[Spiritual needs of patients in an emergency room]. / Spirituelle Bedürfnisse von Patienten eines Notfallzentrums.

BACKGROUND: Spiritual needs (spN) are important for human beings-independently of religious affiliation. They can be a resource for coping with stressful situations, e.g., those triggered by the acute onset of a disease. Emergency rooms are hospital departments with high medical performance which may cause a particular insecurity among emergency patients. The present study is the first to examine spiritual needs in a sample of patients in the emergency room. METHODS: A total of 383 out of 479 patients were approached and asked to complete the German version of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ-20). All consented to the collection of demographics and clinical data. The analysis encompassed descriptive statistics, correlations analysis, univariate and multiple variance analysis. RESULTS: The needs for inner peace and generative needs (to pass something on to others, to do something for others) were more important than religious (rN) and existential (eN) needs. We did not find a correlation between spN on the one hand and the reason for consultation, the severity, and the number of comorbidities on the other hand. Age did not play a decisive role, rather, patients' needs, especially rN, were significantly more important among women than among men. CONCLUSION: Even in an emergency situation, people are ready to express their spN. Early assessment of these needs exposes important nonmedical aspects of the sick person and helps to consider the assessed needs. Further studies will show whether this has an impact on the further course of treatment and the well-being of the patients.

[Aspects of intensive care medicine in emergency medicine]. / Intensivmedizinische Aspekte in der Notfallmedizin.

Emergency medicine and intensive care medicine have many similarities. In this review, we will first discuss the terminology of emergency medicine in a hospital in terms of a uniform designation as a department for emergency medicine or emergency department. Emergency medicine and intensive care medicine are a location-independent concept of patient care in the sense of the recognition, treatment and diagnosis of acute health disorders. Emergency medicine covers the entire range of disease severity, while intensive care medicine focuses on organ replacement and organ preservation, uses highly specialized technology for this purpose and treats only the seriously ill. The treatment of seriously ill patients in the emergency departments requires special intensive care medical knowledge both by the physicians and nursing staff. In the medical field, the curriculum for the European emergency medicine specialist takes into account all aspects necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients. For the nursing sector, Germany has had its own recognized specialty training program in emergency medicine for several years. However, the treatment of critically ill patients in emergency departments also requires that the emergency departments be adequately equipped. In this regard, there is an urgent need for statutory quality criteria that are concrete and structured. We know from the literature that intensive care competence in emergency departments reduces the admission rate to intensive care units and the mortality of all emergency patients. The concept of intensive care units in the emergency department is gaining popularity in the USA and should also be evaluated for implementation in the German-speaking countries.

[Physician staffing and shift work schedules : Concepts for emergency and intensive care medicine]. / Ärztliche Personalbesetzung im Schichtdienst : Konzepte für die Notfall- und Intensivmedizin.

Human resource development is a key factor for a successful management of Intensive Care Units (ICU) and Emergency Departments (ED). It comprises the processes of recruiting and retaining employees. The present article offers strategies how the optimal manning level in ICUs and EDs can be determined and highlights the importance of active management of well being in acute care units. The manning level can be determined by using the work place method which is the common method for ICUs. For the EDs a method based on the specific times which are needed for patient care in relation to the intensity of care is more appropriate. This method needs to integrate the patient number per hour, the time needed per patient, and the defined service level particularly with respect to the time to be seen by a physician. For detailed staff calculation, complex mathematical models are needed (e.g. Erlang formula). The resulting manning level needs then to be distributed on the various shifts. Additional resources are needed for observation units and additional tasks like management tasks etc. Retainment of employees is only possible when the working field remains attractive over many years. While a structured and competence based education is of utmost importance in the beginning of a carrier, attractive rooster plans and the compatibility between work and private life, becomes more important when the specialisation has been achieved.

[Emergency and intensive care medicine aspects of COVID-19 infections]. / Notfallmedizinische und intensivmedizinische Aspekte von COVID-19-Infektionen.

