[Appropriate allocation of resources for interhospital transfer in emergency medical service-is a physician in the dispatch center helpful?] / Indikationsgerechte Durchführung von Sekundärtransporten im Rettungsdienst ­ Hilft der Arzt in der Leitstelle?

BACKGROUND: The number of interhospital transfers is constantly increasing because of specialization of medical facilities, capacity balancing between intensive care units as well as earlier rehabilitation procedures. This leads to an increase in requests for emergency physicians to accompany patient transfers. This study investigated whether clarification of interhospital transport by an emergency physician at the dispatch center can optimize the use of emergency services resources. METHOD: All transport clarifications performed by a tele-emergency physician between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed as well as the transport request forms. Furthermore, all data on the number and alarmed rescue resources for interhospital transfers in the city of Aachen from 2013 onwards were exported from the dispatch center databank and included in the evaluation. RESULTS: In total 2333 requests for interhospital patient transfers from 2018 and 2019 were analyzed as well as 10,923 transports recorded from 2013 to 2019. The number of patient transfers accompanied by an emergency physician from 2013 to 2019 was significantly reduced from 786 (68.2%) to 495 (30.5%, p > 0.001). The correct resources of rescue vehicles and staff was requested in 1816 cases (77.8%). The urgency of emergency patient transfers was correctly evaluated in 567 (89.2%) cases. In total 526 assignments were carried out without an emergency physician and 315 of these patients were accompanied by a tele-emergency physician during transfer. CONCLUSION: The immediate clarification of interhospital transport requests by an emergency physician at the dispatch center leads to a significant reduction in unnecessary medical accompaniment of patient transfers. The choice of an appropriate transfer vehicle and staff should not be left to the requesting hospital physician alone.

[Analgesia in the emergency medical service: comparison between tele-emergency physician and call back procedure with respect to application safety, effectiveness and tolerance]. / Analgesie im Rettungsdienst: Vergleich zwischen Telenotarzt- und Callback-Verfahren hinsichtlich Anwendungssicherheit, Wirksamkeit und Verträglichkeit.

BACKGROUND: Acute pain is a common reason for calling emergency medical services (EMS) and can require medication depending on the pain intensity. German EMS personnel feel strong pressure to reduce a patient's pain but are restricted by law. Currently, German federal law only allows the administration of opioid-containing drugs by or on the order of a physician, while in other European countries (e.g. Switzerland and The Netherlands) the administration of opioid-based analgesia by trained and certified paramedics is common practice. Consequently, a patient in Germany experiencing acute pain needs the attendance of an emergency physician in EMS missions. According to international standards pain reduction on the numeric rating scale (NRS) score by ≥2 or a NRS score ≤4 at the end of the patient transport is considered to be adequate. OBJECTIVE: Comparison of two different algorithm-based concepts for analgesia with consultation of a physician analyzing the efficacy, tolerance and safety of application. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study in two different regions, two physician-supported algorithm-based analgesia concepts, a call back-supported concept (EMS Schleswig-Holstein: RKiSH) and a tele-EMS physician-based concept (EMS Aachen: RDAC), were compared over 2 years. The call back-supported concept is based on specific algorithms and certification of EMS personnel. In Aachen, the tele-EMS physician is integrated into the routine EMS system and includes immediate vital data transmission. RESULTS: Over a period of 2 years call back-supported analgesia was administered in 878 cases (2016: 428, 2017: 450) and telemedically assisted analgesia was used in 728 cases (2015: 226, 2016: 502). Call back vs. telemedicine: initial NRS scores were 9 (8-10) and 8 (6-9), respectively (p < 0.0001); NRS scores were reduced by 4 (3-5) and 5 (3-6), respectively (p = 0.0002), leading to mean NRS scores of 4 (3-6) vs. 3 (2-4), respectively (p < 0.0001) at patient handover/emergency room arrival. Clinically relevant pain reduction was achieved in both groups. Complete NRS documentation was conducted in 753 (85.8%) vs. 673 (92.4%) cases, respectively, p = 0. Severe adverse events did not occur in either of the groups. CONCLUSION: The administration of analgesia by EMS personnel with teleconsultation of a physician is effective and has a low rate of complications, particularly morphine. Overall, algorithm-based call back-supported as well as telemedically supported analgesia concepts based on regular training improve the management of pain in the prehospital setting. In addition, the resources of the emergency physician remain available for life-threatening emergencies. The training, certification and supervision of EMS personnel is very important in both systems to ensure the best pain management care and patient safety. Adjustments to the federal law on the administration of analgesics would facilitate the realization of algorithm-based concepts by paramedics as pain reduction could be performed with delegation by a medical director without consulting another physician.

