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Anesthesia services outside central surgical facilities (nonoperating room anesthesia, NORA) have become more important. Nonoperating room anesthesia is a challenging field with a wide range of patient ages and interventions. The anesthesiologist is caught between the existing expertise in sedation, respiratory and emergency management and the fact that it may be a potentially avoidable cost factor. The efforts of some specialist departments to carry out sedation themselves even with more complex interventions have therefore increased. In order to permanently establish anesthesia here, apart from the pure anesthesiological expertise, a pronounced willingness to interdisciplinary communication and cooperation is necessary. Only in this way can the participating specialist disciplines be convinced of the anesthesiological added value for the patient. Groups of patients requiring special attention include pediatric patients. The care especially for children under 2 years old also requires the particular anesthesiological expertise of the supervising anesthesiologist; however, profound knowledge, for example in cardiac anesthesia, is also required if special interventions are decentrally managed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.

Background: Hypnosis is probably one of the oldest therapies known to man. In the last decades modern hypnosis has mainly been used by psychotherapists; however, hypnosis is becoming increasingly more important as a therapeutic method in medicine. Hypnosis can be used for a variety of medical indications. In the literature there is much evidence for the effectiveness of hypnosis. The aim of the present investigation was to demonstrate the effectiveness of hypnosis in inpatient treatment of chronic pain patients and to present a self-hypnosis program, which can be easily integrated into pain therapy., Methods: From October 2012 to April 2013 all inpatient chronic pain patients were included (group 1: non-hypnosis group, group 2: hypnosis group). Concerning group 2 a standardized protocol for hypnotherapy was integrated in addition to the standardized pain management program. The main goal of hypnotherapy was to integrate a self-hypnosis training so that further implementation in a domestic setting could be guaranteed. By means of standardized test procedures, e. g. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Pain Disability Index (PDI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and Numerical Rating Scales (NRS) for pain and general well-being, data were evaluated before and after the pain therapy., Results: The prestandardized and poststandardized test procedures of 30 chronic pain patients were evaluated (17 patients without hypnosis, 13 patients with hypnosis). The main diagnosis according to ICD-10 was "chronic pain disorder" (F45.41) with a MPSS stage III in all patients. The PDI was significantly improved in the hypnosis group (p = 0.019). The other items all showed a trend towards improvement in the hypnosis group (exception GAD-7) but without statistical significance (p > 0.05)., Discussion: In a small patient collective, the present investigation was able to show that the integration of modern hypnotherapy into the treatment of chronic pain patients in an inpatient setting can be another useful therapeutic aspect. In particular, the instructions for learning independently seem to be useful due to the limited in-patient time. More research needs to be carried out to support our initial findings.

Background: In critical illnesses low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with higher morbidity and mortality. In addition to the SES, further factors at an individual level (e.g., sex, health insurance status and place of residence) may influence the severity of illness and medical treatment. We investigated these additional parameters in a secondary analysis of the ECSSTASI data., Methods: Within the framework of the ECSSTASI study, 996 patients were recruited from a surgical intensive care unit. We examined the influence of sex, insurance status and place of residence on health-related behavior, disease severity, duration of intensive care and ventilation (28 ventilator-free days score, 28-VFDS) and social support by the next of kin. Multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analyses were carried out and odds ratios (OR) are presented with corresponding 95% confidence intervals., Results: Among patients admitted to the intensive care unit, the disease severity (SOFA score >5) was significantly lower in women than in men (OR 0.62 [0.45-0.87]). Increasing size of the patient's town of residence was associated with a significantly shorter duration of treatment on the intensive care unit (OR 0.54 [0.32-0.91]). An increasing number of persons in the household was associated with a significantly increased risk of being ventilated longer compared to 1‑person households (p = 0.028). Patients with private insurance (OR 1.87 [1.28-2.70]), patients from households with ≥4 persons (OR 1.92 [1.1-3.33]) and patients without German citizenship (OR 2.56 [1.39-4.55]) were visited significantly more often by next of kin., Conclusion: In addition to the SES, sociodemographic characteristics of the individual patient are associated with the course of treatment in intensive care medicine. The extent of social support by the next of kin depends on intercultural and individual patient characteristics. An increasing size of the town of residence and private health insurance status positively influence intensive care outcomes. In order to evaluate these data, further epidemiological studies in intensive care medicine are necessary.

Background: The right to adequate outpatient palliative care has existed for several years in Germany. In recent years outpatient palliative care has developed very positively. Nevertheless, in emergency situations paramedics and emergency physicians were often included in the care of palliative care of patients. The aim of our study was to investigate the cooperation between outpatient palliative care teams and the emergency medical services. Another aim was to identify structural realities and based on these to discuss the possibilities in the optimization of outpatient palliative medical emergency situations., Methods: A standardized self-designed questionnaire was distributed to specialized outpatient palliative care teams (SPCS) in Germany. For this purpose, closed and open questions (mixed methods) were used. The evaluation was carried out according to the questionnaire categories in quantitative and qualitative forms. The questionnaire was subdivided into general information and specific questions., Results: The survey response rate was 79% from a total of 81 SPCS in 2011. The following standards in palliative emergency care were recommended: (1) early integration of outpatient palliative care services and basic outpatient palliative care systems, (2) end-of-life discussions, (3) defined emergency medical documents, emergency drug boxes, do not attempt resuscitation orders and (4) emergency medical training (physicians and paramedics)., Conclusion: Outpatient palliative care in Germany has developed very positively during the last years; however, there are still deficits in terms of optimal patient care, one of which refers to the treatment of palliative care emergencies. In this context, optimization in the cooperation between outpatient palliative care services and emergency medical services should be discussed.

Background: The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition. In special situations, these critically ill patients must be transferred to specialized centers for escalating treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of inter-hospital transport (IHT) of ARDS patients., Methods: We evaluated medical and organizational aspects of structural and procedural quality relating to IHT of patients with ARDS in a prospective nationwide ARDS study. The qualification of emergency staff, the organizational aspects and the occurrence of critical events during transport were analyzed., Results: Out of 1234 ARDS patients, 431 (34.9%) were transported, and 52 of these (12.1%) treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. 63.1% of transferred patients were male, median age was 54 years, and 26.8% of patients were obese. All patients were mechanically ventilated during IHT. Pressure-controlled ventilation was the preferred mode (92.1%). Median duration to organize the IHT was 165 min. Median distance for IHT was 58 km, and median duration of IHT 60 min. Forty-two patient-related and 8 technology-related critical events (11.6%, 50 of 431 patients) were observed. When a critical event occurred, the PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio before transport was significant lower (68 vs. 80 mmHg, p = 0.017). 69.8% of physicians and 86.7% of paramedics confirmed all transfer qualifications according to requirements of the German faculty guidelines (DIVI)., Conclusions: The transport of critically ill patients is associated with potential risks. In our study the rate of patient- and technology-related critical events was relatively low. A severe ARDS with a PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio < 70 mmHg seems to be a risk factor for the appearance of critical events during IHT. The majority of transport staff was well qualified. Time span for organization of IHT was relatively short. ECMO is an option to transport patients with a severe ARDS safely to specialized centers. Trial registration NCT02637011 (ClinicalTrials.gov, Registered 15 December 2015, retrospectively registered).

