[End-of-life care in the emergency department-Indications for admission and spectrum of care-State of the art]. / Sterbebegleitung im Notfallzentrum ­ Aufnahmeindikation und Versorgungsspektrum ­ eine Bestandsaufnahme.

BACKGROUND: Emergency departments (EDs) and ED observation units provide care for a wide range of medical emergencies, serving patients of all ages and conditions. This includes palliative care for patients who are rapidly deteriorating. However, there is limited knowledge about the incidence, reasons for ED visits, modes of arrival, symptoms, leading diagnoses, and the emergency care provided to these patients until the time of death. METHOD: This retrospective, exploratory study was conducted at the 754-bed Kliniken Maria Hilf academic teaching hospital in Moenchengladbach, Germany. It included patients who died in the ED resuscitation rooms or ED observation unit between 1st of July 2018 and 30th of June 2023. We utilized routine data to analyze the reasons for ED visits, modes of arrival, symptoms, diagnoses and the medical care provided. We also examined differences between oncologic and non-oncologic patients as well as between those requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and those who did not. The study was approved by an ethics committee and categorical data were analyzed using the χ2-test with Yates correction. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant due to the exploratory nature of the study. RESULTS: During the study period 168,328 patients were treated in the ED, with 43% admitted to the hospital. Of these, 262 died in the ED or ED observation unit. The primary mode of arrival was emergency medical services for 234 patients (89%). The most common symptoms were impaired consciousness (n = 198; 76%) and dyspnea (n = 83; 32%), among a range of others. Comparing non-oncologic (n = 214) and oncologic patients (n = 48), the former showed significantly higher rates of impaired consciousness (174/214 vs. 24/48; p = 0.0001), while dyspnea was more prevalent in oncologic patients (57/214 vs. 26/48; p = 0.0002). Among patients who underwent CPR (n = 147) and those who did not (n = 115), no statistical differences were found in levels of consciousness but a significant difference in dyspnea (prior to cardiac arrest) was noted (31/147 vs. 52/115; p = 0.0001). Palliative status was documented in 88 cases (34%), with palliative care initiated in only 58 (21%). Only three patients (1%) were receiving specialized outpatient palliative care (SAPV). The most common medical interventions were invasive ventilation (n = 160; 61%), opioid administration (n = 145; 55%), CPR (n = 143; 55%), and crystalloid administration (n = 90; 34%). Structured communication with relatives occurred in 188 cases (72%). CONCLUSION: The incidence of death in a large German ED was approximately one patient per week. These patients typically presented with symptoms common in critically ill non-trauma cases. The low incidence of SAPV patients (1%) suggests its potential to reduce ED admissions. Oncologic patients were a minority, possibly due to effective outpatient care and lower mortality within the first 24 h after ED admission. Emergency palliative care in the ED could alleviate the burden on intensive care units. Training ED staff in acute palliative care and establishing procedural standards for such care are essential to maintain high-quality treatment, given the frequency of palliative cases in the ED.

[Structure and Organization of an Emergency Department]. / Struktur und Organisation einer zentralen Notaufnahme.

The more diverse the German hospital landscape, the more important it is to define tasks and processes in order to ensure a uniform standard of care at the highest level for the population. With the introduction of additional training in clinical acute and emergency medicine and specifications for inpatient emergency care, important foundations for the necessary structure of emergency rooms have been given.