[Mass casualty incidents and attacks involving a multitude of children and adolescents-Overview of policy recommendations and challenges]. / Massenanfälle von Verletzten und Anschläge mit einer Vielzahl von Kindern und Jugendlichen ­ Überblick über Handlungsempfehlungen und Herausforderungen.

Fortunately, mass casualty incidents involving a large number of children and adolescents are rare and the experience in this field, both in terms of medical as well as psychosocial emergency care is comparatively low. Children represent a vulnerable group and have a particularly high risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder in the aftermath of experiencing disasters. A selective literature search was carried out in Medline. The peculiarity of damaging events with a large number of children and adolescents affected is that in addition to emergency medical care, an early approach to psychosocial emergency care must be provided. Accordingly, it makes sense to integrate such structures into the respective deployment concepts. A specific screening algorithm for children could so far not prevail but due to the physiological and anatomical characteristics appropriate emergency medical care concepts should be provided. Furthermore, hospitals must adapt to this patient group in a suitable manner.

[Entrustable professional activities : Promising concept in postgraduate medical education]. / "Entrustable professional activities" : Zukunftsweisendes Konzept für die ärztliche Weiterbildung.

Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) are characterized as self-contained units of work in a given typical clinical context, which may be entrusted to a trainee for independent execution at a certain point of training. An example could be the intraoperative anesthesia management of an ASA 1 patient for an uncomplicated surgical intervention as an EPA in early postgraduate anesthesia training. The EPAs can be described as an evolution of a competency-based medical educational concept, applying the concept of the competencies of a person to specific workplace contexts. In this way the expected level of skills and supervision at a certain stage of training have a more practical meaning and the danger of fragmentation of individual competencies in the competence-based model is avoided. It is a more holistic view of a trainee. Experience with this new concept is so far limited, therefore, further studies are urgently needed to determine whether and how EPAs can contribute to improvements in further training.

Analgesia by telemedically supported paramedics compared with physician-administered analgesia: A prospective, interventional, multicentre trial.

BACKGROUND: In German emergency medical services (EMS), the analgesia is restricted to physicians. In this prospective, interventional, multicentre trial, complications with and quality of telemedically delegated analgesia were evaluated. METHODS: If prehospital analgesia was necessary, five telemedically equipped paramedic ambulances from four different districts could consult a telemedicine centre. Analgesics were delegated based on a predefined algorithm. Telemedically assisted cases were compared with local historical regular EMS missions using matched pairs. The primary outcome was the frequency of therapeutic complications (respiratory/circulatory insufficiency, allergic reactions). Secondary outcomes were quality of analgesia (11-point numerical rating scale, NRS) and the frequency of nausea/vomiting. RESULTS: Analgesia was necessary in 106 telemedically assisted missions. In 23 cases, the telemedical procedure was used until an EMS physician arrived. Of the remaining 83 cases, 80 could be matched to comparable controls. Complications did not occur in either the study group or the control group (0 vs. 0; p = N/A). Complete NRS documentation was noted in 65/80 (study group) and 32/80 (control group) cases (p < 0.0001). Adequate initial pain reduction (quality indicator: reduction of NRS ≥ 2 points or NRS < 5 at end of mission) occurred in 61/65 versus 31/32 cases (p = 1.0); NRS reduction during mission was 3.78 ± 2.0 versus 4.38 ± 2.2 points (p = 0.0159). Nausea and vomiting occurred with equal frequency in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Telemedical delegation of analgesics to paramedics was safe and led to a pain reduction superior to the published minimum standard in both groups. The documentation quality was better in the telemedicine group. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: Little is known about the safety and quality of prehospital analgesia carried out by emergency medical services (EMS). Beside potential quality problems, in some countries meaningful pain reduction is limited by legal regulations that allow only physicians to administer analgesics. This first multicentre prospective trial for telemedically delegated analgesia demonstrates that remote analgesia is possible and safe and retains equivalent analgesic quality compared with that administered by onsite EMS physicians.