Patients undergoing peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation have a high risk of lower limb ischemia. In general, regular controls are carried out based on clinical and laboratory parameters in order to quickly detect and treat complications. These controls are challenging due to states of shock, nonpulsatile flow and vasopressor therapy. As additional monitoring the use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is described in the literature as being very successful in detecting ischemia. The present article describes the use and possible limitations of NIRS for the diagnostics of peripheral ischemia.

Baroreceptor stimulators are novel implantable devices that activate the carotid baroreceptor reflex. This results in a decrease in activity of the sympathetic nervous system and inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. In patients with drug-resistant hypertension, permanent electrical activation of the baroreceptor reflex results in blood pressure reduction and cardiac remodeling. For correct intraoperative electrode placement at the carotid bifurcation, the baroreceptor reflex needs to be activated several times. Many common anesthetic agents, such as inhalation anesthetics and propofol dampen or inhibit the baroreceptor reflex and complicate or even prevent successful placement. Therefore, a specific anesthesia and pharmacological management is necessary to ensure successful implantation of baroreceptor reflex stimulators.

Due to a huge increase in the implantation of ventricular assist devices (VAD) over the last few years and the enormous technical advances in functional safety, a growing number of patients with VAD are discharged from hospital, who are still considered to be severely ill. This results in an increased probability of these patients interacting with emergency services where personnel are unaware of the presence of a VAD, creating anxiety and uncertainty regarding how to treat these patients. This article presents an overview of the most common problems and pitfalls regarding VADs. It also presents an algorithm for dealing with emergencies involving these patients including the diagnostics, treatment and primary transport.

Background: The press is an important medium and plays a significant role as an information source for people. Moreover, the daily press transmits opinion-forming contents. During the German "transplantation scandal" various articles were published in the German press focusing on organ donation, transplantation, allocation of organs and brain death determination. Selected important newspaper articles were analyzed using a scientific text analysis as it was assumed that the publications might have had an important influence on attitudes or mistrust of transplantation medicine., Material and Methods: A total of 216 articles from Süddeutsche Zeitung, Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Die Zeit published between summer 2012 and early 2013, which focused on the transplantation scandal were analyzed using a modern form of scientific text analysis. From these articles 12 categories of contents were identified which were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively., Results: Most articles were published between June and August 2012 when the accusations of organ allocation manipulation were made public. A second wave was found in the early months of 2013, when the court proceedings against the predominantly blamed physician began. Most of the categories (63.8 %) transmitted a negative evaluative opinion (i.e. loss of confidence, enrichment of the persons involved, fraud, misconduct, rejection of brain death and disturbing the peace of the dead) leading to mistrust of transplantation per se, while the minority (36.2 %) were categorized as endeavoring to convey objective information, focus on ethical responsibility for organ donation or the problems of organ shortage. Furthermore, a striking increase of articles doubting the concept of brain death was observed., Conclusion: German newspapers as important opinion-leading and opinion-forming media have a substantial impact in accomplishing the demands for objective and factual information of transplantation medicine. Physicians, ethicists, journalists and politicians are invoked to have a closer collaboration in the future.

Background: Palliative emergencies describe an acute situation in patients with a life-limiting illness. At present defined curricula for prehospital emergency physician training for palliative emergencies are limited. Simulation-based training (SBT) for such palliative emergency situations is an exception both nationally and internationally., Aim: This article presents the preparation of recommendations in the training and development of palliative care emergency situations., Material and Methods: A selected literature search was performed using PubMed, EMBASE, Medline and the Cochrane database (1990-2013). Reference lists of included articles were checked by two reviewers. Data of the included articles were extracted, evaluated und summarized. In the second phase the participants of two simulated scenarios of palliative emergencies were asked to complete an anonymous 15-item questionnaire. The results of the literature search and the questionnaire-based investigation were compared and recommendations were formulated based on the results., Results: Altogether 30 eligible national and international articles were included. Overall, training curricula in palliative emergencies are currently being developed nationally and internationally but are not yet widely integrated into emergency medical training and education. In the second part of the investigation, 25 participants (9 male, 16 female, 20 physicians and 5 nurses) were included in 4 multiprofessional emergency medical simulation training sessions. The most important interests of the participants were the problems for training and further education concerning palliative emergencies described in the national and international literature., Conclusion: The literature review and the expectations of the participants underlined that the development and characteristics of palliative emergencies will become increasingly more important in outpatient emergency medicine. All participants considered palliative care to be very important concerning the competency for end-of-life decisions in palliative patients. For this reason, special curricula and simulation for dealing with palliative care patients and special treatment decisions in emergency situations seem to be necessary.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a rare hereditary, mostly subclinical myopathy. Trigger substances, such as volatile anesthetic agents and the depolarizing muscle relaxant succinylcholine can induce a potentially fatal metabolic increase in predisposed patients caused by a dysregulation of the myoplasmic calcium (Ca) concentration. Mutations in the dihydropyridine ryanodine receptor complex in combination with the trigger substances are responsible for an uncontrolled release of Ca from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This leads to activation of the contractile apparatus and a massive increase in cellular energy production. Exhaustion of the cellular energy reserves ultimately results in local muscle cell destruction and subsequent cardiovascular failure. The clinical picture of MH episodes is very variable. Early symptoms are hypoxia, hypercapnia and cardiac arrhythmia whereas the body temperature rise, after which MH is named, often occurs later. Decisive for the course of MH episodes is a timely targeted therapy. Following introduction of the hydantoin derivative dantrolene, the previously high mortality of fulminant MH episodes could be reduced to well under 10 %. An MH predisposition can be detected using the invasive in vitro contracture test (IVCT) or mutation analysis. Few elaborate diagnostic procedures are in the developmental stage.

The results of preclinical and clinical studies indicate that the perioperative period is a vulnerable period for cancer progression and metastasis. The risk of cancer cell dissemination is enhanced by the combination of surgical manipulation and perioperative immunosuppression. Whether the oncological outcome of cancer patients can be influenced by the choice of anesthetic techniques is still a matter of debate. This review summarizes the molecular characteristics of cancer and interaction of anesthetic and analgesic drugs with cancer cells.

