[The availability of living wills in an interdisciplinary emergency department: results of a patient survey]. / Verfügbarkeit von Patientenverfügungen in einer interdisziplinären Notaufnahme.

INTRODUCTION: Despite an increasing attention to living wills, the effects of such living wills on patient care in the emergency departments remains unknown. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients who were admitted to our emergency department between September 24th, 2014 and November 23th, 2014 were asked, whether they have signed living wills previously and if so, whether they have it on hand at admission. RESULTS: 496 patients (229 men (46.2 %), 267 women (53.8 %)) with a mean age of 64.9 ±â€…18.8 years were included in this survey. 138 patients (27.8 %) had a living will but only 16 patients (3.2 %) had it on hand.Altogether, the existence of living wills increased with an increasing patient`s age; only 5 of 117 patients aged 50 years old or younger (4,3 %) had a living will, but 133 of 379 patients older than 50 years (35,1 %). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Despite an obviously broad acceptance of living wills especially in the elderly population, there are hardly any consequences on the daily patient care in an emergency department by now, as hardly any patient has hers or his living will on hand at admission. We therefore see the need for further educational work to guarantee that living wills get adequate priority in patient care at emergency departments.

[Congenital left ventricular aneurysm in a 17-year-old competitive athlete]. / Angeborenes linksventrikuläres Aneurysma bei einem 17-jährigen Leistungssportler.

We present the case of a 17-year-old competitive athlete with an asymptomatic left ventricular aneurysm (LVA). Echocardiography demonstrated hypoplasia of the septum and a large apical LVA. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected a very thin and fibrotic wall of the LVA. Due to the potential risk of rupture the LVA was surgically resected and the apex of the left ventricle was covered with a patch plasty. The patient had an event-free postoperative course. Because of the potential risk of arrhythmia, the patient was recommended not to participate further in competitive sport.