CLINICAL ISSUE: The COVID 19 pandemic led to a profound adaptation of the German healthcare system in preparation of a massive increase of SARS-CoV-2-associated diseases. While general practitioners care for COVID patients who are less severely ill, hospitals are focused on the care of severely ill COVID-19 patients. STANDARD TREATMENT: The role of emergency medicine (EM) is to rapidly detect the virus, to classify disease severity, and to initiate therapy. In addition, the flow of patients into the hospital must be directed in such a way that optimal care is provided without risk of infecting health care personnel and patients. Despite optimal intensive care treatment, the mortality of patients remains high if organ failure develops, especially in patients who are older or have pre-existing conditions. TREATMENT INNOVATIONS: Rapid diagnosis of patients with SARS-CoV­2 infection together with assessment of disease severity and awareness of organ failure are the mainstays of emergency care. Intensive care is needed for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2-induced organ failure, whereby lung failure in these patients requires differentiated ventilation therapies. DIAGNOSTIC WORK-UP: The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is performed to diagnose SARS-CoV­2 infection. Adjunctive diagnostic measures which enhance diagnostic specificity are lung ultrasound, x­ray, and computed tomography of the lungs. This also allows categorization of the type of COVID-19 pneumonia. PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS: For early detection and appropriate treatment of SARS-CoV­2 infection, PCR is needed. Adjunctive sonographic and radiological examinations allow the treatment of COVID-19 patients to be tailored according to the specific type of pneumonia.

[Transient loss of consciousness : Algorithm for the (differential) diagnosis of syncope at emergency department]. / Passagere Bewusstlosigkeit : Algorithmus für die Notaufnahme zur (Differenzial-)Diagnostik von Synkopen.

Transient loss of consciousness (TLoC) is a common complaint leading to presentation at the emergency department. This comprises a heterogeneous group of disorders including cerebral events, metabolic disturbances, intoxication, psychogenic patterns or any form of syncope. While many causes are benign and self-limited not requiring extensive in-hospital evaluation, others are potentially severe. The optimal evaluation of patients with TLoC/syncope follows a risk-adapted diagnostic algorithm in order to exclude life-threatening conditions and to identify those with high risk for further deterioration like structural heart diseases requiring further diagnostic evaluation. Low-risk patients can be discharged without further extensive diagnostic work up. This article presents an algorithm for structured, evidence-based care of the syncope patient in accordance with the recently launched "2018 ESC guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope" in order to ensure that patients requiring hospitalization are managed appropriately and those with benign causes are discharged safely. The English version of this algorithm is available at the end of the article under "Supplementary Material".

[Training in clinical acute and emergency medicine - Supraspeciality in Germany : A concept for nationwide implementation!] / Zusatz-Weiterbildung Klinische Akut- und Notfallmedizin in Deutschland : Ein Konzept vor der bundesweiten Einführung!

At the 121st German Physicians Conference 2018 in Erfurt a resolution to accept the full amendment of the (draft) further training regulations (MWBO) was adopted and the State Medical Councils were requested to include them in their respective areas of responsibility. Therefore, the nationwide implementation of the supraspeciality (ZWB) for clinical acute and emergency medicine has been officially finalized. After consultation with the German Medical Council (BÄK) concerning the format, both the new MWBO 2018 and now the content of the ZWB are available as of 15 November 2018.The Physicians Conference resolution and anchoring of the new ZWB clinical acute and emergency medicine in the MWBO were preceded by a process lasting approximately 10 years. The concept of the ZWB clinical acute and emergency medicine, which was scrutinized by the Standing Committee on "medical further training" and the board of the BÄK and presented for approval, was essentially developed by representatives of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) and the German Society for Interdisciplinary Emergency and Acute Medicine (DGINA) in consultation with the BÄK. A consensus was finally reached in September 2017 in cooperation with those German specialist societies with a high proportion of emergency patients.In addition to the title, definition, and minimum requirements for applying the ZWB, the content was processed according to the European curriculum for emergency medicine. The structural prerequisites have now been approved, the Standing Committee has configured the content, and the complete MWBO 2018 has been successfully presented, such that the ZWB clinical acute and emergency medicine is expected to be implemented in the individual Federal States within the next 1-2 years.This article describes the history and development of ZWB clinical acute and emergency medicine in Germany and outlines future perspectives.