Anesthetists will encounter palliative patients in the daily routine as palliative patients undergo operations and interventions as well, depending on the state of the disease. The first challenge for anesthetists will be to recognize the patient as being palliative. In the course of further treatment it will be necessary to address the specific problems of this patient group. Medical problems are optimized symptom control and the patient's pre-existing medication. In the psychosocial domain, good communication skills are expected of anesthetists, especially during the preoperative interview. Ethical conflicts exist with the decision-making process for surgery and the handling of perioperative do-not-resuscitate orders. This article addresses these areas of conflict and the aim is to enable anesthetists to provide the best possible perioperative care to this vulnerable patient group with the goal to maintain quality of life and keep postoperative recovery as short as possible.

Nerve injury after peripheral regional anesthesia is rare and is not usually permanent. Some authors believe that inducing peripheral nerve blocks in patients during general anesthesia or analgosedation adds an additional risk factor for neuronal damage. This is based on published case reports showing that there is a positive correlation between paresthesia experienced during regional anesthesia and subsequent nerve injury. Therefore, many sources recommend that regional nerve blocks should only be performed in awake or lightly sedated patients, at least in adults. However, there is no scientific basis for this recommendation. Furthermore, there is no proof that regional anesthesia performed in patients under general anesthesia or deep sedation bears a greater risk than in awake or lightly sedated patients. Currently anesthesiologists are free to follow personal preferences in this matter as there is no good evidence favoring one approach over the other. The risk of systemic toxicity of local anesthetic agents is not higher in patients who receive regional anesthesia under general anesthesia or deep sedation. Finally, in children and uncooperative adults the administration of peripheral nerve blocks under general anesthesia or deep sedation is widely accepted.

Introduction: The last survey of anesthesiological acute pain therapy in Germany was conducted in 1999. Since then new organisational as well as therapeutic aspects have developed. Amongst others the operation and procedures key (OPS) figure 8-919 complex acute pain therapy has been introduced in the German medical billing system, with the restriction that it cannot currently be redeemed. There is an ongoing debate on the role of epidural analgesia in acute pain therapy and new oral medication concepts have been established. Therefore a survey of the present state of acute pain therapy in Germany was conducted., Methods: Based on a list of all 1,356 hospitals in Germany a randomized list of 412 hospitals was generated. Out of these 412 hospitals those with anesthesiology departments (378 hospitals) were contacted via telephone and asked to participate in the survey. Out of the 378 hospitals 285 (75.4 %) agreed to take part. The survey consisted of a questionnaire containing closed and open questions regarding organisational and therapeutic aspects of acute pain therapy. The ethics committee of the University of Regensburg rated the survey as not being subject to approval due to the lack of personal patient data., Results: Of the participating hospitals 183 (64.2 %) had an acute pain service (APS) and of these 107 (58.5 %) met the quality criteria of the OPS 8-919. This figure however, was only consistently documented by 40 (37 %) APSs. Epidural analgesia (EA) was offered by 275 (96.5 %) hospitals and patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCA) by 255 (89.5 %). Likewise, 255 (89.5 %) hospitals used controlled-released opioids in acute pain therapy. Concerning EA, the medications most used were sufentanil as an opioid and ropivacaine as a local anesthetic in255 (92.7 %) of the hospitals with EA for sufentanil and 253 (92 %] for ropivacaine. An EA was offered on regular wards in 240 (87.3 %) hospitals. Uncertainty existed about concrete limits for coagulation values before removal of an epidural catheter. The opioid most utilized in PCA was piritramide with some hospitals using morphine or oxycodone (92.2 %, 9.4 % and 9.4 %, respectively). Other opioids, such as hydromorphone and tramadol were rarely used and remifentanil was not used at all. Oral medication was widely used with metamizole being the non-opioid analgesic and oxycodone/naloxone the controlled-release opioid being prescribed the most. New antiepileptic drugs, such as gabapentin or pregabalin were rarely employed in acute pain therapy., Conclusions: Since 1999 the number of hospitals that have implemented an APS has risen from 36.1 % to 64.2 %. The lack of consistent documentation of the OPS 8-919 will probably not increase the likelihood that it will become redeemable in the near future. Certain therapy methods, such as EA and PCA were still well established with oral therapy gaining in significance. The uncertainty regarding limits for coagulation values before removal of an epidural catheter could perhaps be reduced by a statement from the German Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care.

Background: In the context of regional anesthesia procedures adverse events rarely occur but are predominantly systemic intoxication due to local anesthetics (0.01-0.035 %), nerve injuries (0.01-1.7 %) and infections (0-3.2 %)., Materials and Methods: In a level 1 trauma centre data from all continuous peripheral nerve blocks (cPNB) were prospectively acquired over a period of 8 years (2002-2009) in an observational study (n = 10,549). The acquisition of data was carried out in an intranet-based data bank which was accessible for 24 h on every anesthesia workstation. The collected data included type of block, catheter duration and accompanying complications. This study was carried out with special respect to infectious complications (inflammation and infection)., Results: In the years 2002-2004 unexpectedly high rates of infectious complications were observed in 3,491 cPNBs with 146 inflammations (4.2 %) and 112 infections (3.2 %). Based on these alarming findings the existing hygiene regime was revised. The innovations were incorporated into the "Hygiene recommendations for the initiation and continued care of regional anaesthetic procedures" of the German Society for Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin, DGAI). A major change was the extension of skin disinfection to a spray-and-scrub combined procedure lasting 10 min. The introduction of this care bundle was carried out in 2005. Among 7,053 cPNBs that were conducted between 2005 and 2009 inflammation occurred in only 183 procedures (2.6 %) and infection in 61 procedures (0.9 %). This reduction was highly significant in both categories (p < 0.001). The risk factors catheter duration and catheter localization statistically remained unchanged during the observational period, Conclusion: Using a real-time computer-based tool for data capture makes a veritable detection of adverse events possible. Such a tool also has the power to monitor the effects of changes in clinical procedures (SOP). In this case it was possible to verify the successful introduction of an extended hygiene care bundle. The new regime significantly decreased the rate of infections in cPNB.

Background: The aim of this study was to conduct an audit of a university inpatient pain consultation service and to examine the quality and the implementation of the recommended therapeutic measures. Factors that influenced the implementation should be identified., Patients and Methods: All inpatients treated by the consultation service in the years 2009 and 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. Demographic patient characteristics as well as quality parameters of the consultation service and pharmacological and non-pharmacological recommendations and their implementation were analyzed., Results: In total 1,048 requests for the consultation service were processed of which 39.7% of the requests were for patients with acute pain, 33.8% with chronic and 19.9% with tumor-associated pain. Measures recommended most were medication, physiotherapy and psychological treatment. Recommended medications were actually prescribed in more than 80%, physiotherapy recommended in about 75% and psychological treatment recommended in 47% of the cases. Only a few influencing factors for the implementation of the recommended measures could be identified., Conclusion: Many different pain states are seen in an inpatient pain consultation service. The recommendations given are implemented in most cases especially concerning the medication.

