Der Chirurg; Zeitschrift für alle Gebiete der operativen Medizen
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Scientific studies have proven without doubt that an optimized perioperative pain therapy will improve patient comfort, reduce postoperative complications, enhance postoperative recovery and shorten the length of postoperative hospital stay. It is necessary to incorporate the acute pain therapy into a perioperative multimodal and interdisciplinary therapeutic concept. Local or regional anesthesia will provide the best analgesic effect after surgery and should be considered in all patients. ⋯ Therefore, most surgical patients will only receive adequate analgesia if surgeons are familiar with the principles of postoperative pain therapy. Regular assessment of pain perception is the cornerstone of optimized pain therapy. Furthermore, pain assessment will allow the administration and to some extent dosage of analgesic therapy to be delegated to nursing personnel.
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With an incidence of 200,000 new cases per year in Germany, inguinal hernia has a significant socioeconomic impact. The 2009 guidelines from the European Hernia Society established treatment recommendations. ⋯ Lightweight mesh reduces recurrence rates and is the treatment of choice even in primary hernias. Laparoscopic hernia repair is associated with specific risks but is superior in postoperative pain and earlier return to work.
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The treatment of emergencies in a hospital should be organized in a central interdisciplinary emergency department (ER). It is the main entrance for all patients with acute illness or injuries. There are multiple advantages of such a central unit. ⋯ The interdisciplinary diagnostics and treatment at one place prevents time-consuming and unnecessary transport. The fact that more complex diseases and injuries need specialized doctors in specific disciplines should be considered in personnel planning of the ER. To reinsure that the entire medical staff of the hospital is familiar with the daily routine and clinical pathways of the ER, doctors from other departments of the hospital should always be part of the ER team.
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Modern processes in the organization in German hospitals are decisive to the development of emergency departments and as these represent the interface between outpatient and inpatient care, they have been identified as a strategic success factor. In larger hospitals emergency departments are generally run as independent units with their own management. ⋯ Clear job profiles for the leadership, staff members and structures of these units are needed. This article highlights the requirements for these structures from the perspective of the German Interdisciplinary Association of Critical Care Medicine (DIVI).
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Almost 16 million Germans are treated annually in an emergency room (ER). Most patients are seen in a specialty ER and only 10-20% of all hospitals have a centralized ER facility. ⋯ It remains unclear whether the implementation of specialized ER physicians is more cost-effective than centralized specialization. However, it appears reasonable to centralize all ER resources, to optimize the workflow using electronic patient charts and order entry sets and to incorporate the general practitioner into the treatment of simple medical problems.