Der Anaesthesist
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Wound management is one of the major tasks in emergency departments. The surrounding intact skin but not the wound itself should be disinfected before starting definitive wound treatment. Hair should first be removed by clipping to 1-2 mm above the skin with scissors or clippers as shaving the area with a razor damages the hair follicles and increases the risk of wound infections. ⋯ For strongly bleeding lacerations of the scalp, the epicranial aponeurosis should be incorporated into the hemostasis. Aftercare varies depending on both the characteristics of the wound and those of the patient and includes adequate analgesia as well as minimizing the risk of infection. Sufficient wound aftercare starts with the treating physician informing the patient about the course of events, potential complications and providing relevant instructions.
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Review
[Venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism : Updated S2 guidelines on diagnostics and therapy].
The updated version of the S2k guidelines on diagnostics and therapy of venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism have been available since the end of last year. The guidelines deal with the advantages and disadvantages of the currently available investigation and treatment methods, the diagnostic sequence of investigations under various clinical conditions, the invasiveness and duration of therapies and the potential special features of vulnerable patient collectives. This article presents a summary of the most important assertions.
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Central venous catheterization is an invasive procedure which can be associated with severe complications. These include in particular unsuccessful arterial puncture and vascular injuries, which in addition to loss of blood can lead to massive soft tissue swelling. A 63-year-old female patient developed massive cervical bleeding during ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein puncture and the rapidly enlarging hematoma led to compromisation of the airway. A cannot intubate, cannot ventilate situation developed and the subsequent hypoxia led to cardiac arrest that was only resolved after emergency surgical tracheotomy during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
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Peripartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a frequent obstetric emergency situation with increasing incidence in the last decades. It requires a fast, coordinated and interdisciplinary management. This life-threatening situation is often recognized too late and not adequately treated (too little is done too late); therefore, it is important to be aware of the most important risk factors for PPH known as the 4 Ts (i.e. tonus, trauma, tissue and thrombin). Due to the special patient population there is only little evidence-based data on hemostatic therapy in this situation; therefore, the currently available studies on the therapy of PPH is discussed.