-6 genotypes were generated with Cox regression. RESULTS: In all, 941 cardiovascular patients completed the 1-year follow up and 7.3% of the patients achieved the primary endpoint (myocardial infarction: 2.1%, stroke/transient ischemic attack: 1.8%, cardiovascular deaths: 3.4%). Patients who reported practicing interdental cleaning were younger, less likely to be male or to have severe periodontitis, had a reduced tobacco exposure, had fewer missing teeth, less indices for plaque and bleeding on probing and a significant decreased adjusted risk for new cardiovascular events (HR = 0.2, CI 0.06-0.6, p = 0.01) than those patients with CHD who did not report practicing interdental cleaning. We did not obtain significant increased HR for patients with severe periodontitis (HR = 1.2, CI 0.7-2.1, p = 0.53), carriers of the IL-6 genotypes GC or CC (HR = 1.4, CI 0.8-2.5, p = 0.24) and did not find a significant association between the number of detected various oral species and the incidence of the combined endpoint (HR = 0.9, CI 0.8-1.01, p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that flossing and brushing of interdental spaces might reduce the risk for new cardiovascular events among patients with CHD. The hypothesis that interdental cleaning per se reduces the risk of new cardiovascular events should be examined in an interventional study.

[Individualization of exercise load control for inpatient cardiac rehabilitation. Development and evaluation of a HRV-based intervention program for patients with ischemic heart failure]. / Individualisierung der Belastungssteuerung in der kardiologischen stationären Rehabilitation. Entwicklung und Evaluation eines HRV-gesteuerten Interventionsprogramms für Patienten mit ischämisch bedingter Herzinsuffizienz.

BACKGROUND: The effective use of rehabilitation programs is of primary importance in order to improve the physical performance of cardiac disease patients. A modular program has been developed which is intended to structure and individualize conventional, exercise-based rehabilitation programs according to the individual needs and physical condition of each patient. The individualization of the program is based on detailed diagnostics before patients enter the program and daily measurements of heart rate variability (HRV) during cardiac rehabilitation. METHODS: A total of 30 patients with ischemic heart disease were randomly assigned either to the intervention group (IG), completing the modular individualized rehabilitation program [n=15, mean age 54.4±4.2 years and mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 28.53±6.25%) or to the control group (CG) taking part in the conventional rehabilitation program (n=15, mean age 56.4±4.4 years and mean LVEF 27.63±5.62). Before and after the intervention, cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by measurement of maximal oxygen consumption (relative VO2max) during bicycle ergometry and the 6-minute walk test (6-MWT). Pre-post comparisons of cardiorespiratory fitness indicators were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the rehabilitation program. In addition to the results of the basic clinical investigations and the cardiorespiratory testing, results of standardized HRV measurements of 10 min at morning rest served as criteria for program individualization. RESULTS: The relative VO2max increased significantly (p<0.05) in the IG whereas no change was found in the CG. Similar results were found for maximum power output during bicycle ergometry (p<0.01) and for 6-MWT distance (p<0.001). Although patients in the IG completed less aerobic exercise sessions than those in the CG (p<0.001) the physical performance of the IG improved significantly. DISCUSSION: The results prove the effectiveness and efficacy of the modular individualized rehabilitation program. They further suggest the need for an individual program matrix instead of a maximum performance matrix in cardiac rehabilitation. Individualization should be based on clinical and performance diagnostics before and accompanying assessments of training condition, e.g. by HRV measurements, during rehabilitation programs. Each patient should only perform those intervention programs which match the results of the basic clinical investigation and additional analyses during rehabilitation.

Validation of the German Diabetes Risk Score within a population-based representative cohort.

