[Prolonged weaning during early neurological and neurosurgical rehabilitation : S2k guideline published by the Weaning Committee of the German Neurorehabilitation Society (DGNR)]. / Prolongiertes Weaning in der neurologisch-neurochirurgischen Frührehabilitation : S2k-Leitlinie herausgegeben von der Weaning-Kommission der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurorehabilitation e. V. (DGNR).

Prolonged weaning of patients with neurological or neurosurgery disorders is associated with specific characteristics, which are taken into account by the German Society for Neurorehabilitation (DGNR) in its own guideline. The current S2k guideline of the German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine is referred to explicitly with regard to definitions (e.g., weaning and weaning failure), weaning categories, pathophysiology of weaning failure, and general weaning strategies. In early neurological and neurosurgery rehabilitation, patients with central of respiratory regulation disturbances (e.g., cerebral stem lesions), swallowing disturbances (neurogenic dysphagia), neuromuscular problems (e.g., critical illness polyneuropathy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, paraplegia, Myasthenia gravis) and/or cognitive disturbances (e.g., disturbed consciousness and vigilance disorders, severe communication disorders), whose care during the weaning of ventilation requires, in addition to intensive medical competence, neurological or neurosurgical and neurorehabilitation expertise. In Germany, this competence is present in centers of early neurological and neurosurgery rehabilitation, as a hospital treatment. The guideline is based on a systematic search of guideline databases and MEDLINE. Consensus was established by means of a nominal group process and Delphi procedure moderated by the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF). In the present guideline of the DGNR, the special structural and substantive characteristics of early neurological and neurosurgery rehabilitation and existing studies on weaning in early rehabilitation facilities are examined.Addressees of the guideline are neurologists, neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists, palliative physicians, speech therapists, intensive care staff, ergotherapists, physiotherapists, and neuropsychologists. In addition, this guideline is intended to provide information to specialists for physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR), pneumologists, internists, respiratory therapists, the German Medical Service of Health Insurance Funds (MDK) and the German Association of Health Insurance Funds (MDS). The main goal of this guideline is to convey the current knowledge on the subject of "Prolonged weaning in early neurological and neurosurgery rehabilitation".

[PROtocol-based MObilizaTION on intensive care units : Design of a cluster randomized pilot study]. / PROtokollbasierte MObilisierung auf IntensivstaTIONen : Design einer clusterrandomisierten Pilotstudie.

BACKGROUND: Despite convincing evidence for early mobilization of patients on intensive care units (ICU), implementation in practice is limited. Protocols for early mobilization, including in- and exclusion criteria, assessments, safety criteria, and step schemes may increase the rate of implementation and mobilization. HYPOTHESIS: Patients (population) on ICUs with a protocol for early mobilization (intervention), compared to patients on ICUs without protocol (control), will be more frequently mobilized (outcome). METHODS: A multicenter, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized pilot study is presented. Five ICUs will receive an adapted, interprofessional protocol for early mobilization in randomized order. Before and after implementation, mobilization of ICU patients will be evaluated by randomized monthly one-day point prevalence surveys. Primary outcome is the percentage of patients mobilized out of bed, operationalized as a score of ≥3 on the ICU Mobility Scale. Secondary outcome parameters will be presence and/or length of mechanical ventilation, delirium, stay on ICU and in hospital, barriers to early mobilization, adverse events, and process parameters as identified barriers, used strategies, and adaptions to local conditions. EXPECTED RESULTS: Exploratory evaluation of study feasibility and estimation of effect sizes as the basis for a future explanatory study.

[Disease-specific Questionnaire for Quality of Life in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease in the Stage of Critical Ischemia (FLeQKI): psychometric evaluation of its responsiveness and practicability (Part 2)]. / Fragebogen zur gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität von Patienten mit peripherer arterieller Verschlusskrankheit (pAVK) im Stadium kritischer Ischämie (FLeQKI): Psychometrische Bestimmung von Veränderungssensitivität und Praktikabilität (Teil 2).

PURPOSE: To test the "Questionnaire for Life Quality in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease at the Stage of Critical Ischemia" (FLeQKI) in a prospective study with respect to responsiveness and practicability. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The responsiveness of the FLeQKI for therapy-induced changes of health related quality of life was prospectively determined in 65 consecutive patients with peripheral occlusive arterial disease at the stage of critical ischemia prior to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) or bypass operation, and 1 month and 6 months after. 40 healthy individuals who were matched for age and questioned with the FLeQKI twice within 6 months served as the control. Additionally, all patients and healthy volunteers were questioned with the "Medical Outcomes Study Group Short Form" (SF-36). In all patients, the ankle/brachial index (ABI) was measured along with each of the three interviews. To validate practicability, we measured the time needed to fill out the questionnaires and asked the patients to indicate on a visual analog scale (VAS) graduated from 0 - 10 how strenuous they found the questionnaires to be. For statistical analysis, two-sided paired t-tests were used. RESULTS: The treatment group consisted of 35 men and 30 women with an age of 75.1+/-7.0 years, and the control group was comprised of 21 men and 19 women with an age of 73.4+/-7.8 years. In the control group, none of the FLeQKI scales showed significant changes over time (p>0.05). In the pAVK group, all scales improved between the interviews before and 6 months after therapy. Changes were either significant (comorbidity, p<0.05) or highly significant (all other scales, p<0.005 or p<0.0001). ABI increased above 0.5 (p<0.05). With an average of 12 minutes, the FLeQKI required less time than the SF-36 with an average of 15.57 minutes (p<0.05). Both questionnaires were evaluated with a VAS value of less than 1 (p>0.05) as non-strenuous. CONCLUSION: Regarding responsiveness and practicability, the FLeQKI is well suited for determining the specific impairments of life quality in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease in the stage of critical ischemia. Compared with the SF-36, the FLeQKI reached similar or better psychometric values.