The care of patients, suffering from acute, chronic, or malignant pain, requires systematic and interprofessional collaboration between all team members to ensure a holistic approach to pain management. In doing so, the different professions are often in a competitive, tense, or dependent relationship resulting from a lack of precise definitions and concepts regarding their responsibilities in the wide field of pain management. Considering pain management as a whole, we can define numerous interfaces concerning competencies and tasks which may open up some new perspectives on concepts of interprofessional education (IPE). Internationally, there have been many attempts to establish concepts of interprofessional education, and it is considered a great challenge to improve continuing medical education. However, interdisciplinary subjects like pain management may benefit from it. Apart from enhancing specialized knowledge, interprofessional education aims to consider the different roles, skills, and responsibilities as well as interprofessional strategies of decision-making. In Germany, only a few efforts have been made with regard to interprofessional pain education. In the following paper, different challenges, tasks, and roles within the field of pain management are discussed in the sense of potential areas of collaboration in the context of interprofessional education. Against this background, the Regensburg model for interprofessional pain management education is described as one national program to enhance the effectiveness of pain management.

The necessity of limiting resource in healthcare systems is becoming increasingly more evident. The population has requirements especially in the field of healthcare which are principally unlimited. However, there are only limited financial resources which can be used to satisfy the wishes of the population. For this reason rationing models are being discussed increasingly more often. One example of these models is called age rationing which means that defined services are only offered to patients up to a particular age. The aim of this article is to discuss the model of age rationing in the context of an optimized use of resources in the healthcare system.

A case of pulmonary edema after the administration of naloxone for laparoscopic splenectomy is reported. Previous reports of naloxone-induced pulmonary edema are listed and reviewed. The clinical course is compared to other forms of non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Uncertainty remains about the underlying pathophysiological process and the true impact of naloxone on the development of pulmonary edema.

Introduction: An increase in ethical conflicts is being observed in the modern intensive care setting, as more complex therapeutic strategies are available and the treatment of old and very old patients is integrated into the clinical routine due to changes in medical options and social epidemiology. Physicians, nurses and families need ethical support to come to a decision about medical treatment when value conflicts are involved., Methods: The basis of medical ethics is reported followed by a presentation of personal experiences and a reference overview regarding the impact of ethics consultations., Results: Common ethical conflicts in the intensive care setting result from the lack of precise knowledge on patient preferences and due the use of modern "high-tech" intensive care medicine the prognosis of recovery and quality of life of (old) patients seems to be difficult to assess. Ethical definitions of treatment perspectives will find an important and increasing place in intensive care competence in the future, although currently there is a lack of theoretical and practical instruction in ethics. The goal of ethics consultations is to help physicians, nurses and family members by a structuration of the problem and by a moderation of discussion and problem resolution including a special ethical workflow. Ethics consultations seem to be useful in resolving conflicts that may inappropriately prolong unwanted treatment., Conclusions: The increase of the incidence of ethical conflicts in the intensive care setting may impact ethics consultations which help the integration of ethical principles into the clinical practice.

Background: Palliative care needs a high level of expertise. In particular, there are some potential difficulties in the treatment of patients with the symptom cancer pain (for example lack of education). In Germany, various physicians are involved in cancer pain treatment but in general palliative care patients are treated by a physician who is educated in palliative medicine. In special circumstances prehospital emergency physicians and other physicians are involved in therapy decisions in palliative care patients as well. The authors surveyed different groups of physicians in Germany about their specific knowledge of cancer pain management., Material and Methods: A self-designed, standardized questionnaire (50 items) was given to palliative physicians in training (PP). The survey asked prospectively for knowledge on the World Health Organization (WHO) step ladder of cancer pain therapy. The results were retrolectively compared with an earlier investigation with the same background (emergency physicians in training EP)., Results: There was a 99.5% response rate with a total of 654 respondents (PP 185, EP 469) and 461 (70.5%) of the respondents had knowledge of the WHO step ladder for the treatment of cancer pain [PP 164/185 (88.6%), EP 297/469 (63.3%), PP versus EP p < 0.001)]. The correct numbers of therapeutic levels were known by 361/461 participants [PP 151/164 (92.1%), EP 210/297 (70.7%), p < 0.001].The EPs with a professional experience less than 5 years answered statistically significantly more questions correctly (p = 0.004). Concerning the defined parameters knowledge and professional experience, there was no statistically significant difference in the group of PP., Conclusions: The results of this study verified that the highest knowledge scores were achieved by PPs and overall, the knowledge scores showed an improvement in comparison to previous investigations. In recent years there seems to have been an improvement in education on pain treatment,for example during medical school. Whether this also leads to an improvement of patient care and the relevance of these data for the clinical practice needs to be investigated in further studies.

Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW) is a severe complication in critically ill patients which has been increasingly recognized over the last two decades. By definition ICUAW is caused by distinct neuromuscular disorders, namely critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP) and critical illness myopathy (CIM). Both CIP and CIM can affect limb and respiratory muscles and thus complicate weaning from a ventilator, increase the length of stay in the intensive care unit and delay mobilization and physical rehabilitation. It is controversially discussed whether CIP and CIM are distinct entities or whether they just represent different organ manifestations with common pathomechanisms. These basic pathomechanisms, however, are complex and still not completely understood but metabolic, inflammatory and bioenergetic alterations seem to play a crucial role. In this respect several risk factors have recently been revealed: in addition to the administration of glucocorticoids and non-depolarizing muscle relaxants, sepsis and multi-organ failure per se as well as elevated levels of blood glucose and muscular immobilization have been shown to have a profound impact on the occurrence of CIP and CIM. For the diagnosis, careful physical and neurological examinations, electrophysiological testing and in rare cases nerve and muscle biopsies are recommended. Nevertheless, it appears to be difficult to clearly distinguish between CIM and CIP in a clinical setting. At present no specific therapy for these neuromuscular disorders has been established but recent data suggest that in addition to avoidance of risk factors early active mobilization of critically ill patients may be beneficial.