AIM: To validate the German Diabetes Risk Score within the population-based cohort of the Cardiovascular Disease - Living and Ageing in Halle (CARLA) study. METHODS: The sample included 582 women and 719 men, aged 45-83 years, who did not have diabetes at baseline. The individual risk of every participant was calculated using the German Diabetes Risk Score, which was modified for 4 years of follow-up. Predicted probabilities and observed outcomes were compared using Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit tests and receiver-operator characteristic analyses. Changes in prediction power were investigated by expanding the German Diabetes Risk Score to include metabolic variables and by subgroup analyses. RESULTS: We found 58 cases of incident diabetes. The median 4-year probability of developing diabetes based on the German Diabetes Risk Score was 6.5%. The observed and predicted probabilities of developing diabetes were similar, although estimation was imprecise owing to the small number of cases, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test returned a poor correlation (chi-squared = 55.3; P = 5.8*10⁻¹²). The area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.70 (95% CI 0.64-0.77), and after excluding participants ≥66 years old, the AUC increased to 0.77 (95% CI 0.70-0.84). Consideration of glycaemic diagnostic variables, in addition to self-reported diabetes, reduced the AUC to 0.65 (95% CI 0.58-0.71). A new model that included the German Diabetes Risk Score and blood glucose concentration (AUC 0.81; 95% CI 0.76-0.86) or HbA(1c) concentration (AUC 0.84; 95% CI 0.80-0.91) was found to peform better. CONCLUSIONS: Application of the German Diabetes Risk Score in the CARLA cohort did not reproduce the findings in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Potsdam study, which may be explained by cohort differences and model overfit in the latter; however, a high score does provide an indication of increased risk of diabetes.

Are the elderly different? Factors influencing mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate factors influencing mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients aged ≥ 75 years compared to younger patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 1,809 coronary heart disease (CHD) patients after PCI with stent implantation in our hospital were assessed. Kaplan-Meier analyses with log-rank test and Cox regression analyses were performed on three predefined models concerning primary endpoint of all-cause mortality. Model 1 was a univariate analysis of the influence of age dichotomized by age 75 years on the primary endpoint. Model 2 included age and classical cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs, e.g., body mass index (BMI), smoking, diabetes, and hypertension). Model 3 consisted of age, classical CVRFs, and additional factors (e.g., medication; hemoglobin, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and creatinine levels, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)). RESULTS: In the mean follow-up of 137 ± 61 weeks 375 patients died. Age ≥ 75 years was significantly related to mortality in all models. In model 3, previous stroke, PAD, diabetes, elevated levels of serum creatinine, and increased LDL-C were related to elevated mortality, higher hemoglobin levels, and LVEF > 50% were associated with decreased mortality in all patients and in patients < 75 years. In patients ≥ 75 years arterial hypertension was associated with poor outcome (hazard ratio (HR) 7.989, p = 0.040), previous antiplatelet therapy showed reduced mortality (HR 0.098, p = 0.039). CONCLUSION: Although risk factors such as previous stroke, PAD, diabetes, renal insufficiency, and anemia were predictors for death in all patients and patients < 75 years, in the elderly only arterial hypertension increased, whereas treatment with platelet inhibitors decreased mortality.

[Infective endocarditis : emergency treatment and long-term surveillance]. / Infektiöse Endokarditis : Notfallbehandlung und Langzeitbetreuung.

Infective endocarditis is a serious disease that is often diagnosed with a considerable delay in clinical practice and therefore has a high mortality rate; therefore, early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment are extremely important. Epidemiological shifts in the age profile, new risk factors and the increasing use of intravascular prosthetic materials have led to changes in the microbial spectrum and clinical symptoms, which must be taken into account in the diagnostic efforts and therapy. Nonspecific symptoms and the increase in nosocomial endocarditis, especially in critically ill and immunocompromised patients require a high level of diagnostic expertise. With diagnostic algorithms based on guideline recommendations antibiotic treatment has to be initiated as early as possible. For patients with severe infective endocarditis a cardiac surgeon has to be involved from an early stage of the disease as in about 50 % of cases conservative antibiotic therapy alone does not alleviate the infection. Also early surgical treatment should be sought with the onset of complications. After effective treatment and patient survival there will always be an increased risk of suffering from renewed endocarditis. This is taken into account in the new recommendations of the European Society of Cardiology for the prevention of infective endocarditis.