Short-term outcome and characteristics of critical care for nontrauma patients in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Emergency medical care for critically ill nontrauma patients (CINT) varies between different emergency departments (ED) and healthcare systems, while resuscitation of trauma patients is always performed within the ED. In many ED CINT are treated and stabilized while in many German smaller hospitals CINT are transferred directly to the intensive care unit (ICU) without performing critical care measures in the ED. Little is known about the resuscitation room management of CINT regarding patient characteristics and outcome although bigger hospitals perform ED resuscitation of CINT in routine care. Against this background we conducted this retrospective analysis of CINT treated by an ED resuscitation room concept in a German 756 bed teaching hospital. METHODS: The collective of CINT treated within the ED resuscitation room (1 October 2018 to 31 March 2019) was analyzed after ethical approval. After each resuscitation room operation, the team leader filled out a standardized paper-based questionnaire and qualified the patient as a resuscitation room patient this way. Only patients who underwent invasive procedures and were admitted to ICU or died in the ED were included. Patient characteristics, performed critical care measures, short-term outcomes and the comparison of admission characteristics between survivors and non-survivors were evaluated. Additionally, the accordance of ED admission diagnoses and discharge diagnoses were analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, 243 of 19,854 ED patients (1.22%) were treated in the resuscitation room. After exclusion of trauma patients, 193 (0.97%) CINT were included. Overall mortality was 29% (n = 56), 24­h mortality was 13% (n = 25). Patient characteristics (vital signs, blood gas analysis) differed significantly between survivors and nonsurvivors except for respiratory rate and pain scale. An excerpt of conducted resuscitation room measures was as follows: arterial line n = 78 (40%); noninvasive ventilation n = 60 (31%); endotracheal intubation n = 56 (29%); cardiopulmonary resuscitation n = 19 (10%), central venous line n = 8 (4%). The number of conducted measures differed between survivors and nonsurvivors (median and interquartile range, IQR): 4 (IQR 2) vs. 4 (IQR 3) p = 0.0453. The length of ED stay was 148.2 ± 202.7 min until the patient was admitted to an ICU or died within the ED. ED admission diagnoses matched with hospital discharge diagnoses in 78%. CONCLUSION: The observed mortality was high and was comparable to patient collectives with septic shock. Nonsurvivors showed significantly more impaired vital parameters and blood gas analysis parameters. Vital parameters together with blood gas analysis might enable ED risk stratification of CINT. Resuscitation room management enables immediate stabilization and diagnostic work-up of CINT even when no ICU bed is available. Furthermore, optimal allocation to specialized ICUs can probably be enabled more accurately after a first diagnostic work-up; however, although a first diagnostic work-up including laboratory tests and computed tomography in many cases was performed, ED admission and hospital discharge diagnoses matched only in 78%.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency medical resources : An observational multicenter study including all hospitals in a major urban center of the Rhein-Ruhr metropolitan region.

BACKGROUND: With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak hospitals prepared for increasing numbers of patients without knowing how patient populations were evolving and what resources would be required. The present study aimed to analyze the impact of the local COVID-19 pandemic on emergency resources of all hospitals in a major urban center (Mönchengladbach) in Germany. METHODS: This observational multicenter study involved all acute care hospitals (n = 4). Systemic emergency department (ED) parameters from weeks 4-24 in 2020 were compared to the corresponding period in 2019 for each hospital and in a summative data analysis using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: The first regional COVID-19 patients were detected in week 9 of 2020. The cumulative number of ED visits dropped from 34,659 in 2019 to 28,008 in 2020. Weekly ED visits per hospital decreased from week 8 onwards between 38% and 48% per week and hospital and began to rise again after week 16. The pooled data analysis of ED patients showed significant decreases in outpatient visits (20,152 vs. 16,477, p < 0.001), hospital admissions (14,507 vs. 11,531, p < 0.001), and work-related accidents (2290 vs. 1468, p < 0.001). The decrease in ED to ICU admissions showed no significance (2093 vs. 1566, p = 0.255). The decline in ED cases was equally distributed between the medical specialties. CONCLUSION: The regional COVID-19 outbreak led to significantly reduced ED contacts in a German major urban region after the first COVID-19 cases appeared. Both hospital admissions and the number of ED to ICU admissions decreased, whereas the ratio of emergency outpatients vs. inpatients remained stable. Therefore, it can be assumed that patients with severe medical problems did not seek emergency care. These secondary effects of the pandemic on healthcare and the socioeconomic impact should be analyzed further.

[Hospital inhouse contact tracing-significant impact to patient care during the coronavirus pandemic]. / Krankenhausinterne Kontaktpersonennachverfolgung ­ Ein wichtiger Beitrag zur Sicherstellung der Patientenversorgung in der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie.