Background: Anesthesiology departments were often integrated into the primary formation of palliative activities in Germany. The aim of this study was to present the current integration of anesthesiology departments into palliative care activities in Germany., Methods: The objective was to determine current activities of anesthesiology departments in in-hospital palliative care. A quantitative study was carried out based on a self-administered structured questionnaire used during telephone interviews., Results: A total of 168 out of 244 hospitals consented to participate in the study and the response rate was 69%. In-hospital palliative care activities were reported for most of the surveyed hospitals. Only two hospitals in the maximum level of care reported no activities. Participation in these activities by anesthesiology departments was described in up to 92%. Historically, most activities are due to the commitment of individuals, whereas the development of palliative care of cancer pain services and hospital support teams took place in the university hospitals by 2005., Conclusions: Until 2005 many university palliative care activities had their origins in cancer pain services. These were often integrated into anesthesiology departments. Currently, anesthesiology departments work as an integrative part of palliative medicine. However, it appears from the present results that there is a domination of internal medicine (especially hematology and oncology) in palliative activities in German hospitals. This allows the focus of palliative activities to be formed by subjective specialist interests. Such a state seems to be reduced by the integration of anesthesiology departments because of their neutrality with respect to faculty-specific medical interests. Advantages or disadvantages of these circumstances are not considered by the present investigation.

The use of enteral feeding tubes is an important part of early enteral feeding in intensive care medicine. In other faculties with non-critically ill patients, such as (oncologic) surgery, neurology, paediatrics or even in palliative care medicine feeding tubes are used under various circumstances as a temporary or definite solution. The advantage of enteral feeding tubes is the almost physiologic administration of nutrition, liquids and medication. Enteral nutrition is thought to be associated with a reduced infection rate, increased mucosal function, improved immunologic function, reduced length of hospital stay and reduced costs. However, the insertion and use of feeding tubes is potentially dangerous and may be associated with life-threatening complications (bleeding, perforation, peritonitis, etc.). Therefore, the following article will give a summary of the different types of enteral feeding tubes and their range of application. Additionally, a critical look on indication and contraindication is given as well as how to insert an enteral feeding tube.

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a rare condition and the origin is mostly idiopathic. Causes of symptomatic glossopharyngeal neuralgia can be tumors, infarction or trauma. We report the case of a 28-year-old patient who developed glossopharyngeal neuralgia after resection of a glossopharyngeal schwannoma, which is an extremely rare tumor. Treatment consisted of orally administered pregabalin and a series of injections of buprenorphine in the superior cervical ganglion (ganglionic local opioid application/analgesia, GLOA) which led to a substantial decrease in the frequency of pain attacks. This improvement was maintained at 1-year follow-up. This is the first report of development of glossopharyngeal neuralgia after resection of a glossopharyngeal schwannoma.

Background: At the end of life acute exacerbations of medical symptoms (e.g. dyspnea) in palliative care patients often result in emergency medical services being alerted. The goals of this study were to discuss cooperation between emergency medical and palliative care structures to optimize the quality of care in emergencies involving palliative care patients., Methods: For data collection an open discussion of the main topics by experts in palliative and emergency medical care was employed. Main outcome measures and recommendations included responses regarding current practices related to expert opinions and international literature sources., Results: As the essential points of consensus the following recommendations for optimization of care were named: (1) integration of palliative care in the emergency medicine curricula for pre-hospital emergency physicians and paramedics, (2) development of outpatient palliative care, (3) integration of palliative care teams into emergency medical structures, (4) cooperation between palliative and emergency medical care, (5) integration of crisis intervention into outpatient palliative emergency medical care, (6) provision of emergency plans and emergency medical boxes, (7) provision of palliative crisis cards and do not attempt resuscitation (DNAR) orders, (8) psychosocial aspects concerning palliative emergencies and (9) definition of palliative patients and their special situation by the physician responsible for prior treatment., Conclusions: Prehospital emergency physicians are confronted with emergencies in palliative care patients every day. In the treatment of these emergencies there are potentially serious conflicts due to the different therapeutic concepts of palliative medical care and emergency medical services. This study demonstrates that there is a need for regulated criteria for the therapy of palliative patients and patients at the end of life in emergency situations. Overall, more clinical investigations concerning end-of-life care and unresponsive palliative care patients in emergency medical situations are necessary.

An interdisciplinary working group from the German Society of Hospital Hygiene (DGKH) and the German Society for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care (DGAI) worked out the following recommendations for infection prevention during anesthesia by using breathing system filters (BSF). The BSF shall be changed after each patient. The filter retention efficiency for airborne particles is recommended to be >99% (II). The retention performance of BSF for liquids is recommended to be at pressures of at least 60 hPa (=60 mbar) or 20 hPa above the selected maximum ventilation pressure in the anesthetic system.The anesthesia breathing system may be used for a period of up to 7 days provided that the functional requirements of the system remain unchanged and the manufacturer states this in the instructions for use. The breathing system and the manual ventilation bag are changed immediately after the respective anesthesia if the following situation has occurred or it is suspected to have occurred: Notifiable infectious disease involving the risk of transmission via the breathing system and the manual bag, e.g. tuberculosis, acute viral hepatitis, measles, influenza virus, infection and/or colonization with a multi-resistant pathogen or upper or lower respiratory tract infections. In case of visible contamination e.g. by blood or in case of defect, it is required that the BSF and also the anesthesia breathing system is changed and the breathing gas conducting parts of the anesthesia ventilator are hygienically reprocessed.Observing of the appropriate hand disinfection is very important. All surfaces of the anesthesia equipment exposed to hand contact must be disinfected after each case.

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was established in Germany 25 years ago in specialized centers as an approach for patients suffering from severe life-threatening lung failure. Apart from such indications the inclusion of ECMO as a planned intervention for safety purposes in the postoperative weaning from mechanical ventilation in a 22-year-old woman is described. Following a complex tracheal reconstruction due to oesophageal-tracheal fistula formation, conventional weaning procedures would have been accompanied by a very high risk as extubation failure might have caused an airway disaster. After elective use of veno-venous ECMO the young patient was extubated without risk and lung function was stabilized safely. Extracorporeal lung assist can be indicated apart from rescue management in elective situations for prevention of an airway catastrophe after careful calculation of the harm/benefit ratio.

Background: Cancer diseases are often associated with acute and chronic pain. Therefore, cancer pain is a symptom frequently reported by palliative care patients with cancer diseases. Prehospital emergency physicians may be confronted with exacerbation of pain in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of prehospital emergency physicians in training concerning cancer pain therapy., Methods: A total of 471 prehospital emergency physicians received a questionnaire (period of time: 2007-2009). The questionnaire was prepared for the study ("mixed methods design"). Twenty-four questions concerning cancer pain therapy (response options: scaling, open) were designed. The evaluation was done descriptively according to professional experience, field name and experience in treating patients with cancer as well., Results: A total of 469 participants completed the questionnaire (response rate 99%). On average, 10.8 (SD +5.7, range 2-24) questions were answered correctly. Resident physicians answered statistically significantly more questions correctly than consultants (p=0.02). Only physicians working in internal medicine achieved statistically significantly better results than other disciplines (e.g., surgery; p=0.01). Physicians with professional experience of less than 5 years answered statistically significantly more questions correctly (p=0.004)., Conclusions: The results of this study verify that emergency physicians in training have insufficient knowledge of pain therapy and end-of-life decisions. The data of this investigation suggest that more attention should be paid to education on pain therapy and end-of-life care in medical curricula. Prehospital emergency physicians may thus be better prepared to provide quality care for palliative patients.