[A cohort study investigating risk factors for cardiovascular disease in an urban elderly East-German population (CARLA study)]. / Kohortenstudie zu Risikofaktoren für Herz-Kreislauf-Krankheiten in einer urbanen älteren ostdeutschen Allgemeinbevölkerung (CARLA-Studie).

The CARLA study (Cardiovascular Disease, Living and Ageing in Halle) is a population-based cohort study of the elderly general population of the city of Halle (Saale) aged 45-83 years. The aim is to investigate established cardiovascular risk factors and a reduced heart rate variability (HRV) as indicator of autonomous dysfunction. In total, 1779 probands (812 women and 967 men) were investigated at baseline. Of those, 1436 participants were re-examined at a 4-years follow-up. The corresponding response rates were 64.1% in the baseline and 92% in the follow-up investigation. In the cross-sectional analysis a clear decrease was found in all parameters of HRV with increasing age, but no consistent associations to cardiovascular classical risk factors and diseases could be shown. Compared to other German cohorts a striking risk constellation was found consisting of high prevalence of hypertension, frequent occurrence of central overweight (measured by waist-hip ratio) and high prevalence of diabetes mellitus. These findings will be further scrutinized in the ongoing analyses of the 4-year follow-up and the 10-years follow-up which will start in 2012.

[Shock, hemoconcentration, and generalized edema in a 47-year-old man]. / Schock, Hämokonzentration und generalisierte Ödeme bei 47-jährigem Patienten.

We report the case of a 47-year-old man who was admitted because of syncope. Upon hospital admission, he rapidly developed circulatory shock with generalized edema and a severe hemoconcentration with a hematocrit of 70%. The condition was stabilized with infusion of 17 l of cristalloid fluids over a period of 24 h. After ruling out possible secondary causes, the diagnosis of a systemic capillary leak syndrome--a severe transient endothelial barrier dysfunction of unknown origin--was made. A triad of hypotension, hemoconcentration (hematocrit >60%) and macromolecular extravasation is the typical finding; furthermore, a strong association with monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS) is described.

[Unexplained fever and B-symptoms in a young male Black African]. / Unklares Fieber und B-Symptome bei einem jungen Schwarzafrikaner.

An immunocompetent Nigerian developed a fulminant hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis due to Epstein-Barr virus reactivation. The patient initially presented with fever, hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia. The clinical status of our patient deteriorated quickly despite treatment with corticoids. Escalation of immunosuppressive treatment was not possible. He died of lung, liver and circulatory failure in our intensive care unit.Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is a rare disease characterized by inflammation due to prolonged and excessive activation of antigen-presenting cells. High plasma ferritin levels and phagocytosis of hematopoetic cells in bone marrow, spleen and liver lead to the diagnosis. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis should therefore be included in the differential diagnosis in patients with persistent fever, hepatosplenomegaly and cytopenia.

Pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of infarction-related cardiogenic shock.