BACKGROUND: As part of the SARS-CoV­2 pandemic, the district of Heinsberg developed into an infectiological epicentre for Germany in February 2020. Our hospital, which is located in the immediate vicinity, reacted very quickly in addition to adapting patient care by implementing an organizational structure for recording SARS-CoV-2-positive employees, patients and their contact persons. OBJECTIVES: The infections recorded in contact tracing were analysed and, based on an exemplary outbreak, infection chains and follow-up processes were evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Comprehensive data on contact types, oropharyngeal swab results for SARS-CoV­2 and quarantine days were documented and retrospectively evaluated using a self-developed database. RESULTS: Of the 568 employees recorded by in-house contact tracing, 32 employees (1.2%, n = 2567) were detected as SARS-CoV­2 positive. Of those, 50% (n = 16) tested positive due to contact tracing, 15.6% (n = 5) were recorded by routine smears and 34.4% (n = 11) were returning travellers. The variable PCR results of the control smears from these positive employees were noticeable. In 18.8% (n = 6) of the initially negative control smears, positive PCR results were found in the following control smear. The inhouse contact tracing team was able to detect infection clusters on non-COVID-19 wards at an early stage and, together with clinical hygiene and the public health department, initiated comprehensive measures to limit the spread of the virus. Infection chains could thus be interrupted. CONCLUSION: The work of the clinic's own contact tracing unit has proven to be an essential part of clinical pandemic management not least against the background of new waves of infection and is indispensable for the detection of local infection clusters.

Implementation of a full-scale prehospital telemedicine system: evaluation of the process and systemic effects in a pre-post intervention study.

OBJECTIVES: To review the implementation strategy from a research project towards routine care of a comprehensive mobile physician-staffed prehospital telemedicine system. The objective is to evaluate the implementation process and systemic influences on emergency medical service (EMS) resource utilisation. DESIGN: Retrospective pre-post implementation study. SETTING: Two interdisciplinary projects and the EMS of a German urban region. INTERVENTIONS: Implementation of a full-scale prehospital telemedicine system. ENDPOINTS: Descriptive evaluation of the implementation strategy. Primary endpoint: ground-based and helicopter-based physician staffed emergency missions before and after implementation. RESULTS: The first research project revealed positive effects on guideline adherence and patient safety in two simulation studies, with feasibility demonstrated in a clinical study. After technical optimisation, safety and positive effects were demonstrated in a multicentre trial. Routine care in the city of Aachen, Germany was conducted stepwise from April 2014 to March 2015, including modified dispatch criteria. Systemic parameters of all EMS assignments between pre-implementation (April 2013 to March 2014) and post implementation (April 2015 to March 2016): on-scene EMS physician operations decreased from 7882/25 187 missions (31.3%) to 6360/26 462 (24.0%), p<0.0001. The need for neighbouring physician-staffed units dropped from 234/25 187 (0.93%) to 119/26 462 (0.45%), p<0.0001, and the need for helicopter EMS from 198/25 187 (0.79%) to 100/26 462 (0.38%), p<0.0001. In the post implementation period 2347 telemedical interventions were conducted, with 26 462 emergency missions (8.87%). CONCLUSION: A stepwise implementation strategy allowed transfer from the project phase to routine care. We detected a reduced need for conventional on-scene physician care by ground-based and helicopter-based EMS, but cannot exclude unrecognised confounders, including modified dispatch criteria and possible learning effects. This creates the potential for increased availability of EMS physicians for life-threatening emergencies by shifting physician interventions from conventional to telemedical care. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04127565.

Comparing the diagnostic concordance of tele-EMS and on-site-EMS physicians in emergency medical services: a retrospective cohort study.

In 2014, a telemedicine system was established in 24-h routine use in the emergency medical service (EMS) of the city of Aachen. This study tested whether the diagnostic concordance of the tele-EMS physician reaches the same diagnostic concordance as the on-site-EMS physician. The initial prehospital diagnoses were compared to the final hospital diagnoses. Data were recorded retrospectively from the physicians' protocols as well as from the hospital administration system and compared. Also, all diagnostic misconcordance were analysed and reviewed in terms of logical content by two experts. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of demographic data, such as age and gender, as well as regarding the hospital length of stay and mortality. There was no significant difference between the diagnostic concordance of the systems, except the diagnosis "epileptic seizure". Instead, in these cases, "stroke" was the most frequently chosen diagnosis. The diagnostic misconcordance "stroke" is not associated with any risks to patients' safety. Reasons for diagnostic misconcordance could be the short contact time to the patient during the teleconsultation, the lack of personal examination of the patient by the tele-EMS physician, and reversible symptoms that can mask the correct diagnosis.