[Potential and effectiveness of a telemedical rescue assistance system. Prospective observational study on implementation in emergency medicine]. / Potenzial und Wirksamkeit eines telemedizinischen Rettungsassistenzsystems: Prospektive observationelle Studie zum Einsatz in der Notfallmedizin.

BACKGROUND: The demographic change and an increasing multimorbidity of patients represent increasing challenges for the adequate prehospital treatment of emergency patients. The incorporation of supplementary telemedical concepts and systems can lead to an improved guideline-conform treatment. Beneficial evidence of telemedical procedures is only known for isolated disease patterns; however, no mobile telemedical concept exists which is suitable for use in the wide variety of different clinical situations. AIM: This article presents a newly developed and evaluated total telemedical concept (TemRas) that encompasses organizational, medical and technical components. The use of intelligent and robust communication technology and the implementation of this add-on system allows the telemedical support of the rescue service for all emergencies. METHODS: After development of the telemedical rescue assistance system, which includes organizational, medical and technical components, a telemedical centre and six ambulances in five different districts in North-Rhine Westphalia were equipped with this new tool. During the evaluation phase of 1 year in the routine emergency medical service the rate of complications as well as differences between urban and rural areas were analyzed with respect to different target parameters. RESULTS: Between August 2012 and July 2013 a total of 401 teleconsultations were performed during emergency missions and 24 during secondary interhospital transfers. No complications due to teleconsultation were observed. The mean duration (±SD) of teleconsultations was longer in rural areas than in urban areas with 28.6±12.0 min vs. 25.5±11.1 min (p < 0.0001). In 63.2% of these missions administration of medications was delegated to the ambulance personnel (52.0% urban vs. 73.6% rural, p < 0.0001). The severity of ailments corresponded to scores of III and VI in the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) classification. CONCLUSION: Emergency medical care of patients with support by a telemedical system is technically feasible, safe for the patient and allows medical treatment independent of spatial availability of a physician in different emergency situations.

[Current capabilities of telemedicine in anaesthesiology]. / Heutige Möglichkeiten der Telemedizin in der Anästhesiologie.

Because of an ageing population and a relative lack of professionals, the German health system is under great pressure. In rural regions in particular, anesthesiology is also affected - nursing staff, anesthetists, intensive care physicians, and emergency physicians often have to be supported by freelancers from other regions and from abroad - at least periodically. In addition to the increasing number of treatments, the potential quality of therapy is also increasing owing to progress in medical research. Against this background the need for resources is increasing to ensure the optimal quality of treatment. This applies to all clinical disciplines, including all sections of anesthesiology - especially in economically underdeveloped regions where highly qualified experts are lacking. In various cases it is not the physical attendance or manual skills of experts that is primarily requested on-site, but rather their medical expertise and experience. Therefore, telemedicine systems are suitable for closing these gaps very effectively and efficiently. In the various anesthesiological sub-sections the number of scientific papers published to date varies. For anesthesia and pain therapy only a few telemedical applications or concepts have been reported in the literature. However, in tele-intensive care medicine and tele-emergency medicine several national and international research projects have successfully been carried out, leading to established routine systems in some cases.

Employment of telemedicine in emergency medicine. Clinical requirement analysis, system development and first test results.

OBJECTIVES: Demographic change, rising co-morbidity and an increasing number of emergencies are the main challenges that emergency medical services (EMS) in several countries worldwide are facing. In order to improve quality in EMS, highly trained personnel and well-equipped ambulances are essential. However several studies have shown a deficiency in qualified EMS physicians. Telemedicine emerges as a complementary system in EMS that may provide expertise and improve quality of medical treatment on the scene. Hence our aim is to develop and test a specific teleconsultation system. METHODS: During the development process several use cases were defined and technically specified by medical experts and engineers in the areas of: system administration, start-up of EMS assistance systems, audio communication, data transfer, routine tele-EMS physician activities and research capabilities. Upon completion, technical field tests were performed under realistic conditions to test system properties such as robustness, feasibility and usability, providing end-to-end measurements. RESULTS: Six ambulances were equipped with telemedical facilities based on the results of the requirement analysis and 55 scenarios were tested under realistic conditions in one month. The results indicate that the developed system performed well in terms of usability and robustness. The major challenges were, as expected, mobile communication and data network availability. Third generation networks were only available in 76.4% of the cases. Although 3G (third generation), such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), provides beneficial conditions for higher bandwidth, system performance for most features was also acceptable under adequate 2G (second generation) test conditions. CONCLUSIONS: An innovative concept for the use of telemedicine for medical consultations in EMS was developed. Organisational and technical aspects were considered and practical requirements specified. Since technical feasibility was demonstrated in these technical field tests, the next step would be to prove medical usefulness and technical robustness under real conditions in a clinical trial.