[Emergency lung ultrasound]. / Lungensonographie in der Notfall- und Intensivmedizin.

Acute and emergency physicians need to make rapid and far-reaching decisions on the basis of little diagnostic information. In patients with symptoms suggestive of a cardiopulmonary diagnosis, point-of-care lung ultrasound (LUS) is becoming increasingly used. In patients with acute dyspnea, chest pain and shock, LUS increases the diagnostic reliability. The BLUE protocol helps to differentiate important diagnoses of acute dyspnea (pulmonary edema, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary embolism, pleural effusions or pneumothorax). LUS is also used for treatment follow-up. It is clearly superior to other diagnostic measures (auscultation, chest X­ray). With ever smaller "handheld" ultrasound devices, the use of ultrasound is also being increasingly used in preclinical situations.

[Ermergency diagnostics and therapeutic management of acute dyspnea]. / Notfalldiagnostik und therapeutisches Management der akuten Dyspnoe.

This article presents the relevant diagnostic examinations and principles for the initial management of acute dyspnea in detail. The emergency physician must work through broad differential diagnostic considerations while providing appropriate initial treatment for a potentially life-threatening disease. The airway, breathing and circulation are the primary focus for the emergency physician when beginning emergency management. As soon as these are stabilized, further clinical investigations and treatment can be continued. The appropriate place for further treatment is determined by risk stratification.

[Definition, primary examination and differential diagnostics in acute dyspnea]. / Definition, Erstuntersuchung und Differenzialdiagnosen der akuten Dyspnoe.

The topic of acute dyspnea is presented in two separate articles. This first part deals with the definition and pathophysiology of dyspnea as well as important considerations on the history of the present illness, physical examination, initial therapy and differential diagnostic considerations. The second part covers relevant diagnostic investigations and principles for the initial management. The causes, consequences and perception of acute dyspnea can be very different. The adult patient with acute dyspnea presents difficult challenges in the diagnosis and management. The emergency clinician must work through a wide range of differential diagnostic considerations while providing appropriate initial treatment for a potentially life-threatening disease.

[Position paper for a reform of medical emergency care in German emergency departments]. / Positionspapier für eine Reform der medizinischen Notfallversorgung in deutschen Notaufnahmen.

The hospital emergency departments play a central role for the in- and outpatient care of patients with medical emergencies in Germany. In this position paper we point out some general financial and organizational problems of German emergency departments and urge for a higher significance of emergency care in the German health system as an element of public services. The corresponding reform proposals include a change in hospital financing towards a more budget-based system for the emergency departments, an improved structural planning for regional and transregional emergency care, an intensified cooperation with the emergency services of the ambulatory care physicians, a better organizational representation of emergency care within the hospitals and an advancement of emergency medicine in postgraduate medical education.

[Vertigo and dizziness. Diagnostic algorithm from the perspective of emergency medicine]. / Schwindel. Diagnostischer Algorithmus aus Sicht der Notfallmedizin.

Vertigo and dizziness are common symptoms in the acute care setting and have a wide diagnostic range. The most deleterious diagnosis is vertebrobasilar disease with brain infarction in the posterior fossa. Therefore, every patient with acute vestibular syndrome needs to be evaluated by a structured interview and a systematic physical examination for red flag symptoms which indicate vertebrobasilar infarction. Routinely, the physical examination should cover the head impulse (Halmagyi) test, test for nystagmus as well as the test of skew and in cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, by the Dix-Hallpike maneuver. The suspicion of a central cause of vertigo is ideally confirmed by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Most patients with a peripheral cause of vertigo can be discharged under symptomatic therapy with the advice to consult an ear nose and throat physician while patients with a central cause of vertigo are admitted for further neurological treatment.