Characteristics and Unexpected COVID-19 Diagnoses in Resuscitation Room Patients during the COVID-19 Outbreak-A Retrospective Case Series.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency department (ED) triage regarding infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is challenging. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Germany, the diagnostic outcomes of critically ill patients admitted to the resuscitation room in the ED of our academic 754-bed hospital should be analyzed. METHODS: All resuscitation room patients between March 1st and April 15th 2020 were included in this retrospective study. Every patient with suspicion of SARS-CoV-2 infection received a pharyngeal swab for real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR), divided in the clinical subgroups of "highly suspicious for COVID-19" and "COVID-19 as differential diagnosis." All respiratory and infectious symptoms were included as at least "differential diagnosis" as an expanded suspicion strategy. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients were included (trauma n = 14, critically ill n = 81). Of 3 highly suspicious patients, 2 had rt-PCR positive pharyngeal swabs. In 39 patients, COVID-19 was defined as differential diagnosis, and 3 were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Of them, pharyngeal swabs were positive in 1 case, while in 2 cases, only tracheal fluid was rt-PCR positive while the pharyngeal swabs were negative. In one of these 2 cases, chest computed tomography (CT) was also negative for ground-glass opacities but showed a pulmonary abscess and pulmonary embolism. CONCLUSION: We recommend an expanded suspicion strategy for COVID-19 due to unexpected diagnostic outcomes. Personal protective equipment should be used in every resuscitation room operation due to unexpected cases and initial knowledge gaps. Furthermore, tracheal fluid should be tested for SARS-CoV-2 in every intubated patient due to cases with negative pharyngeal swabs and negative chest CT.

Suspected seizure-survival of a lethal dose of the rodenticide alpha-chloralose.

A 58-year-old female was admitted due to a suspected seizure. A blue colored pharyngeal fluid was visualized during intubation, which is indicative of poisoning. Clinical research revealed an ingestion of 2.4 g of alpha-chloralose, a rodenticide with a lethal dose of 1 g. Immediate detoxification by gastroscopy, gastric lavage and hemodialysis led to full recovery. Substance detection was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectometry of a urine sample. There are only a few cases reporting poisoning by this substance. Coma and bilateral myoclonus have been reported but blue gastric fluid as the "red flag" in this case has never been described.

Utilization, Safety, and Technical Performance of a Telemedicine System for Prehospital Emergency Care: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: As a consequence of increasing emergency medical service (EMS) missions requiring an EMS physician on site, we had implemented a unique prehospital telemedical emergency service as a new structural component to the conventional physician-based EMS in Germany. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the utilization, safety, and technical performance of this telemedical emergency service. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all primary emergency missions with telemedical consultation of an EMS physician in the City of Aachen (250,000 inhabitants) during the first 3 operational years of our tele-EMS system. Main outcome measures were the number of teleconsultations, number of complications, and number of transmission malfunctions during teleconsultations. RESULTS: The data of 6265 patients were analyzed. The number of teleconsultations increased during the run-in period of four quarters toward full routine operation from 152 to 420 missions per quarter. When fully operational, around the clock, and providing teleconsultations to 11 mobile ambulances, the number of teleconsultations further increased by 25.9 per quarter (95% CI 9.1-42.6; P=.009). Only 6 of 6265 patients (0.10%; 95% CI 0.04%-0.21%) experienced adverse events, all of them not inherent in the system of teleconsultations. Technical malfunctions of single transmission components occurred from as low as 0.3% (95% CI 0.2%-0.5%) during two-way voice communications to as high as 1.9% (95% CI 1.6%-2.3%) during real-time vital data transmissions. Complete system failures occurred in only 0.3% (95% CI 0.2%-0.6%) of all teleconsultations. CONCLUSIONS: The Aachen prehospital EMS is a frequently used, safe, and technically reliable system to provide medical care for emergency patients without an EMS physician physically present. Noninferiority of the tele-EMS physician compared with an on-site EMS physician needs to be demonstrated in a randomized trial.