Modern anesthesia is handling an increasing number of patients with neurological diseases who require narcosis. Regional anesthesia techniques offer qualities which might be advantageous for this group particularly for childbirth. The number of pregnant women with neurological diseases has increased significantly in the recent years due to improved diagnostics and therapy. A more careful approach to regional anesthesia in patients with neurological diseases is necessary as the drugs themselves possess neurotoxic effects and the procedure might worsen the underlying neurological diseases. Additionally, performing regional anesthesia might be more complicated and the resulting blockade might be different from the expected neuronal block. Published data concerning regional anesthesia in this patient group are limited and mainly restricted to case reports. In this review general considerations regarding regional anesthesia, techniques, drugs and methods in these patient groups will be discussed. In the second part the practical approach to regional anesthesia for some of the most important neurological diseases is highlighted.

Acute renal failure (ARF) is clinically defined as an abrupt, but in principle reversible deterioration of glomerular and tubular function. Regarding pathophysiology, ARF is caused by ischemic renal conditions and toxic mediators. Sepsis is the most common cause of ARF in the intensive care unit and ARF is an independent risk factor for lethality of septic patients. Interventions to protect the kidneys against ARF include preliminary optimization of renal perfusion by volume load with cristalloid solutions and the administration of vasopressors. Daily maximum permissible dosages for colloids should not be exceeded and hyperoncotic colloid solutions should be generally avoided. Dopamine in "renal dosage" is nowadays obsolete. Loop diuretics produce diuresis and can be beneficial to extrarenal organs by improving fluid homeostasis, however diuretics do not improve kidney function and outcome. Therefore, diuretics are not indicated for patients with imminent or existing ARF. Septic patients with ARF can be treated by intermittent and continuous forms of renal replacement therapy, whereas continuous convective and intermittent diffusive methods are equivalent when utilizing an ultrafiltration rate > or =20 ml/h*kg body weight or a therapeutic interval > or =3 times/week.

Background: In the medical literature the Lazarus phenomenon is defined as the spontaneous return of circulation (SROC) after cessation of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Based on published literature recommendations concerning the treatment of patients after cessation of resuscitation and reasons for the Lazarus phenomenon are discussed., Methods: A literature search in Medline, PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar and Google from 1982 to 2009 was carried out for the terms "Lazarus phenomenon", "cessation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)", "spontaneous return of circulation (SROC)", "resuscitation and spontaneous defibrillation", "spontaneous recovery and cardiopulmonary resuscitation". Related secondary literature which was cited in the relevant articles was included as well as publications found in our personal literature base., Results: More than 10,000 articles and comments could be recovered and of these 45 were considered to be medically relevant articles (letters to the Editor, abstracts, case reports and literature reviews)., Conclusions: In the relevant medical literature, the Lazarus phenomenon is a rare occurrence. It seems to be a phenomenon which has often been described in non-medical literature but not published in medical literature. The pathophysiological mechanisms are poorly understood. In the literature several mechanisms are discussed which could be important for this phenomenon, e.g. autopositive end-expiratory pressure, hyperventilation and alkalosis, hyperkalemia, delayed action of drugs and unobserved minimal vital signs. In the literature it is recommended that patients should be passively monitored for at least 10 min after cessation of resuscitation. However, more scientific experimental investigations seem to be necessary to gain a better understanding of this phenomenon.

Background: In Germany, specialized out-patient palliative care systems (SPCS) are still structurally and organizationally under construction. Palliative care patients need an easy access to a qualified SPCS. The purpose of the present investigation was to show the nationwide distribution of all SPCS teams in comparison to the distribution of emergency medical systems. Possibilities for an effective structure of palliative medical care systems will be discussed in order to optimize patient care.., Methods: All SPCS teams in Germany (according to the Guide to hospices and palliative medicine of the German Association for Palliative Care 2008/2009) were documented. A cartographic representation of the structural distribution of palliative care systems was made taking a catchment area diameter of 50 km for each SPCS team and an accessibility diameter of 20 km for every palliative ward into account. These data were compared with the nationwide distribution of emergency institutions., Results: In Germany 25 SPCS teams and 198 palliative wards could be identified. In contrast there are 1,109 emergency physician locations (1,051 ground based, 58 air based). The nationwide distribution of the existing SPCS teams does not at present give exhaustive coverage in comparison to emergency medical structures. No structure which might potentially result in an exhaustive implementation of SPCS teams and palliative stations is recognizable in the analysis or distribution., Conclusions: The coverage of SPCS and in-hospital palliative care is still a theoretical construct in many regions of Germany. The number of existing SPCS teams and in-patient palliative institutions is insufficient to guarantee an exhaustive coverage of patient care as in emergency medical services. In order to achieve a higher quality of results the quality of the structure and processes must first be ensured. The distribution of palliative care should be centrally coordinated along the same lines as the emergency institutions in order to achieve a need-oriented exhaustive coverage. A surplus of care in some regions at the expense of an undersupply in other regions must be avoided. In the next step a further development and adaption of existing structures to the requirements would be a logical approach.

Background: The treatment of out-of-hospital palliative emergency care situations during cardiac arrest is a special situation. The prehospital emergency physician (EP) and the paramedic must be informed about the medical, legal, and ethical specifics of these situations, but this knowledge is not integrated within emergency medical curricula at all. We present a case study to discuss such legal and ethical specifics., Methods: We retrospectively analysed six emergency cases with palliative care patients in the final stages of their illnesses. On the basis of these case studies, we present six different emergency cases with different regulatory frameworks for each EP and paramedic. In accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, data were collected pseudonymously., Results: The six case studies show therapeutic concepts concerning the emergency medical care of palliative care patients during cardiac arrest. The differences are apparent in the treatment given by EPs and by paramedics (such as whether to start or stop resuscitation). EPs and paramedics differ in their therapeutic approach to these specific situations (e.g. paramedics more often start resuscitation during cardiac arrest even though patients would refuse this according to their advance directives). These differences may be important for the patient and his or her caregivers., Conclusions: Every EP and paramedic may be involved in the care of palliative care patients who are at the end of their lives. EPs and paramedics do not always adapt their treatment to the will or supposed will of the patient (especially in accordance with the new German law concerning advance directives). The reasons for this usually concern legal uncertainties. Therefore, EPs and paramedics should know that different legal meanings could be important in emergency medical care therapy of palliative care patients. A written "do not resuscitate" order as an advance directive must be evaluated as a desired therapeutic limitation.