[Advance directives in prehospital emergency treatment : prospective questionnaire-based analysis]. / Vorsorgedokumente in der präklinischen Notfallmedizin : Prospektive fragebogenbasierte Analyse.

BACKGROUND: The handling of advance directives (AD) in prehospital emergency treatment in Germany is characterized by instability. In the project "Advance directives in preclinical emergency medical aid" ("Patientenverfügungen in der präklinischen Notfallmedizin") the frequency and quality of ADs in emergency situations was investigated. AIM: The aim of this study was to fill the gaps in research and to collate data on how consideration of the self-determination of patients in emergency situations can be optimized. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Over a period of 12 months from December 2007 to December 2008 a questionnaire was included in the emergency documentation of the medical emergency service in Aachen. Emergency patients were asked by emergency physicians to provide an AD and the quantitative as well as qualitative features of these ADs were examined. Furthermore, the study recorded what kinds of problems occurred with ADs in emergency situations and what measures were needed to correct this deficiency. The reactions of patients were documented on a numeral rating scale with a score of 1 reflecting a negative and 10 reflecting a positive reaction. In the 12-month period emergency doctors recorded 1,321 missions and after application of the exclusion criteria (e.g. missing signature, incomplete documentation and late delivery) 1,047 documented questionnaires were available for the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 127 out of 1,047 emergency patients provided an AD, 44 had a durable power of attorney and 27 had appointed a legal representative for healthcare. Of the emergency patients 20 had a legal attendant and 43 out of the 127 ADs could be presented to the emergency team during the emergency mission. The emergency team often encountered difficulties regarding the handling of the ADs due to the time factor and unclear wording. The latter included the following problems: misleading formulation (19.1 %), difficulty with the complexity (14.9 %) and contradicting information (4 %). Only 29 (61.7 %) of the durable powers of attorney were signed and legally binding. From the view of the emergency physicians the following information was lacking but would be helpful in emergency situations: emergency plan, hierarchy of those given power of attorney, knowledge of risks regarding ADs and medication requirements. CONCLUSION: The results show that for an AD to apply in an emergency situation certain standards are necessary that assure the practicability, especially if a patient does not wish to be resuscitated. Most difficulties with ADs occurred with imprecise formulation, text length and inconsistency of statements. The following instructions were usually missing: hierarchy of those given power of attorney and specification on medication, information about the scope of the ADs, statement about resuscitation, extent and limitations of the desired treatment, especially with patients certified as terminally ill and instructions on who should decide about medical treatment in a conflict situation. A so-called emergency instruction which gives on a single page the patient's statement on resuscitation would have been very helpful in individual cases. The results suggest that patients may need more information and education about AD to guarantee patients rights and self-determination.

[Preventable mistakes during endotracheal intubation. Overview and concepts]. / Vermeidbare Fehler bei der Intubation. Überblick und Konzepte.

Endotracheal intubation is a standard procedure in anesthesiology as well as in intensive care medicine in many forms of assisted spontaneous breathing or controlled ventilation. In addition it continues to be the gold standard for airway protection in prehospital and in-hospital emergency medicine settings. Approaches will have to be considered to help prevent errors before they occur not only in the non-elective use of endotracheal intubation. The most common preventable situations are summarized in this paper.

External chest compressions using a mechanical feedback device : cross-over simulation study.