Guideline adherence in acute coronary syndromes between telemedically supported paramedics and conventional on-scene physician care: A longitudinal pre-post intervention cohort study.

Health informatics applications reduce time intervals in acute coronary syndromes, but their impact on guideline adherence is unknown. This pre-post intervention study compared guideline adherence between telemedically supported (n = 101, April 2014-July 2015) and conventional on-scene care (n = 120, January 2014-March 2014) in acute coronary syndrome. A multivariate logistic regression was performed for dependent variables: adverse events 0 versus 0, p = NA; electrocardiogram 101 versus 120, p = NA; acetylic salicylic acid 91 versus 102, p = 0.21; heparin 92 versus 112, p = 0.99; morphine 96 versus 107, p = 0.33; oxygen 83 versus 102, p = 0.92; glyceroltrinitrate 55 versus 90, p = 0.038; correct destination: 100 versus 119, p = 1.0. The time from ambulance arrival to hospital arrival was prolonged with telemedicine: 48.7 ± 11 min versus 35.5 ± 8.1 min, p < 0.001. Guideline adherence showed no differences except for glyceroltrinitrate. Prolonged time requirements are critical, though explainable. However, this approach enables a timely and high-quality backup strategy if only paramedics are on-scene.

Blood pressure management and guideline adherence in hypertensive emergencies and urgencies: A comparison between telemedically supported and conventional out-of-hospital care.

Prehospital hypertensive emergencies and urgencies are common, but evidence is lacking. Telemedically supported hypertensive emergencies and urgencies were prospectively collected (April 2014-March 2015) and compared retrospectively with a historical control group of on-scene physician care in the emergency medical service of Aachen, Germany. Blood pressure management and guideline adherence were evaluated. Telemedical (n=159) vs conventional (n=172) cases: blood pressure reductions of 35±24 mm Hg vs 44±23 mm Hg revealed a group effect adjusted for baseline differences (P=.0006). Blood pressure management in categories: no reduction 6 vs 0 (P=.0121); reduction ≤25% (recommended range) 113 vs 110 patients (P=.2356); reduction >25% to 30% 13 vs 29 (0.020); reduction >30% 12 vs 16 patients (P=.5608). The telemedical approach led to less pronounced blood pressure reductions and a tendency to improved guideline adherence. Telemedically guided antihypertensive care may be an alternative to conventional care especially for potentially underserved areas.

Quality of analgesia in physician-operated telemedical prehospital emergency care is comparable to physician-based prehospital care - a retrospective longitudinal study.

Acute pain is a common reason for summoning emergency medical services (EMS). Yet in several countries the law restricts opioid-based analgesia administration to physicians. Telemedical support of paramedics is a novel approach to enable timely treatment under the guidance of a physician. In this retrospective observational study, conducted in the EMS of Aachen, Germany, the analgesic quality and occurrence of adverse events were compared between telemedically-supported paramedics (July-December, 2014) and a historical control group (conventional on-scene EMS physicians; January-March, 2014). INCLUSION CRITERIA: pain (initial numerical rating scale (NRS) ≥5) and/or performed analgesia. Telemedically-assisted analgesia was performed in 149 patients; conventional analgesia in 199 control cases. Teleconsultation vs. CONTROL: Initial NRS scores were 8.0 ± 1.5 and 8.1 ± 1.7. Complete NRS documentation was carried out in 140/149 vs. 130/199 cases, p < 0.0001. NRS scores were reduced by 4.94 ± 2.01 and 4.84 ± 2.28 (p = 0.5379), leading to mean NRS scores at emergency room arrival of 3.1 ± 1.7 vs. 3.3 ± 1.9 (p = 0.5229). No severe adverse events occurred in either group. Clinically relevant pain reduction was achieved in both groups. Thus, the concept of remote physician-based telemedically-delegated analgesia by paramedics is effective compared to analgesia by on-scene EMS physicians and safe.

Telemedizin: Potenziale in der Notfallmedizin.