Intranasal application of the melanocortin 4 receptor agonist MSH/ACTH(4-10) in humans causes lipolysis in white adipose tissue.

OBJECTIVE: The melanocortin system has a highly significant role in the hypothalamic regulation of body weight and energy expenditure. In animals, intracerebroventricular infusion of melanocortin receptor 4 (MCR-4) agonists increases basal metabolic rate through activation of the sympathetic nervous system and subsequently reduces food intake. In humans, direct access of MCR-4 agonists to the central nervous system can be achieved by a transnasal route, which leads to weight loss with chronic administration. In the present study, we aimed at investigating the effects of intranasally administered MC4-R agonist MSH/ACTH(4-10) on lipolysis and sympathetic nervous system activity in healthy humans. DESIGN: Healthy normal weight, male volunteers (n=10) received either 10 mg MSH/ACTH(4-10) or placebo intranasally in a double-blinded randomized crossover design. Interstitial glycerol release was assessed by microdialysis in abdominal white adipose tissue (WAT) and in skeletal muscle (SM) of the forearm. Local blood flow, systemic blood pressure, heart rate and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) within the superficial peroneal nerve were recorded at rest and after nitroprusside infusion. RESULTS: At 45 min after MSH/ACTH(4-10) administration WAT glycerol concentrations increased by 53.4±19.3% compared with baseline conditions (P<0.05) and remained significantly higher throughout the experiment when compared with placebo (P<0.05) while local glycerol release in SM was not significantly affected. Resting MSNA was not altered by MSH/ACTH(4-10) administration; however, sympathoexcitation by intravenous nitroprusside was markedly elevated (MSH/ACTH(4-10) 569±69% increase to baseline; placebo: 315±64%; P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Intranasally administered MCR-4 agonist MSH/ACTH 4-10 increases both subcutaneous WAT lipolysis and MSNA, which suggests a direct central nervous peptide effect in humans on key factors of human energy metabolism.

Metabolic alterations in adipose tissue during the early phase of experimental endotoxemia in humans.

Adipose tissue plays an important role in energy homeostasis; however, there is only little knowledge about its metabolic activity during critical illness or sepsis. We assessed adipose tissue metabolic activity and local blood flow during experimental endotoxemia in otherwise healthy humans. In a prospective, placebo controlled and randomized experiment we measured changes in lactate, glycerol, and pyruvate concentrations in microdialysate samples of femoral adipose tissue after an intravenous bolus of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 4 ng/kg). Intravenous endotoxin caused an early and constant increase in interstitial pyruvate, while formation of lactate in adipose tissue was not affected. In contrast, lactate levels in serum were elevated significantly after 90 min (p<0.05) and likewise, serum glycerol concentrations rose 90 min after LPS treatment (p<0.05) and 60 min earlier than in adipose tissue. Subcutaneous adipose tissue blood perfusion increased 2-fold while there was a strong decline in skin blood flow. Pyruvate accumulation in subcutaneous adipose tissue is an early marker of endotoxemia. While adipose tissue is a major source of serum glycerol and lactate in humans during physiological conditions, it contributes only little to increased serum lactate and glycerol levels during endotoxemia.

[Glucocorticoids and hypertension]. / Glukokortikoide und Hypertonie.

Severe arterial hypertension is a hallmark of Cushing syndrome which occurs in 80% of the patients. Additionally, persistent cortisol excess induces obesity, hyperinsulinemia with disturbed glucose tolerance and dyslipidemia which all contribute to the development of hypertension and its deleterious sequelae. Cortisol effects are mediated through diversely distributed intracellular glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors which are protected by the 11-beta-hydroxysteroiddehydrogenase type 2 in cells of some organs (i.e. kidney) but not in other. A highly complex clinical picture evolves in case of hypercortisolism due to the ubiquitous distribution of steroid receptors with different affinity and binding capacities for glucocorticoids. The present review focuses on the cortisol induced changes in blood pressure regulation which contribute to the development of hypertension.