[Stroke alarm-Arterial ischemic stroke as one of the most time-critical emergencies in children and adolescents]. / Notfall-Neuropädiatrie ­ Der arteriell ischämische Schlaganfall als einer der zeitkritischsten Notfälle bei Kindern und Jugendlichen.

Arterial ischemic stroke in childhood and adolescence is one of the most time-critical emergencies in pediatrics. Nevertheless, it is often diagnosed with a considerable time delay which may be associated with low awareness, the sometimes nonspecific clinical presentation with a wide variety of differential diagnoses, and less established 'acute care structures'. The revascularisation strategies in adult stroke care are also potential and promising treatment options for children, even if available evidence is still limited. In the post-acute phase, the etiological work-up is complex due to the multitude of risk factors to be considered. But it is essential to identify each child's individual risk profile as it determines secondary prevention, risk of recurrence and outcome. Long-term care in a multiprofessional, interdisciplinary team must take into account the bio-psycho-social aspects to integrate the child into its social and educational, and later professional environment.

Breastfeeding and vitamin D supplementation reduce the risk of Kawasaki disease in a German population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: In Kawasaki disease (KD), a vasculitis of unknown etiology, the most serious complication is the development of coronary artery aneurysm (CAA). To date, the exact pathomechanism of KD is unknown. Both environmental and genetic factors seem to be associated with the development of the disease. METHODS: Data on KD patients recruited from the population-based German Pediatric Surveillance Study during 2012-2014 were used to evaluate the impact of various factors from the perinatal and infancy period on the development of KD. The study design was a matched case-control study with respect to age, sex and place of residence (n = 308 KD cases, n = 326 controls). All KD patients were individually re-evaluated; all fulfilled the international diagnostic KD criteria. A standardized questionnaire was used to review breastfeeding practices, vitamin D supplementation and birth characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were performed to obtain odds ratios (OR) for various risk factors among the case-control pairs. Simple measures of association were used to assess the impact of these factors on the clinical course. RESULTS: There was no difference in lengths of gestation, birth weight or parturition between KD patients and controls, but independently from each other vitamin D supplementation and breastfeeding were negatively associated with KD, even when adjusted for age, place of residence and sex. The duration of vitamin D was significantly shorter among children with KD than among children without KD (p = 0.039, OR = 0.964, 95% CI: 0.931-0.998), as was the duration of breastfeeding (p = 0.013, OR = 0.471, 95% CI: 0.260-0.853). Comparing KD patients with and without breastfeeding and/or vitamin D supplementation, there were no differences regarding developing CAA, being refractory to intravenous immunoglobulin treatment, age at onset of the disease and levels of inflammatory laboratory values. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate breastfeeding and vitamin D supplementation to have protective effects in association with KD in our study population; however, these seem not to influence the natural course of the disease. Although the overall effects were relatively small, they nevertheless underline the overall benefit of both interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trial Registration: German clinical trial registration, http://apps.who.int/trialsearch/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=DRKS00010071 . Date of registration was 26. February 2016. The trial was registered retrospectively.

Pembrolizumab for advanced prostate adenocarcinoma: findings of the KEYNOTE-028 study.

Background: Patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer derive only modest clinical benefit from available therapies. Blockade of the inhibitory programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptor by monoclonal antibodies has been effective in several malignancies. Results from the prostate adenocarcinoma cohort of the nonrandomized phase Ib KEYNOTE-028 trial of pembrolizumab in advanced solid tumors are presented. Materials and methods: Key eligibility criteria included advanced prostate adenocarcinoma, unsuccessful standard therapy, measurable disease per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1), and PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) expression in ≥1% of tumor or stromal cells. Patients received pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks until disease progression or intolerable toxicity for up to 24 months. Primary end point was objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST v1.1 by investigator review. Results: Median patient age in this cohort (n = 23) was 65 years; 73.9% of patients received at least two prior therapies for metastatic disease. There were four confirmed partial responses, for an ORR of 17.4% [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.0%-38.8%]; 8 of 23 (34.8%) patients had stable disease. Median duration of response was 13.5 months. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 3.5 and 7.9 months, respectively; 6-month PFS and OS rates were 34.8% and 73.4%, respectively. One patient remained on treatment at data cutoff. After a median follow-up of 7.9 months, 14 (60.9%) patients experienced treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), most commonly nausea (n = 3, 13.0%). Four (17.3%) experienced grade 3/4 TRAEs: grade 3 peripheral neuropathy, grade 3 asthenia, grade 3 fatigue, and grade 4 lipase increase. No pembrolizumab-related deaths or discontinuations occurred. Conclusion: Pembrolizumab resulted in durable objective response in a subset of patients with heavily pretreated, advanced PD-L1-positive prostate cancer, and its side effect profile was favorable. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02054806.