The telemedical support and networking between health personnel and medical specialists increases the quality of supply also in the prehospital emergency care. Till now only for some tracer diagnosis specifically designed telemedical services were used. However, now a unique holistic telemedicine system, which can be used for the whole emergency spectrum as a supplementary feature has been developed. It can be used for the whole prehospital emergency care. The needfulness and meaningfulness of telemedicine as well as the important structural characteristics in prehospital emergency care are pictured. The system, composed of hard- and software components (tele-physician working place, server infrastructure, mobile and in the ambulance fixed transmission box), ensures the availability of secure data transfer of speech, vital-parameters, photos, videostream, 12 lead ECG, etc.) in real-time. Base for a safe telemedicine application are the guidelines of the German Association of Anaesthesiology. Telemedicine systems are usable in different indications and disease manifestations. However, telemedicine also has limitations. Conclusion Telemedically assisted emergency missions can be managed safely, achieve a better quality in documentation and guideline conform therapy, reduce the medical binding time about more than 50 %, reduce physician escorting missions and show at least an equivalent quality of supply.

Telemedical support for prehospital Emergency Medical Service (TEMS trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of emergency calls, shortages of Emergency Medical Service (EMS), physicians, prolonged emergency response times and regionally different quality of treatment by EMS physicians require improvement of this system. Telemedical solutions have been shown to be beneficial in different emergency projects, focused on specific disease patterns. Our previous pilot studies have shown that the implementation of a holistic prehospital EMS teleconsultation system, between paramedics and experienced tele-EMS physicians, is safe and feasible in different emergency situations. We aim to extend the clinical indications for this teleconsultation system. We hypothesize that the use of a tele-EMS physician is noninferior regarding the occurrence of system-induced patient adverse events and superior regarding secondary outcome parameters, such as the quality of guideline-conforming treatment and documentation, when compared to conventional EMS-physician treatment. METHODS/DESIGN: Three thousand and ten patients will be included in this single-center, open-label, randomized controlled, noninferiority trial with two parallel arms. According to the inclusion criteria, all emergency cases involving adult patients who require EMS-physician treatment, excluding life-threatening cases, will be randomly assigned by the EMS dispatching center into two groups. One thousand five hundred and five patients in the control group will be treated by a conventional EMS physician on scene, and 1505 patients in the intervention group will be treated by paramedics who are concurrently instructed by the tele-EMS physicians at the teleconsultation center. The primary outcome measure will include the rate of treatment-specific adverse events in relation to the kind of EMS physician used. The secondary outcome measures will record the specific treatment-associated quality indicators. DISCUSSION: The evidence underlines the better quality of service using telemedicine networks between medical personnel and medical experts in prehospital emergency care, as well as in other medical areas. The worldwide unique EMS teleconsultation system in Aachen has been optimized and evaluated in pilot studies and subsequently integrated into routine use for a broad spectrum of indications. It has enabled prompt, safe and efficient patient treatment with optimized use of the "resource" EMS physician. There is, however, a lack of evidence as to whether the advantages of the teleconsultation system can be replicated in wider-ranging EMS-physician indications (excluding life-threatening emergency calls). TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02617875 . Registered on 24 November 2015.

Improved technical performance of a multifunctional prehospital telemedicine system between the research phase and the routine use phase - an observational study.

Introduction Telemedical concepts in emergency medical services (EMS) lead to improved process times and patient outcomes, but their technical performance has thus far been insufficient; nevertheless, the concept was transferred into EMS routine care in Aachen, Germany. This study evaluated the system's technical performance and compared it to a precursor system. Methods The telemedicine system was implemented on seven ambulances and a teleconsultation centre staffed with experienced EMS physicians was established in April 2014. Telemedical applications included mobile vital data, 12-lead, picture transmission and video streaming from inside the ambulances. The tele-EMS physician filled in a questionnaire regarding the technical performance of the applications, background noise and assessed clinical values of the transmitted pictures and videos after each mission between 15 May 2014-15 October 2014. Results Teleconsultation was established during 539 emergency cases. In 83% of the cases ( n = 447), only the paramedics and the tele-EMS physician were involved. Transmission success rates ranged from 98% (audio connection) to 93% (12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) transmission). All functionalities, except video transmission, were significantly better than the pilot project ( p < 0.05). Severe background noise was detected to a lesser extent ( p = 0.0004) and the clinical value of the pictures and videos were considered significantly more valuable. Discussion The multifunctional system is now sufficient for routine use and is the most reliable mobile emergency telemedicine system compared to other published projects. Dropouts were due to user errors and network coverage problems. These findings enable widespread use of this system in the future, reducing the critical time intervals until medical therapy is started.