Cardiogenic shock is characterized by inadequate tissue perfusion due to cardiac dysfunction, and it is often caused by acute myocardial infarction. The mortality rate in patients with cardiogenic shock is still very high (i.e., 50-60%). The pathophysiology of cardiogenic shock involves a vicious spiral circle: ischemia causes myocardial dysfunction, which in turn aggravates myocardial ischemia. Myocardial stunning and/or hibernating myocardium can enhance myocardial dysfunction, thus, worsening the cardiogenic shock. Low perfusion pressures with global ischemia leads to multiorgan dysfunction. Ischemia and reperfusion can result in systemic inflammation or within the first few days sepsis due to the translocation of bacteria or bacterial toxins from the intestines, which can result in increased mortality. The key to an optimal treatment of cardiogenic shock patients is a structured approach: (1) rapid diagnosis and prompt initiation of therapy to increase blood pressure and augment cardiac output with subsequently improved perfusion. (2) Rapid coronary revascularization is of critical importance. Using this approach, mortality can be reduced. In many hospitals, initial stabilization is achieved by intraaortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP). However, evidence for improved survival from randomized studies on the use of IABP in combination with PCI is lacking. (3) In order to achieve adequate perfusion, dobutamine and sometimes in combination with norepinephrine might be necessary. Recent studies have shown that the calcium sensitizer levosimendan in cardiogenic shock can be a useful addition to medical therapy. In this overview, epidemiology, pathophysiology, and guideline-oriented treatment strategies for cardiogenic shock are presented.

[Cardiac biomarkers in perioperative medicine : significance for noncardiac surgery patients]. / Kardiale Biomarker in der perioperativen Medizin : Stellenwert bei nichtherzchirurgischen Patienten.

Perioperative detection of cardiac biomarkers may help to identify patients at risk. Whether detection of these markers will be recommended in the preoperative setting for patients with cardiac diseases in the future has to be discussed as large prospective trials on this topic are missing. For preoperative evaluation of cardiac insufficiency quantification of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are useful markers. Troponin is the marker of choice for detection of myocardial ischemia/infarction in the postoperative setting. In unstable patients coronary angiography and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are indicated. However, in stable patients the decision for coronary angiography and/or PCI has to be made in each patient individually after interdisciplinary discussion between anesthesiologists, cardiologists and surgeons.

[Septic shock in a renal transplanted patient after consumption of uncooked pork meat]. / Septischer Schock bei einem nierentransplantierten Patienten nach Genuss von rohem Schweinefleisch.

Salmonellosis caused by Salmonella enteritidis is an acute and in most cases zoonotic disease, but chronic human carriers are also known. Mostly, affected persons recover without treatment, but severe complications occur occasionally. For the first time we report a case of probably food-borne invasive Salmonella enteritidis infection with septic shock in a patient with Tacrolimus treatment, 13 years after renal transplantation, probably acquired by uncooked ground pork meat.

[Core curriculum Medical intensive care medicine of the German Society of Medical Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DGIIN)]. / Curriculum Internistische Intensivmedizin.

Medical intensive care medicine treats patients with severe, potentially life-threatening diseases covering the complete spectrum of internal medicine. The qualification in medical intensive care medicine requires a broad spectrum of knowledge and skills in medical intensive care medicine, but also in the general field of internal medicine. Both sides of the coin must be taken into account, the treatment with life-sustaining strategies of the acute illness of the patient and also the treatment of patient's underlying chronic diseases. The indispensable foundation of medical intensive care medicine as described in this curriculum includes basic knowledge and skills (level of competence I-III) as well as of behavior and attitudes. This curriculum is primarily dedicated to the internist in advanced training in medical intensive care medicine. However, this curriculum also intends to reach trainers in intensive care medicine and also the German physician chambers with their examiners, showing them which knowledge, skills as well as behavior and attitudes should be taught to trainees according to the education criteria of the German Society of Medical Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DGIIN).

Levosimendan in the treatment of cardiogenic shock.

Patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) are currently treated with acute coronary revascularization, mechanical support (i.e., IABP), and in addition with vasopressor and inotropic support. Among medical treatment dobutamine and norepinephrine are drugs of first choice. Nowadays, intravenous levosimendan, a new calcium sensitizer and K-ATP channel opener, has emerged as an alternative option of pharmacologic inotropic support in patients with cardiogenic shock. Recent reports on levosimendan's use in cardiogenic shock demonstrated more favorable effects when compared with conventional inotropic agents. Clearly, levosimendan is able to archieve profound increase of cardiac index and cardiac power index in combination with reduced systemic and pulmonary resistance reduction compared to conventional therapy. Further, levosimendan is able to improve hemodynamic parameters more rapidly compared to intraaortic ballon counter pulsation. Similar, in patients with low cardiac output syndrome upon cardiovascular surgery, levosimendan is able to improve cardiac performance when administered prior or after cardiac surgery. In the light of cardiogenic shock, the myocardial protective effects of levosimendan might be important to reduce reperfusion injury and myocardial stunning following ischemia and reperfusion. This review summarizes the evidence from current scientific literature including our recent trials regarding the mechanism of action, efficiency and the use of levosimendan in CS patients.