Validation of a new prognostic model to easily predict outcome in renal cell carcinoma: the GRANT score applied to the ASSURE trial population.

Background: Prognostic scores have been developed to estimate the risk of recurrence and the probability of survival after nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The use of these tools, despite being helpful to plan a customized schedule of follow-up, to the patient's tailored counselling and to select individuals who could potentially benefit from adjuvant treatment, currently is not routine, due to their relative complexity and to the lack of histological data (i.e. necrosis). Patients and methods: We developed a simple score called GRade, Age, Nodes and Tumor (GRANT) based on four easily obtained parameters: Fuhrman grade, age, pathological nodal status and pathological tumor size. Patients with 0 or 1 factor are classified as favorable risk, whereas patients with two or more risk factors as unfavorable risk. The large population of RCC patients from the ASSURE adjuvant trial was used as independent dataset for this external validation, to investigate the prognostic value of the new score in terms of disease-free survival and overall survival and to evaluate its possible application as predictive tool. Statistical analyses were carried out by the Department of Biostatistics & Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, USA) for the ASSURE trial patients' population. Results: The performance of the new model is similar to that of the already validated score systems, but its strength, compared with the others already available, is the ease and clarity of its calculation, with great speed of use during the clinical practice. Limitations are the use of the Fuhrman nuclear grade, not valid for rare histologies, and the TNM classification modifications over time. Conclusion: The GRANT score demonstrated its potential usefulness for clinical practice. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier for the ASSURE trial: NCT00326898.

A randomized phase II trial of CRLX101 in combination with bevacizumab versus standard of care in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Nanoparticle-drug conjugates enhance drug delivery to tumors. Gradual payload release inside cancer cells augments antitumor activity while reducing toxicity. CRLX101 is a novel nanoparticle-drug conjugate containing camptothecin, a potent inhibitor of topoisomerase I and the hypoxia-inducible factors 1α and 2α. In a phase Ib/2 trial, CRLX101 + bevacizumab was well tolerated with encouraging activity in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). We conducted a randomized phase II trial comparing CRLX101 + bevacizumab versus standard of care (SOC) in refractory mRCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with mRCC and 2-3 prior lines of therapy were randomized 1 : 1 to CRLX101 + bevacizumab versus SOC, defined as investigator's choice of any approved regimen not previously received. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) by blinded independent radiological review in patients with clear cell mRCC. Secondary end points included overall survival, objective response rate and safety. RESULTS: In total, 111 patients were randomized and received ≥1 dose of drug (CRLX101 + bevacizumab, 55; SOC, 56). Within the SOC arm, patients received single-agent bevacizumab (19), axitinib (18), everolimus (7), pazopanib (4), sorafenib (4), sunitinib (2), or temsirolimus (2). In the clear cell population, the median PFS on the CRLX101 + bevacizumab and SOC arms was 3.7 months (95% confidence interval, 2.0-4.3) and 3.9 months (95% confidence interval 2.2-5.4), respectively (stratified log-rank P = 0.831). The objective response rate by IRR was 5% with CRLX101 + bevacizumab versus 14% with SOC (Mantel-Haenszel test, P = 0.836). Consistent with previous studies, the CRLX101 + bevacizumab combination was generally well tolerated, and no new safety signal was identified. CONCLUSIONS: Despite promising efficacy data on the earlier phase Ib/2 trial of mRCC, this randomized trial did not demonstrate improvement in PFS for the CRLX101 + bevacizumab combination when compared with approved agents in patients with heavily pretreated clear cell mRCC. Further development in this disease is not planned. CLINICAL TRIAL IDENTIFICATION: NCT02187302 (NIH).

Transient severe tricuspid regurgitation after transplantation of an extremely oversized donor heart in a child-Does size matter? A case report.