Treatment of Acute Coronary Syndrome by Telemedically Supported Paramedics Compared With Physician-Based Treatment: A Prospective, Interventional, Multicenter Trial.

BACKGROUND: Prehospital treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in German emergency medical services (EMSs) is reserved for EMS physicians due to legal issues. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this prospective, interventional, multicenter trial was to evaluate the quality of telemedically-delegated therapy and the possible complications in patients with ACS. METHODS: After approval by the ethics committee and trial registration, a one-year study phase was started in August 2012 with 5 ambulances, telemedically equipped and staffed with paramedics, in 4 German EMS districts. The paramedics could contact an EMS-physician-staffed telemedicine center. After initiation of an audio connection, real-time data transmission was automatically established. If required, 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and still pictures could be sent. Video was streamed from inside each ambulance. All drugs, including opioids, were delegated to the paramedics based on standardized, predefined algorithms. To compare telemedically-delegated medication and treatment in ACS cases with regular EMS missions, a matched pair analysis with historical controls was performed. RESULTS: Teleconsultation was performed on 150 patients having a cardiovascular emergency. In 39 cases, teleconsultation was started due to suspected ACS. No case had a medical complication. Correct handling of 12-lead ECG was performed equally between the groups (study group, n=38 vs control group, n=39, P>.99). There were no differences in correct handling of intravenous administration of acetylsalicylic acid, heparin, or morphine between both the groups (study group vs control group): acetylsalicylic acid, n=31 vs n=33, P=.73; unfractionated heparin, n=34 vs n=33, P>.99; morphine, n=29 vs n=27, P=.50. The correct handling of oxygen administration was significantly higher in the study group (n=29 vs n=18, P=.007). CONCLUSIONS: Telemedical delegation of guideline conform medication and therapy by paramedics in patients with ACS and was found to be feasible and safe. The quality of guideline-adherent therapy was not significantly different in both the groups except for the correct administration of oxygen, which was significantly higher in the study group. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01644006; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01644006 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6mPam3eDy).

Cortisol and alpha-amylase as stress response indicators during pre-hospital emergency medicine training with repetitive high-fidelity simulation and scenarios with standardized patients.

BACKGROUND: In emergency medicine, the benefits of high-fidelity simulation (SIM) are widely accepted and standardized patients (SP) are known to mimic real patients accurately. However, only limited data are available concerning physicians' stress markers within these training environments. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate repetitive stress among healthcare professionals in simulated pre-hospital emergency scenarios using either SIM or SPs. METHODS: Teams with one emergency medical services (EMS) physician and two paramedics completed three SIM scenarios and two SP scenarios consecutively. To evaluate stress, salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase were measured in saliva samples taken before, during and after the scenarios. RESULTS: A total of 14 EMS physicians (29% female; mean age: 36.8 ± 5.0 years; mean duration of EMS-experience: 9.1 ± 5.8 years) and 27 paramedics (11% female; age: 30.9 ± 6.9 years; EMS experience: 8.1 ± 6.0 years) completed the study. Alpha-amylase and cortisol levels did not differ significantly between the two professions. Cortisol values showed a gradual and statistically significant reduction over time but little change was observed in response to each scenario. In contrast, alpha-amylase activity increased significantly in response to every SIM and SP scenario, but there was no clear trend towards an overall increase or decrease over time. CONCLUSION: Increases in salivary alpha-amylase activity suggest that both SIM and SP training produce stress among emergency healthcare professionals. Corresponding increases in salivary cortisol levels were not observed. Among physicians in the emergency setting, it appears that alpha-amylase provides a more sensitive measure of stress levels than cortisol.

Implementation phase of a multicentre prehospital telemedicine system to support paramedics: feasibility and possible limitations.