[Disease-specific Questionnaire for Quality of Life in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease in the Stage of Critical Ischemia (FLeQKI)--methodical development of a specific measuring instrument and psychometric evaluation of its validity and reliability (Part 1)]. / Fragebogen zur gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität von Patienten mit peripherer arterieller Verschlusskrankheit (pAVK) im Stadium kritischer Ischämie (FLeQKI)--methodische Entwicklung eines krankheitsspezifischen Messinstruments und psychometrische Bestimmung seiner Validität und Reliabilität (Teil 1).

PURPOSE: To develop a disease-specific measuring instrument for quality of life in German-speaking patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease in the stage of critical ischemia and to test it in a prospective study for validity and reliability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed a questionnaire compiling items representing subjective disease relevant health states. With 35 of these items, we designed the scales comorbidity (KO), physical pain (SZ), physical functioning (KF), physical state (KS), social functioning (SB), mental health (PB), and therapy-induced limitations (TE). Each item was to be valued as never, seldom, often or always. The scales were standardized with a control group of 40 individuals without peripheral arterial occlusive disease who were interviewed twice in an interval of 6 months using both the FLeQKI and the Medical Outcomes Study Group Short Form 36 (SF-36). Convergent and discriminative validity was determined in 65 consecutive in-patients with peripheral occlusive arterial disease in the stage of critical ischemia who were interviewed with FLeQKI and SF-36 prior to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) or bypass operation and 1 month and 6 months after. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the FLeQKI were determined in the control group. For statistical analysis, Cronbach's alpha Test and Pearsons Product Moment Correlation were used. RESULTS: The control group consisted of 21 men and 19 women with an age of 73.4+/-7.8, and the treatment group was comprised of 35 men and 30 women with an age of 75.1+/-7.0. In the treatment group, convergent validity reached high values in the scales SB, KF, PB, and SZ (r=0.41-0.70). With their discriminative validity (r=-0.04-0.30), TE and KS were independent, specific dimensions of life quality. The control group showed good values for internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.54-0.93) and for test-retest reliability (r=0.44-0.96). CONCLUSION: The FLeQKI is well suited for determining the specific impairments of life quality in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease at the stage of critical ischemia. Its psychometric scores for validity and reliability corresponded to those of the SF-36.

[Mobilization of obese patients : Increasing demands on personnel and equipment]. / Mobilisation des adipösen Patienten : Steigende Anforderungen an Personal und Ausstattung.

The number of overweight people in Germany is constantly increasing, thus, forcing nurses and therapists to adjust to new challenges in patient care. Therefore, it is necessary to redefine the methods and goals in treating obese people. Working in an interprofessional team, using state of the art techniques, seems to be of crucial importance in facing the complex treatment that is associated with these patients. The occupational safety and health of personnel is of utmost importance.In this article, the problems associated with patient care and consequences for medical staff are considered. Finally, possibilities to facilitate work in treating obese patients are discussed.

[Algorithms for early mobilization in intensive care units]. / Algorithmen zur Frühmobilisierung auf Intensivstationen.

Immobility of patients in intensive care units (ICU) can lead to long-lasting physical and cognitive decline. During the last few years, bundles for rehabilitation were developed, including early mobilization. The German guideline for positioning therapy and mobilization, in general, recommends the development of ICU-specific protocols. The aim of this narrative review is to provide guidance when developing a best practice protocol in one's own field of work. It is recommended to a) implement early mobilization as part of a bundle, including screening and management of patient's awareness, pain, anxiety, stress, delirium and family's presence, b) develop a traffic-light system of specific in- and exclusion criteria in an interprofessional process, c) use checklists to assess risks and preparation of mobilization, d) use the ICU Mobility Scale for targeting and documentation of mobilization, e) use relative safety criteria for hemodynamic and respiratory changes, and Borg Scale for subjective evaluation, f) document and evaluate systematically mobilization levels, barriers, unwanted safety events and other parameters.

[Early mobilization. Competencies, responsibilities, milestones]. / Frühmobilisierung. Zuständigkeiten, Verantwortungen, Meilensteine.

BACKGROUND: Early mobilization is an evident, interprofessional concept to improve the outcome of intensive care patients. It reduces psychocognitive deficits and delirium and attenuates a general deconditioning, including atrophy of the respiratory pump and skeletal muscles. In this regard the interdisciplinary approach of early mobilization, taking into account different levels of mobilization, appears to be beneficial. The purpose of this study was to explore opinions on collaboration and tasks between different professional groups. METHOD: During the 25th Bremen Conference on Intensive Medicine and Nursing on 20 February 2015, a questionnaire survey was carried out among the 120 participants of the German Early Mobilization Network meeting. RESULTS: In all, 102 questionnaires were analyzed. Most participants reported on the interdisciplinarity of the approach, but none of the tasks and responsibilities concerning early mobilization can be assigned to a single professional group. The practical implementation of mobilizing orally intubated patients may require two registered nurses as well as a physical therapist. Implementation in daily practice seems to be heterogeneous. CONCLUSIONS: There is no consensus regarding collaboration, competencies, and responsibilities with respect to early mobilization of intensive care patients. The approach to date has been characterized by a lack of interprofessional communication, which may lead to an inefficient use of the broad and varied base of knowledge and experienceof the different professions.