In pediatric heart transplantation, the size of the donor organ is an important criterion for organ allocation. Oversized donor hearts are often accepted with good results, but some complications in relation to a high donor-recipient ratio have been described. Our patient was transplanted for progressive heart failure in dilated cardiomyopathy. The donor-to-recipient weight ratio was 3 (donor weight 65 kg, recipient weight 22 kg). The intra-operative echocardiography before chest closure showed excellent cardiac function, no tricuspid valve regurgitation, and a normal central venous pressure. After chest closure, central venous pressure increased substantially and echocardiography revealed a severe tricuspid insufficiency. As other reasons for right ventricular dysfunction, that is, myocardial ischemia, pulmonary hypertension, and rejection, were excluded, we assumed that the insufficiency was caused by an alteration of the right ventricular geometry. After 1 week, the valve insufficiency regressed to a minimal degree. In pediatric heart transplant patients with a high donor-to-recipient weight ratio, the outlined complication may occur. If other reasons for right ventricular heart failure can be ruled out, this entity is most likely caused by an acute and transient alteration of the right ventricular geometry that may disappear over time.

Efficacy of the nanoparticle-drug conjugate CRLX101 in combination with bevacizumab in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: results of an investigator-initiated phase I-IIa clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Anti-angiogenic therapies are effective in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), but resistance is inevitable. A dual-inhibition strategy focused on hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is hypothesized to be active in this refractory setting. CRLX101 is an investigational camptothecin-containing nanoparticle-drug conjugate (NDC), which durably inhibits HIF1α and HIF2α in preclinical models and in gastric cancer patients. Synergy was observed in the preclinical setting when combining this NDC and anti-angiogenic agents, including bevacizumab. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with refractory mRCC were treated every 2 weeks with bevacizumab (10 mg/kg) and escalating doses of CRLX101 (12, 15 mg/m(2)) in a 3 + 3 phase I design. An expansion cohort of 10 patients was treated at the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). Patients were treated until progressive disease or prohibitive toxicity. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed using CTCAE v4.0 and clinical outcome using RECIST v1.1. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were response-evaluable in an investigator-initiated trial at two academic medical centers. RCC histologies included clear cell (n = 12), papillary (n = 5), chromophobe (n = 2), and unclassified (n = 3). Patients received a median of two prior therapies, with at least one prior vascular endothelial tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy (VEGF-TKI). No dose-limiting toxicities were observed. Grade ≥3 AEs related to CRLX101 included non-infectious cystitis (5 events), fatigue (3 events), anemia (2 events), diarrhea (2 events), dizziness (2 events), and 7 other individual events. Five of 22 patients (23%) achieved partial responses, including 3 of 12 patients with clear cell histology and 2 of 10 patients (20%) with non-clear cell histology. Twelve of 22 patients (55%) achieved progression-free survival (PFS) of >4 months. CONCLUSIONS: CRLX101 combined with bevacizumab is safe in mRCC. This combination fulfilled the protocol's predefined threshold for further examination with responses and prolonged PFS in a heavily pretreated population. A randomized phase II clinical trial in mRCC of this combination is ongoing.

[Thrombosis of the subclavian vein after conservative treatment of a clavicular fracture: A rare complication]. / Thrombose der V. subclavia bei konservativ therapierter Klavikulaschaftfraktur: Eine seltene Komplikation.

We report the case of a 16-year-old male patient who presented with a clavicular fracture that was conservatively treated with a redressment bandage. After a few days the patient developed deep vein thrombosis of the subclavian, axillary and brachial veins, which was successfully treated with nadroparin. Conservative treatment of clavicular fractures is a common procedure in modern traumatology. Continuous, close monitoring and knowledge of rare but severe complications are necessary to avoid further complications.