BACKGROUND: Legal regulations often limit the medical care that paramedics can provide. Telemedical solutions could overcome these limitations by remotely providing expert support. Therefore, a mobile telemedicine system to support paramedics was developed. During the implementation phase of this system in four German emergency medical services (EMS), the feasibility and possible limitations of this system were evaluated. METHODS: After obtaining ethical approval and providing a structured training program for all medical professionals, the system was implemented on three paramedic-staffed ambulances on August 1st, 2012. Two more ambulances were included subsequently during this month. The paramedics could initiate a consultation with EMS physicians at a teleconsultation centre. Telemedical functionalities included audio communication, real-time vital data transmission, 12-lead electrocardiogram, picture transmission on demand, and video streaming from a camera embedded into the ceiling of each ambulance. After each consultation, telephone-based debriefings were conducted. Data were retrieved from the documentation protocols of the teleconsultation centre and the EMS. RESULTS: During a one month period, teleconsultations were conducted during 35 (11.8%) of 296 emergency missions with a mean duration of 24.9 min (SD 12.5). Trauma, acute coronary syndromes, and circulatory emergencies represented 20 (57%) of the consultation cases. Diagnostic support was provided in 34 (97%) cases, and the administration of 50 individual medications, including opioids, was delegated by the teleconsultation centre to the paramedics in 21 (60%) missions (range: 1-7 per mission). No medical complications or negative interpersonal effects were reported. All applications functioned as expected except in one case in which the connection failed due to the lack of a viable mobile network. CONCLUSION: The feasibility of the telemedical approach was demonstrated. Teleconsultation enabled early initiation of treatments by paramedics operating under the real-time medical direction. Teleconsultation can be used to provide advanced care until the patient is under a physician's care; moreover, it can be used to support the paramedics who work alone to provide treatment in non-life-threatening cases. Non-availability of mobile networks may be a relevant limitation. A larger prospective controlled trial is needed to evaluate the rate of complications and outcome effects.

Prehospital digital photography and automated image transmission in an emergency medical service - an ancillary retrospective analysis of a prospective controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Still picture transmission was performed using a telemedicine system in an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) during a prospective, controlled trial. In this ancillary, retrospective study the quality and content of the transmitted pictures and the possible influences of this application on prehospital time requirements were investigated. METHODS: A digital camera was used with a telemedicine system enabling encrypted audio and data transmission between an ambulance and a remotely located physician. By default, images were compressed (jpeg, 640 x 480 pixels). On occasion, this compression was deactivated (3648 x 2736 pixels). Two independent investigators assessed all transmitted pictures according to predefined criteria. In cases of different ratings, a third investigator had final decision competence. Patient characteristics and time intervals were extracted from the EMS protocol sheets and dispatch centre reports. RESULTS: Overall 314 pictures (mean 2.77 ± 2.42 pictures/mission) were transmitted during 113 missions (group 1). Pictures were not taken for 151 missions (group 2). Regarding picture quality, the content of 240 (76.4%) pictures was clearly identifiable; 45 (14.3%) pictures were considered "limited quality" and 29 (9.2%) pictures were deemed "not useful" due to not/hardly identifiable content. For pictures with file compression (n = 84 missions) and without (n = 17 missions), the content was clearly identifiable in 74% and 97% of the pictures, respectively (p = 0.003). Medical reports (n = 98, 32.8%), medication lists (n = 49, 16.4%) and 12-lead ECGs (n = 28, 9.4%) were most frequently photographed. The patient characteristics of group 1 vs. 2 were as follows: median age - 72.5 vs. 56.5 years, p = 0.001; frequency of acute coronary syndrome - 24/113 vs. 15/151, p = 0.014. The NACA scores and gender distribution were comparable. Median on-scene times were longer with picture transmission (26 vs. 22 min, p = 0.011), but ambulance arrival to hospital arrival intervals did not differ significantly (35 vs. 33 min, p = 0.054). CONCLUSIONS: Picture transmission was used frequently and resulted in an acceptable picture quality, even with compressed files. In most cases, previously existing "paper data" was transmitted electronically. This application may offer an alternative to other modes of ECG transmission. Due to different patient characteristics no conclusions for a prolonged on-scene time can be drawn. Mobile picture transmission holds important opportunities for clinical handover procedures and teleconsultation.