BACKGROUND: External chest compressions (ECC) are essential components of resuscitation and are usually performed without any adjuncts in professional healthcare. Even for healthcare professionals during in-hospital and out-of-hospital resuscitation poor performance in ECC has been reported in recent years. Although several stand-alone devices have been developed none has been implemented as a standard in patient care. The aim of this study was to examine if the use of a mechanical device providing visual feedback and audible assistance during ECC improves performance of healthcare professionals following minimal and simplified instructions. METHODS: In a prospective, randomized cross-over study 81 healthcare professionals performed ECC for 3 min (in the assumed setting of a secured airway) twice on a manikin (Skillreporter ResusciAnne®, with PC-Skillreporting System Version 1.3.0, Laerdal, Stavanger, Norway) in a mock cardiac arrest scenario. Group 1 (n=40) performed ECC with the device first followed by classic ECC and group 2 (n=41) in the opposite order. Minimal instructions were standardized and provided by video instruction (1 min 38 s). Endpoints were achievement of a mean compression rate between 90 and 110/min and a mean compression depth of 40-50 mm. In addition participants had to answer questionnaires about demographic data, professional experience and recent recommendations for ECC as well as their impression of the device concerning the ease of use and their personal level of confidence. Data were analyzed for group-related and inter-group differences using SAS (Version 9.1.3, SAS Institute, Cary, NC). RESULTS: A total of 81 healthcare professionals regularly involved in resuscitation attempts in pre-hospital or in-hospital settings took part in the study with no differences between the groups: females 35.8% (n=52), emergency medical technicians 32.1% (n=26), anesthesia nurses 32.1% (n=26), physicians (anesthesiology) 45% (n=29). In group 1 33 out of 40 (82.5%; 99.7±4.82/min; 95% confidence interval 95% CI: 98.1-101.2/min) reached the correct range for compression rate and 29/40 (72.5%; 44.0±4.95 mm; 95% CI: 42.4-45.6 mm) the correct compression depth using the assisting device. Afterwards they conducted classic ECC without the device and deteriorated significantly: correct compression rate was achieved by 12/40 (30%, p≤0.0001; 110.6±11.0/min (95% CI: 107.1-114.1/min), while 25/40 (62.5%; 44.5±5.63 mm; 95% CI: 42.6-46.3 mm) met the correct compression depth. Group 2 performed poorer in ECC without assistance and 5/41 (12.2%; 104.5±21.35/min; 95% CI: 97.8-111.3/min) reached the correct rate whereas 21/41 (51.2%; 39.6±7.61 mm; 95% CI: 37.2-42.0 mm) compressed to the appropriate depth. Using the device there was a significant improvement in the second evaluation with 34/41 (82.9%, p≤0.0001; 101.7±4.68/min; 95% CI: 100.2-103.2/min) reaching the correct rate and 36/41 (87.8%, p≤0.0001; 43.9±4.16 mm; 95% CI: 42.6-45.2 mm) the correct depth. CONCLUSIONS: The tested device is easy to use after instruction of less than 3 min and improves ECC performance of healthcare professionals in simulated cardiac arrest with respect to compression depth as well as compression rate.

[Emergency mission documentation in simulated care. Video-based error analysis]. / Notärztliche Einsatzdokumentation in der Simulation. Videobasierte Fehleranalyse.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine documentation quality in physician staffed emergency medical services (EMS). This study compared simulated on-site care with the associated patient records written by EMS physicians. METHODS: For this study two standardized simulated case scenarios, ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and major trauma with traumatic brain injury were designed by an expert committee. Overall 29 EMS teams each consisting of 1 EMS physician and 2 paramedics ran through the scenarios on high fidelity patient simulators and each scenario was videotaped. The scenarios were stopped after 12 min for STEMI and after 14 min for major trauma independent of the actions carried out and each EMS physician then had 10 min to document this initial phase on standardized protocol sheets. The videotaped scenarios were analyzed by two independent investigators. Documentation of predefined contents and all drug dosages were checked against the simulated on-site care. The data were evaluated and classified as correct, incorrect or missing documentation although action performed. RESULTS: Written consent for data analysis was provided by 28 teams. Overall 20 parameters and actions in the STEMI scenario and 16 in the major trauma scenario as well as all drug dosages were evaluated. For the scenario STEMI 469 actions were analyzed of which 271 (58%) were correct, 94 (20%) incorrect and 104 (22%) had missing documentation. A total of 140 medications were administered of which 31 (22%) were documented incorrectly and 14 (10%) were not documented. For major trauma 401 actions were analyzed of which 244 (61%) were correct, 101 (25%) incorrect and 56 (14%) had missing documentation. In this scenario the teams administered 138 medications of which 31 (22%) were documented incorrectly and 16 (12%) were not documented. Infused amounts of crystalloids and colloids were mostly documented correctly in this case (35 correct /6 incorrect/8 not documented). Documentation of several clinical parameters was carried out predominantly correctly, e.g. initial blood pressure (STEMI: 25/2/1, major trauma: 21/4/2) and initial ECG rhythm (STEMI: 27/0/1, major trauma: 26/0/1). Documentation of other clinically relevant parameters was often performed incorrectly: 12-lead ECG in STEMI (5/9/12) and capnometry in major trauma (9/4/7). No team used a pain scale to assess the level of pain in the STEMI scenario but 12 EMS physicians documented an accordant value (numerical rating scale) on the patient records. Furthermore some parameters could be identified where documentation was mostly missing although they were measured, e.g. onset of symptoms in STEMI (5/4/15) and reduced level of consciousness and bradypnea in major trauma (9/2/17). CONCLUSION: Patient safety can be reduced if relevant preclinical data are not transmitted correctly to the admitting hospital. Therefore there is a need to improve documentation quality in EMS. Electronic documentation, training of EMS staff and quality management programs might offer solutions. Because of the small sample size further studies are needed to evaluate the validity of these results.