Skeletal metastatic disease of the femur: results by management with intramedullary nailing.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This study aimed to analyse the outcome following intramedullary nailing for metastases of the femur in a large cohort with special regard to mechanical, implant associated complications and patient survival. Furthermore, we aimed to identify factors influencing the overall survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS All patients (n = 74) that underwent intramedullary nailing for metastatic disease of the femur between 2004 and 2008 and were retrospectively reviewed. Data were recorded from the patients' medical record and the outpatients' clinics files. Details about the tumour biology, the surgery performed as well as the postoperative care were documented. Survival data were extracted from patient records or obtained via communication with outpatient oncologists or the community registration office. RESULTS 74 (28 (37.8%) male, 46 (62.2%) female; p = 0.048) patients with a mean age of 64.4 ± 11.7 years were included. Breast (25, 33.8%), lung (18, 24.3%), bone marrow (7, 9.5%) and kidney (6, 8.1%) were the primary tumours in more than 75% of all patients. The mean overall survival was 17.5 (95% CI: 9.6 - 25.5) months. Patients with osseous metastases had a significant longer survival than patients with visceral and/or cerebral metastases (p = 0.025 and p = 0.032). CONCLUSION Intramedullary nailing represents a valuable fixation method for pathologic fractures or impending fractures of the femur in patients with an advanced stage of metastatic disease. It provides adequate stability to outlast the patient s remaining life-span. However, the balance must be found between therapeutic resignation and surgical overtreatment since operative treatment may be accompanied with serious complications. Key words: bone metastases, intramedullary nailing, metastatic disease, cement augmentation, osteolytic defect.

[The flexibility of family medicine]. / La flexibilité en médecine générale.

We are a European academic group of family doctors and we propose a definition of flexibility in family medicine. A review of the literature shows that flexibility and complexity are emerging concepts in the field of family practice. The outcomes of a workshop at the WONCA-Europe congress in 2014 are discussed. The flexibility is a capability of the general practitioner to deal with complex clinical situations in a biomedical and societal changing world. Flexibility is framed by ethics. It could improve the quality of care, be useful against burnout and used in medical research. In conclusion, family medicine should adopt a specific definition of the flexibility describing its specificity, a useful and teachable capacity.

Phase II trial of vorinostat in advanced melanoma.

INTRODUCTION: Vorinostat is a small molecule inhibitor of class I and II histone deacetylases with preclinical activity in melanoma. METHODS: We evaluated 32 patients with advanced primary cutaneous or ocular melanoma in a multi-institutional setting (PMH Phase II Consortium) with continuous daily oral vorinostat 400 mg. The primary endpoint was response rate by RECIST, with time to progression as a secondary endpoint. The study was designed to distinguish a response rate of 20 % from a RR of 5 % and to distinguish a 2 month median progression-free survival (PFS), from one of 3.1 months. The study proceeded to stage 2 following 2 of 16 responses.. We also assessed VEGF, FGF levels, P52 polymorphisms and chromatin-associated proteins as potential biomarkers. RESULTS: Therapy was associated with significant side effects, including fatigue, nausea, lymphopenia, and hyperglycemia. Eleven patients experienced at least one grade 3 or higher adverse event. There were two confirmed PRs in patients with cutaneous melanoma. Sixteen patients had stable disease and 14 patients had progressive disease for best response. In addition, two patients with cutaneous melanoma scored as stable disease had early unconfirmed partial responses with subsequent progression. Patients with stable disease or partial response (n = 18) had a median progression free survival of 5 months. (range 2-12 months). CONCLUSIONS: Vorinostat demonstrated some early responses and a high proportion of patients with stable disease, but did not meet its primary endpoint of response. Different schedules of this agent with BRAF mutation status and markers of histone acetylation could be explored in melanoma.

[Complications after osteosynthetic treatment of acetabular fractures]. / Komplikationen nach osteosynthetischer Versorgung von Azetabulumfrakturen.

The early work of Judet and Letournel in the 1970s and 1980s led to a paradigm shift in the treatment of acetabular fractures. The previously purely conservative treatment was replaced more and more by open surgical approaches. The complex, three-dimensional bony anatomy and the periacetabular soft tissue with a close topographic relationship to intrapelvic and extrapelvic neurovascular and visceral structures implicate an increased rate as well as a high risk for intraoperative and postoperative complications. Simultaneously, anatomical reconstruction with a gap step-off less than 1-2 mm is required. Fractures of the acetabulum are comparatively rare and only few trauma centers have the capability and the infrastructure to treat acetabular fractures. Therefore, the aim of this review was to illustrate the possible intraoperative and postoperative complications of osteosynthetic treatment of acetabular fractures as well as to identify possible strategies for treatment and prevention.

[Osseous tuberculosis as a rare differential diagnosis of femoral head necrosis]. / Ossäre Tuberkulose als seltene Differenzialdiagnose der Femurkopfnekrose.