Safe and effective cranial analgesia can be achieved by blocking the sensitive nerves of that region. These include the supraorbital nerve, the supratrochlear nerve, the zygomaticotemporal nerve, the auriculotemporal nerve and the greater and lesser occipital nerves which are accessible at typical and most proximal points. Preferably long acting local anesthetics such as ropivacaine 0.75% or levobupivacaine 0.5% are used supplemented with 5 microg/ml epinephrine to reduce systemic resorption and to elongate the duration. Scalp blocks are useful for intraoperative neurologic testing of the patient during awake craniotomy or for supplementation of general anesthesia for other forms of craniotomy. Other applications are minimally invasive and stereotactic neurosurgery including deep brain stimulation, photodynamic therapy of actinic ceratosis, cranial plastic surgery and pain therapy.

Palliative medicine has progressed during recent years to an independent medical faculty within the German health system. Despite this development palliative care systems for out-of-hospital and in-hospital palliative care are still insufficient in Germany so that the development of necessary resources must be considered as not yet completed. To support the further national development palliative medicine can be temporarily or permanently coupled to existing departments, which can be advantageous for all concerned and last but not least be profitable to patients and their relatives. Possibilities for participation of anaesthesiologists in this area of medical care are discussed in the study reported here. Anaesthesiologists have always historically been represented in palliative medical departments, e.g. as pain specialists. In the following investigation the special possibilities of anaesthesia departments for supporting the education and development of in-hospital and out-of hospital palliative medical care departments are reported. Previous experience of co-operation between these two departments is well established. Departments of palliative medicine depend on a well working interdisciplinary co-operation between different medical disciplines (e.g. anaesthesiology, radiotherapy, surgery and oncology) and several medical professions (e.g. physicians, nurses, psychologists). The aim of palliative care therapy is to be responsible for the best possible therapy for cancer patients and to give support to their care-giving relatives. Due to the increasing establishment of palliative care procedures in Germany, departments of anaesthesiology should actively take part in the further development. Part of the responsibility of most anaesthesia departments is to practice pain management and critical care medicine, which are reasons why anaesthesiologists are predestined to be part of the system for palliative care patients and their relatives. Anaesthesia departments can be responsible for the organization of in-hospital and out-of-hospital palliative medicine and palliative care. The integration of anaesthesiological expertise into palliative medicine departments and vice versa can be a great opportunity for both medical departments and therefore represents a worthwhile engagement.

Background: The Laryngeal Mask Airway Supreme (LMA-S) is a new disposable airway device that combines features of the LMA ProSeal (PLMA, gastric access) and LMA Fastrach (curved shaft to ease insertion) and has been available since April 2007., Methods: In a prospective study, 10 final year medical students or first year anesthesia residents, all with limited experience in LMA anesthesia, were requested to manage the airway of anesthetized female patients with the LMA-S size 4, who seemed normal on routine airway examination. Data collection included the success rates and duration for insertion, oropharyngeal leak pressures (OLP), fiber optic position and airway morbidity., Results: A total of 30 patients were enrolled in the study. Insertion of the LMA-S was possible in 27 (90%) patients at the first attempt and in 3 (10%) at the second attempt. Ventilation was established in 18.3 s (range 10-30 s, standard deviation +/-4.2 s). Insertion of a gastric tube was possible in all patients at the first attempt. Mean OLP at the level of 60 cmH2O cuff pressure was 29.1 cmH2O (range 21-35 cmH2O, standard deviation +/-4.8 cmH2O). Laryngeal fit evaluated by fiber optic control was rated as optimal in all patients both immediately after insertion of the LMA-S and after end of surgery. Three patients (10%) complained of mild sore throat. No patient reported dysphagia or dysphonia., Conclusion: Insertion of the LMA-S was successful and possible in all patients in < or = 30 s with an optimal laryngeal fit, high OLPs and low airway morbidity. The LMA-S seems to be a device suitable for use in routine anesthesia and which can be safely used by medical personnel with limited clinical experience.

Background: Prehospital emergency teams will be confronted with the specific needs of resuscitation in palliative patients in whom a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) could be found significantly less frequently than in other emergency situations. The present investigation aims to show medical and judicial problems related to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), external examination of the corpse and death certification., Methods: Over a 12-month period all emergency cases involving physicians in an out-of-hospital resuscitation setting in cancer patients were retrospectively analysed for indications for emergency call, situation on-site and prehospital treatment by emergency physicians, external examination of the corpse and determination of death., Results: For the period mentioned 164 (2.7% of the total) emergency calls by cancer patients or their relatives were identified. In the following study 43 patients (26.2%) could be included. In 20 cases (46.5%) the emergency physicians attempted to resuscitate the patient by performing CPR. In the majority of cases (36; 83.7%) death certification and external examination of the corpse were necessary at the scene., Conclusions: Due to a reduced rate of ROSC in palliative patients, death certification and external examination of the corpse are more often necessary than in other emergency situations. Therefore every emergency physician should be familiar with the ethics of resuscitation of patients in palliative care and with external examination of the corpse to do justice to patients and their caregivers.

Objective: In 2005 the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) published the new guidelines for Advanced Life Support (ALS). One of the aims was to reduce the no flow time (NFT), without chest compression in the first period of cardiac arrest. Furthermore the guidelines recommend that endotracheal intubation should only be carried out by personnel experienced in this procedure., Methods: An attempt was made to evaluate whether the use of the laryngeal tube suction (LTS-D) for emergency airway management could contribute to reduce NFT compared to bag-mask ventilation (BMV). In a randomised prospective study 50 participants were asked to perform standardised simulated cardiac arrest management on a full-scale simulator following a one-day cardiac arrest training. Each participant was randomised into the LTS-D and the BMV group for airway management. At the end of each scenario an evaluation of the use of each ventilation procedure by the participants was made by means of a questionnaire., Results: During the manikin scenario (430 s for LTS-D and 420 s for BMV) there was a significant difference in the overall NFT comparing the use of the LTS-D vs. BMV (105.8 s, range 94-124 s vs. 150.7 s, range 124-179 s; p<0.01). This corresponded during the whole scenario to a proportion of 24.6% (LTS-D) or 35.9% (BMV). Using the LTS-D all participants were able to ventilate the manikin successfully (tidal volume 500-600 ml). In a subjective evaluation of the different airway management procedures by the participants more than 90% expressed a positive opinion about the LTS-D with respect to ease of insertion and safety of ventilation., Conclusion: The use of the LTS-D on a manikin by emergency physicians after standardised cardiac arrest training significantly reduces the NFT in comparison to BMV. Therefore the LTS-D seems to be a good alternative to BMV during a simulated cardiac arrest scenario.