[Stocked medications in emergency physician-based medical services in Germany. Reality and requirements according to guidelines]. / Vorgehaltene Medikamente auf notarztbesetzten Rettungsmitteln in Deutschland. Realität und Erfordernis nach Leitlinien.

BACKGROUND: The emergency medical service (EMS) should work according to criteria of evidence-based medicine. In Germany the EMS of each state is under the control of at least one medical supervisor known as emergency medical directors (EMD) and most states have several different EMDs responsible for one or more provinces of the state. The German Medical Association advises these supervisors to specify the pharmacological resources in store for use in physician powered EMSs. This study examines the pharmacological resources in EMSs which is provided by the EMDs in Germany. Furthermore, a comparison of the inventory analysis of stored drugs was carried out with the requirements according to guidelines for selected tracer diagnoses. METHOD: In the period of May 2008 to January 2009 a total of 148 EMDs were contacted and asked to supply drug storage lists for emergency physician-staffed rescue vehicles in their respective jurisdiction. The addresses of all EMDs who could be identified by the federal office of the National Association of Emergency Medical Director, Germany were used over the period. The evaluation was conducted anonymously. The tracer diagnoses "cardiopulmonary resuscitation", "acute coronary syndrome", "status generalized tonic-clonic seizure," "severe asthma attack", "acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease", "supraventricular tachycardia", "severe brain trauma" and "acute heart failure with signs of hypoperfusion" were selected. Current and established guidelines have been identified with the homepage of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany and supported by the leading European and International guidelines. RESULTS: The corresponding lists were returned by 95 different emergency service areas (response rate 64.2%). With a total of 39 groups of substances 142 different drugs could be identified, an average of 54±9.6 and median 55 (range 31-77). Listed are agents giving the provision in percent, for which the comparison with guidelines for tracer diagnoses could show deficits: sodium bicarbonate 75.8%, calcium 50.5%, magnesium 45.3%, noradrenaline 65.3%, adenosine 58.9%, dobutamine 57.9%, lorazepam iv 13.7%, salbutamol 41.1%, ipratropium bromide 13.7% (the last two as liquid preparations for inhalation). With a frequency of about 30-80%, depending on the respective tracer diagnosis, no medical emergency treatment according to the highest level of evidence is possible. CONCLUSION: Due to recent treatment recommendations provision with sodium bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium, noradrenaline, adenosine, lorazepam iv, dobutamine and as well with ipratropium bromide and salbutamol (both as liquid preparations for inhalation) should be improved. For the future, a federal uniform minimum standard due to evidence-based principles is desirable.

[E-health in emergency medicine - the research project Med-on-@ix]. / "E-Health" in der Notfallmedizin - das Forschungsprojekt Med-on-@ix.

There is a need for new strategies to face current and future problems in German Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Lack of quality management and increasing costs in the presence of a deficit of EMS physicians are typical challenges, resulting in an increasing deficit in medical care. In addition, information and communication technology used in German EMS is out of date. The physician-powered EMS has to be modernized to increase quality and show measurable evidence of its effectiveness. Otherwise its future existence is at serious risk. Therefore, the project Med-on-@ix was created by the Department of Anaesthesiology at the University Hospital Aachen, Germany. The aim was to develop a new emergency telemedicine service system and to implement it clinically in order to advance medical care and effectiveness in the EMS by process optimization of each scene call. This system offers EMS physicians and paramedics an additional consultation by a specialised centre of competence, thus assuring medical therapy according to evidence-based guidelines. Several prospective studies are conducted to analyse this system in comparison to the conventional EMS.