BACKGROUND: We report on a 60-year-old immunocompetent German male patient without risk factors, who had been suffering from pain in the right hip for 8 months. DIAGNOSTICS: Radiographs showed destruction of the femoral head with a collapse of the main weight-bearing area, which was interpreted as femoral head necrosis. THERAPY: A cement-free total hip prosthesis was then implanted. The femoral head was sent for routine histological analysis and PCR amplification yielded a positive result for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA, leading to immediate guideline-based tuberculostatic treatment. CONCLUSION: Tuberculosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in the case of destruction of the femoral head, especially in immunocompromised patients, patients with a foreign background or destructive osteoarthritis of the hip with an atypical course. Antibiotic treatment is necessary postoperatively. Under this therapy, a good clinical outcome can be expected comparable to that achieved in patients with primary osteoarthritis without infection.

Complication rates and reduction potential of palmar versus dorsal locking plate osteosynthesis for the treatment of distal radius fractures.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the complication rates of volar versus dorsal locking plates and postoperative reduction potential after distal radius fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this study 285 distal radius fractures (280 patients/59.4 % female) treated with locked plating were retrospectively evaluated. The mean age of the patients was 54.6 years (SD 17.4) and the mean follow-up was 33.2 months (SD 17.2). The palmar approach was used in 225 cases and the dorsal approach in 60 cases (95 % type C fractures). RESULTS: Adequate reduction was achieved with both approaches, regardless of fracture severity. In the dorsal group, the complications and implant removal rates were significantly higher and the operative time was also longer. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these facts, we advocate the palmar locking plate for the vast majority of fractures. In cases of complex multifragmentary articular fractures where no compromise in reduction is acceptable, and with the biomechanical equality of palmar and dorsal plating remaining unproven, dorsal plating may still be considered. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic level IV.

Trauma-related preventable deaths in Berlin 2010: need to change prehospital management strategies and trauma management education.

BACKGROUND: Fatal trauma is one of the leading causes of death in Western industrialized countries. The aim of the present study was to determine the preventability of traumatic deaths, analyze the medical measures related to preventable deaths, detect management failures, and reveal specific injury patterns in order to avoid traumatic deaths in Berlin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective observational study all autopsied, direct trauma fatalities in Berlin in 2010 were included with systematic data acquisition, including police files, medical records, death certificates, and autopsy records. An interdisciplinary expert board judged the preventability of traumatic death according to the classification of non-preventable (NP), potentially preventable (PP), and definitively preventable (DP) fatalities. RESULTS: Of the fatalities recorded, 84.9 % (n = 224) were classified as NP, 9.8 % (n = 26) as PP, and 5.3 % (n = 14) as DP. The incidence of severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) was significantly lower in PP/DP than in NP, and the incidence of fatal exsanguinations was significantly higher. Most PP and NP deaths occurred in the prehospital setting. Notably, no PP or DP was recorded for fatalities treated by a HEMS crew. Causes of DP deaths consisted of tension pneumothorax, unrecognized trauma, exsanguinations, asphyxia, and occult bleeding with a false negative computed tomography scan. CONCLUSIONS: The trauma mortality in Berlin, compared to worldwide published data, is low. Nevertheless, 15.2 % (n = 40) of traumatic deaths were classified as preventable. Compulsory training in trauma management might further reduce trauma-related mortality. The main focus should remain on prevention programs, as the majority of the fatalities occurred as a result of non-survivable injuries.

[Arthroscopic correction of extra-articular subspinal impingement in the hip joint]. / Arthroskopische Korrektur des extraartikulären Subspine-Impingements am Hüftgelenk.

We report the case of symptomatic extra-articular subspinal impingement in the hip joint caused by a pathological contact between the anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS) and the femoral neck. A 28-year-old patient presented with activity-related inguinal pain on the right side and a positive anterior impingement test in the clinical examination. Radiological examinations revealed a hypertrophic AIIS with caudal extension below the acetabulum. After a positive injection test confirmed the AIIS as the origin of the pain, arthroscopic correction with partial resection of the AIIS was performed resulting in significant pain relief and improved range of motion.

[Solitary spinal metastases. Is aggressive surgical management justified?]. / Solitäre Metastasen der Wirbelsäule. Indikationen für eine aggressive chirurgische Therapie?