A paediatric emergency case with a rescue helicopter, which was reported as unexpected cardiac arrest of a 4-year-old child will be described. Based on this case, the symptoms and therapy of meningococcal sepsis and Waterhouse-Friderichsen-Syndrome under emergency conditions will be discussed as well as aspects of post-exposure prophylaxis.

There are two optical isomers of the 2-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(methylamino)-cyclohexanone ketamine: S(+) ketamine and R(-) ketamine. Effects of this drug are mediated by N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA), opioid, muscarinic and different voltage-gated receptors. Clinically, the anaesthetic potency of the S(+)-isomer is approximately three to four times that of the R(-)-isomer, which is attributable to the higher affinity of the S(+)-isomer to the phencyclidine binding sites on the NMDA receptors. Ketamine is water- and lipid-soluble, allowing it to be administered conveniently via various routes and providing extensive distribution in the body. Ketamine metabolism is mediated by hepatic microsomal enzymes. It causes bronchodilation and stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and cardiovascular system. In clinics, ketamine and particularly S(+)-ketamine are used for premedication, sedation, and induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia, which is than termed "dissociative anaesthesia". Ketamine and its S(+)-isomer are ideal anaesthetic agents for trauma victims, patients with hypovolemic and septic shock and patients with pulmonary diseases. Even subanaesthetic doses of this drug have analgesic effects, so ketamine is also recommended for post-operative analgesia and sedation. The combination of ketamine with midazolam or propofol can be extremely useful and safe for sedation and pain relief in intensive care patients, especially during sepsis and cardiovascular instability. In the treatment of chronic pain ketamine is effective as a potent analgesic or substitute together with other potent analgesics, whereby it can be added by different methods. There are some important patient side-effects, however, that limit its use, whereby psycho-mimetic side-effects are most common.

Severe clinical incidents occur in up to 10% of all non-intensive care unit (ICU) patients, which have an estimated mortality of 5-8%. As in the prehospital setting, early clinical warning signs can be identified in the majority of cases. Studies suggest that introduction of an in-hospital medical emergency team (MET) which responds to objective criteria of physiological deterioration, may effectively reduce the incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrests as well as unanticipated or readmissions to the ICU. According to this concept, METs would evaluate and treat non-ICU patients at risk at an early stage before a potentially fatal deterioration of cardiorespiratory parameters occurs. This article reviews available data on preventive in-hospital intensive care medicine and reflects on the circumstances for an implementation of METs in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

A case is presented of spontaneous return of circulation after cardiac arrest in a patient with a pacemaker without intraoperative resuscitation. In the literature this kind of situation is called the Lazarus phenomenon. Cardiac arrest of the patient occurred during surgery and because of the poor prognosis no cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated. After 6 min of apnoea and cessation of circulation, the circulation restarted spontaneously and surgery was continued. Afterwards the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit but died 2 days later without regaining consciousness. The pathophysiological mechanisms for the Lazarus phenomenon are poorly understood but several mechanisms and multifactorial events are discussed in the literature.

Background: Out-of-hospital airway management confronts emergency medical teams with complex challenges. To date no specific data are available on the qualifications of emergency physicians (EPs) and the quality of emergency equipment in northern Germany., Materials and Methods: This study surveyed individual EPs at regional emergency dispatch centres about their personal knowledge and skills, and the procedures and equipment used in out-of-hospital airway management., Results: A total of 606 EPs from 59 of the 66 (89.4%) regional emergency dispatch centres surveyed responded and 56.1% of the EPs questioned were anesthesiologists. The other EPs were qualified in either internal medicine (22.6%), surgery (12.4%), general medicine (5.6%) or other specialties (3.3%). All (100%) of the EPs trained in anesthesia and 35.2% of the other EPs reported that they had performed more than 100 in-hospital endotracheal intubations (ETI). 93% of all EPs rated out-of-hospital ETI as more difficult than in-hospital ETI. A total of 33.0% of anesthesia-trained EPs and 6.1% of the other EPs used muscle relaxants for ETI in more than 20% of the cases. Of the anesthesia-trained EPs 38.1% used expiratory CO(2) monitoring to verify tube placement compared to 12.1% of the other EPs. A total of 97.8% of anesthesia-trained EPs reported having used an extra-glottic airway device more than 20 times compared to 11.1% of the other EPs. For the emergency equipment 44.4% included an extraglottic airway device, 57.8% a cricothyrotomy set and 27.1% CO(2) monitoring options., Conclusion: Neither the emergency equipment nor the physicians' knowledge and skills were sufficient to meet the special demands of out-of-hospital airway management, particularly among non-anesthesiologists.

Background: Presently and even more in the near future more cancer patients will be treated at home especially in the final stage of their disease. For this reason the prehospital emergency system will be confronted with the specific needs of these patients. Palliative care is not part of the German model of post-graduate training regulations for emergency medicine and palliative care teams (PCT) are only involved in the treatment of cancer patients in emergency situations., Methods: Over a 12-month period we retrospectively analysed all emergency cases that had been categorised as final cancer stage at 2 emergency sites (one air-based, the other ground-based) involving physicians in an out-of-hospital setting. We analysed all cases for indications of emergency call, prehospital treatment and involvement of a PCT in the treatment of symptoms., Results: For this period we analysed 2,765 emergency documents and identified more than 2.5% as emergency calls by cancer patients or their relatives (the majority of patients had been in the final stage of the disease). Most emergency calls occurred at times when no general practitioner was on duty and acute dyspnoea (42.7%) was the prominent diagnosis. After emergency treatment 61.8% patients had been admitted to hospital. In most settings a PCT was not involved in the treatment of palliative care patients or their relatives (92.7%)., Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that care of cancer patients in the final stage of the disease is relevant in emergency medicine. These patients are in need of help based on principles of palliative care. Under these circumstances cooperation of the medical disciplines (emergency and palliative medicine) concerned seems to be necessary. This may increase the possibility for patients to stay at home for the last days of their life. Because of this we are convinced that basic knowledge of palliative care should be integrated into the German model of post-graduate training regulations for emergency care. Combining parts of the curricula (palliative and emergency medicine) it would be possible for emergency physicians to guide their treatment by the ideas and strategies of palliative care. But we are also convinced that the system of PCT should increase and become more involved in prehospital care in emergency cases of palliative care patients.