[Teaching non-technical skills for critical incidents: Crisis resource management training for medical students]. / Vermittlung von "soft skills" für Belastungssituationen: "Crisis-resource-management"--Kurs für Studierende.

BACKGROUND: Physicians have to demonstrate non-technical skills, such as communication and team leading skills, while coping with critical incidents. These skills are not taught during medical education. A crisis resource management (CRM) training was established for 4th to 6th year medical students using a full-scale simulator mannikin (Emergency Care Simulator, ECS, METI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The learning objectives of the course were defined according to the key points of Gaba's CRM concept. The training consisted of theoretical and practical parts (3 simulation scenarios with debriefing). Students' self-assessment before and after the training provided the data for evaluation of the training outcome. RESULTS: A total of 65 students took part in the training. The course was well received in terms of overall course quality, debriefings and didactic presentation, the mean overall mark being 1.4 (1: best, 6: worst). After the course students felt significantly more confident when facing incidents in clinical practice. The main learning objectives were achieved. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of applying the widely used ECS full-scale simulator in interdisciplinary teaching has been demonstrated. The training exposes students to crisis resource management issues and motivates them to develop non-technical skills.

[Intensive care medicine as a component of the compulsory medical curriculum. Evaluation of a pilot curriculum at the University Hospital Aachen]. / Intensivmedizin als Bestandteil des Pflicht-Curriculums: Evaluation eines Pilot-Curriculums am Universitätsklinikum Aachen.

BACKGROUND: In order to provide early achievement of practical experience during medical education, the medical faculty of the university Aachen has developed a new medical school curriculum which was offered in 2003 for the first time. In this curriculum anaesthesiology became a compulsory subject with practical training both in the operation theatre and in emergency medicine. Accordingly, a practical course in the field of intensive care medicine has also been designed with respect to the planned schedule and personnel resources. This course was evaluated by both students and teaching staff in a written, anonymous form as a quality control. METHODS: A dedicated course was developed for medical students of the 8th and 9th semesters. In this course comprised of 6 students and lasting 1 week, practical training is provided by intensive care physicians and accompanied by theoretical lessons focusing on the definition, diagnosis, therapy and prophylaxis of sepsis, essentials of mechanical ventilation and patient presentation at the bedside during daily rounds. On the last day of training students were required to present patients by themselves thereby recapitulating the acquired knowledge. In the summer semester 2007 this intensive care training course was offered for the first time. All participating 83 students and 23 physicians involved in teaching evaluated the course with marks from 1 to 6 according to the standard German school grading system using an online questionnaire. RESULTS: Students rated the course with 1.6+/-0.7 (mean +/- SD) for comprehensibility, with 1.6+/-0.7 for structural design, and with 1.7+/-0.7 for agreement between teachers. They graded their personal learning success with 1.7+/-0.7. With a cumulative mark of 1.7+/-0.6, the course was ranked as 1 of the top 3 courses of the medical faculty from the very beginning. The majority of the teaching staff (80%) appreciated the focus on few selected teaching subjects. However, comprehensibility, structural design, agreement between teachers and personal learning success were graded one mark worse than by the students. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, efficiency and acceptance of intensive care training courses were high. Major criteria for the high grading were a limited number of participants, the focus on few subjects, and a clear structural design. However, according to several personal notes from the students, simulation-based sessions and written teaching material might further improve success of this course.

[Advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation under special circumstances: part 2]. / Erweiterte kardiopulmonale Reanimation in besonderen Situationen: Teil 2.

Based on the 2005 International Consensus Conference on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science with Treatment Recommendations of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), guidelines were published for managing basic and advanced life-saving procedures in the event of cardiac arrest. The fact that special circumstances for cardiac arrest must be considered resulted in a separate chapter. This two-part article reviews essential information as well as necessary modifications of the standard advanced life support algorithm in cases of electrolyte disorders, hyperthermia and hypothermia, cardiac arrest in pregnancy, trauma, electrical emergencies and cardiac surgery. Part 1 has already dealt with life-threatening drowning, asthma, anaphylaxis and poisoning.