Advances in oncological and surgical therapies have led to a significant increase in life expectancy of cancer patients and also prolonged survival of patients with isolated or multiple metastases. Among the skeletal manifestations the spine is the most often affected site. Using novel imaging techniques with higher resolution and use of metabolic signatures, the screening of cancer patients has improved considerably. Consequently, the diagnosis of metastases is becoming increasingly more sensitive. Therefore, but also due to more effective polychemotherapy protocols, singular or solitary metastases are more frequently observed either in the early stages or as a result of a controlled malignant tumor entity (stable disease). The questions whether a solitary metastasis really exists (illusion or reality?) and its radical oncological and surgical treatment as a circumscribed singular tumor manifestation, is really relevant for the overall prognosis, remains controversial. However, it seems evident that a biologically favorable underlying tumor biology, radical treatment of the primary tumor and a long metastasis-free interval are valid predictors of a good oncological outcome. In the presence of a solitary metastasis under these circumstances (typical example: solitary metastasis of renal cell carcinoma many years after radical tumor nephrectomy) a radical surgical procedure (en bloc spondylectomy) can significantly improve the long-term prognosis of this patient group in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. However, a thorough evaluation of the overall survival prognosis, a detailed and complete staging followed by a treatment consensus in the interdisciplinary tumor board has to precede any therapeutical decisions.

[CT-based classification aid for acetabular fractures: evaluation and clinical testing]. / CT-basierten Klassifikationshilfe für Acetabulumfrakturen: Evaluation und klinische Erprobung.

BACKGROUND: The basis for the classification of acetabular fractures depends on accurate radiological diagnostics. The use of conventional X-rays alone implicates a low intrapersonal reproducibility and interpersonal reliability. By applying computed tomography (CT) at an early stage in the emergency room, the typical diagonal X-rays of ala and obturator, on which the classification is based, are no longer recommended. The aim of this study was to develop a new reliable classification system based on standardized CT slices according to the system of Judet and Letournel without using diagonal X-rays. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study 12 select cases with acetabular fractures were peer reviewed. In each case eight characteristic CT slices (five axial, two coronal and one sagittal) were selected as well as the conventional anteroposterior X-ray of the pelvis. All cases were peer reviewed by 14 members of the "AG Becken" (working group pelvis). The classification of the acetabular fractures was based on Judet and Letournel and the results were compared with the reference classification. The results were scaled according to differences to the original classification and the relevance to the approach as well as the medical qualification of the member. RESULTS: A total of 167 out of 168 possible classifications were conducted, 90 cases (54 %) were in accordance with the reference classification. In 69 cases (41 %) the outcome was different, which would have had no influence on the choice of the surgical approach. A wrong classification was present eight times (5 %). According to the medical qualification status the senior physicians were right in 54%, the residents in 53 %. Within the group of senior physicians 7.5 % of the classifications were completely wrong and 93 % of the participating members would have preferred to have more CT slices. CONCLUSION: The CT-based classification developed represents an adaption to the current standard of diagnostics of acetabular fractures and represents a step towards simplification of the classification. It is suitable to estimate the correct surgical approach and the behavior of the fracture. For an accurate classification and the association to one of the fracture types in the system of Judet and Letournel more slices and 3D reconstructions (MPR) are necessary.

[Rescue time and survival of severely injured patients in Germany]. / Rettungszeit und Überleben von Schwerverletzten in Deutschland.

BACKGROUND: Independent of the rescue system type, a rescue time of less than 60 min for trauma patients is usually required and considered to be crucial for the outcome. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of the rescue time on hospital survival in severely injured patients. METHODS: With the help of the German Trauma Registry of the DGU, the population and rescue time were systematically analyzed with regard to the survival rate. A lower mortality rate was observed with a higher injury severity in metropolitan cities compared to small towns. RESULTS: A multivariate regression analysis revealed no clinically relevant impact of the rescue time length in the German rescue system on survival. This can be explained by a higher amount of preclinical medical procedures during longer rescue times. CONCLUSIONS: Within the German rescue system, the length of rescue time has no relevant impact on the survival of trauma patients admitted to a clinic. This could be explained by the higher numbers of preclinical measures and due to the limitations of a register study with selection bias. Therefore, we advocate that the necessary and suitable preclinical medical procedures be performed to stabilize the patient, even in cases that have exceeded the 60-min gold standard time window. In conclusion the "golden hour" concept today might better be interpreted as an individual and appropriate "golden period" of trauma.