[Curriculum "Tracheostomy management in dysphagia therapy"]. / Curriculum "Trachealkanülenmanagement in der Dysphagietherapie".

The number of tracheotomized patients with dysphagia and their need for treatment are continuously increasing in clinical and community settings. The revised version of the directive on home care and community-based intensive care of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) requires that tracheotomized patients are regularly evaluated with the aim of identifying and promoting the therapeutic potential after hospital discharge. Dysphagia treatment plays a crucial role as without improvement of severe dysphagia there is practically no possibility for decannulation. Tracheotomized patients with dysphagia are treated by speech and language therapists (SLT); however, the contents of tracheostomy management (TM) are not obligatory in the speech and language therapeutic training curricula, so that there is a need for further education and treatment standards must be secured. Therefore, the German Interdisciplinary Society for Dysphagia (DGD) in cooperation with the participating German medical and therapeutic societies developed a postgraduate curriculum for TM. This should serve as the basis for contents in TM and qualification of therapists within the framework of the delegation of medical services. The goals of the TM curriculum are the definition of theoretical and practical contents of TM, the qualification to perform TM according to current standards of care and quality assurance. The curriculum defines two qualification levels (user and trainer), entry requirements, curricular contents, examination and qualification criteria as well as transitional regulations for SLTs already experienced in TM.

[Curriculum "Tracheostomy management in dysphagia therapy"]. / Curriculum "Trachealkanülenmanagement in der Dysphagietherapie".

The number of tracheotomized patients with dysphagia and their need for treatment are continuously increasing in clinical and community settings. The revised version of the directive on home care and community-based intensive care of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) requires that tracheotomized patients are regularly evaluated with the aim of identifying and promoting the therapeutic potential after hospital discharge. Dysphagia treatment plays a crucial role as without improvement of severe dysphagia there is practically no possibility for decannulation. Tracheotomized patients with dysphagia are treated by speech and language therapists (SLT); however, the contents of tracheostomy management (TM) are not obligatory in the speech and language therapeutic training curricula, so that there is a need for further education and treatment standards must be secured. Therefore, the German Interdisciplinary Society for Dysphagia (DGD) in cooperation with the participating German medical and therapeutic societies developed a postgraduate curriculum for TM. This should serve as the basis for contents in TM and qualification of therapists within the framework of the delegation of medical services. The goals of the TM curriculum are the definition of theoretical and practical contents of TM, the qualification to perform TM according to current standards of care and quality assurance. The curriculum defines two qualification levels (user and trainer), entry requirements, curricular contents, examination and qualification criteria as well as transitional regulations for SLTs already experienced in TM.

[Undetected esophageal foreign body aspiration in a patient with seizures]. / Unerkannte ösophageale Fremdkörperaspiration bei zerebralem Anfallsleiden.

We report an oesophageal foreign body in a patient with a seizure disorder secondary to encephalitis disseminata who was transferred to our department of neurosurgery because of rising intracranial pressure. He presented with confusion, motor aphasia, and dysphagia. However, the diagnosis of increased intracranial pressure could not be confirmed clinically or by computed tomography. A routine chest X-ray film showed a dental prosthesis projecting on the area of the hypopharynx. Bronchoscopy and oesophagoscopy showed the denture to be lodged in the hypopharynx, but it was impossible to remove it endoscopically. Therefore, an oesophagopharyngotomy was performed and the foreign body extracted. The postoperative course was complicated by pneumonia, which responded well to antibiotic treatment. The patient made an otherwise uneventful recovery and was able to eat without difficulty.

[Early rehabilitation in Baden-Wurttemberg--a study of all Baden-Wurrtemberg early rehabilitation centers]. / Frührehabilitation in Baden-Württemberg--Eine Untersuchung aller Frührehabilitationseinrichtungen Baden-Württembergs.

Over a period of 12 months, all persons among the 10.4 million inhabitants of the state of Baden-Württemberg were included in the study who had suffered severe brain damage and were treated in special early rehab units, comprising 147 beds for adults and 43 for children. With 830 patients admitted, the incidence of severe brain damage was 7.98/100.000 in adults and 1.11/100.000 in children. 50 to 70 year old patients were over-represented, those older than 70 years were underrepresented due to geriatric rehab facilities for the latter. Male patients dominated, while female were somewhat younger. 54% of the patients were admitted from the hospital which had performed primary care, with an average stay of 67 days. Average early rehab duration was 53 days (arithmetic average; median 40 days, some patients required up to one year). 32.8% of the patients had suffered traumatic brain damage (ICD 851, 852, 854) and 40.9% non-traumatic brain affection (ICD 430, 431, 433-438, 310, 348), including 12.2% CVA (ICD 433-438), 8.5% subarachnoid and 12.3% intracerebral hemorrhage. Severity as indexed by the early rehab Barthel index improved from an initial average of -119 to -34 at discharge. 80% of the patients showed an overall improvement (71% of them by up to 200 points and 46% by up to 100 points).