[Sepsis and heart]. / Sepsis und Herz.

In patients suffering from severe sepsis an impairment of cardiac function is seen constantly. Patients with septic shock often show a transient reduction of cardiac ejection fraction. Besides, a tremendous impairment of heart rate variability corresponding to a poor prognosis is often found. Endotoxin might play a pivotal role in the conjunction of inflammation and the disturbance of heart rate regulation. Experimental studies show that the complex interactions of endotoxin, the cardiac pacemaker current I (f), and the autonomous nervous system lead to an increase of resting heart rate and in parallel to a decrease of heart rate variability - as typically seen in patients with severe sepsis. The method of choice to quantify the degree of septic cardiomyopathy at the intensive care unit certainly is to determine cardiac output in relation to systemic vascular resistance. Unfortunately, clinical trials aiming to influence the causal pathogenesis of septic cardiomyopathy (inhibition of excess formation of nitric oxide, suppression of cytokine release etc.) were rather disappointing so far. Positive effects might be assumed for the administration of activated protein C thereby underlining the role of microcirculatory alterations in the development of septic cardiomyopathy.

[Therapeutic strategies in acute decompensated heart failure and cardiogenic shock]. / Diagnostik und Therapie bei akut dekompensierter Herzinsuffizienz und kardiogenem Schock.

As the population of elderly people is increasing, the number of patients requiring hospitalization for acute exacerbations is rising. Traditionally, these episodes of hemodynamic instability were viewed as a transient event characterized by systolic dysfunction, low cardiac output, and fluid overload. Diuretics, along with vasodilator and inotropic therapy, eventually became elements of standard care. In a multicenter observational registry (ADHERE--Acute Decompensated Heart Failure National Registry) of more than 275 hospitals, patients with acute decompensated heart failure were analyzed for their characteristics and treatments options. These data have shown that this population consists of multiple types of heart failure, various forms of acute decompensation, combinations of comorbidities, and varying degrees of disease severity. The challenges in the treatment require multidisciplinary approaches since patients typically are elderly and have complex combinations of comorbidities. So far only a limited number of drugs is currently available to treat the different groups. Over the past years it was shown that even "standard drugs" might be deleterious by induction of myocardial injury, worsening of renal function or increasing mortality upon treatment. Therefore, based on pathophysiology, different types of acute decompensated heart failure require specialized treatment strategies.

[Prevention and follow-up care of sepsis. 1st revision of S2k guidelines of the German Sepsis Society (Deutsche Sepsis-Gesellschaft e.V., DSG) and the German Interdisciplinary Association of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (Deutsche Interdisziplinäre Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin, DIVI)]. / Prävention und Nachsorge der Sepsis. 1. Revision der S2k-Leitlinien der Deutschen Sepsis-Gesellschaft e.V. (DSG) und der Deutschen Interdisziplinären Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin (DIVI).

The 1st revision of the S2k guideline on the prevention and follow-up care of sepsis, provided by the German Sepsis Society in collaboration with 17 German medical scientific societies and one self-help group provides state-of-the-art information on the effective and appropriate medical care of critically ill patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. The guideline recommendations may not be applied under all circumstances. It rests with the clinician to decide whether a certain recommendation should be adopted or not, taking into consideration the unique set of clinical facts presented in connection with each individual patient as well as the available resources.