Publications by authors named "Daniel Dirkmann"

Purpose: Fractures of the proximal femur in geriatric patients are life-changing and life-threatening events. Previous research has identified fluid volume as an independent factor contributing to trauma patients' complications. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of intraoperative fluid volume on outcomes in geriatric patients undergoing hip fracture surgery.

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Background: Literature shows conflicting results regarding spinal (SA) or general anesthesia (GA) and their influence on the outcome of elderly patients with hip fractures. We, therefore, conducted an analysis from the Registry for Geriatric Trauma (ATR-DGU).

Methods: A retrospective, multicenter registry study including patients aged 70 years or above with hip fractures requiring surgery from 131 Centers for Geriatric Trauma (AltersTraumaZentrum DGU®) from 2016 to 2021.

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Despite an increasing number of patients suffering from an acute coronary syndrome under novel oral anticoagulant therapy, specific treatment recommendations for anticoagulation are still lacking. For this reason, the German Society of Cardiology and the German Association of Interdisciplinary Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine developed a consensus statement for the treatment of these patients with the aim to summarize the current evidence and to increase the safety of this special patient group.

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Background: The mechanisms of trauma induced coagulopathy (TIC) are considered multifactorial. Amongst others, however, shedding of the endothelial glycocalyx resulting in increased concentrations of glycocalyx fragments in plasma might also play a role. Thus, we hypothesized that shedded glycocalyx components affect coagulation and may act as humoral mediators of TIC.

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Objective: To evaluate the effects of 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 (HES) and a polyionic isotonic crystalloid (CRYS) on standard coagulation tests and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in dogs with spontaneous hemoperitoneum (SHP).

Design: Prospective randomized open-label clinical study.

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Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) frequently experience a coagulopathy associated with a high incidence of thrombotic events leading to poor outcomes. Here, biomarkers of coagulation (such as D-dimer, fibrinogen, platelet count), inflammation (such as interleukin-6), and immunity (such as lymphocyte count) as well as clinical scoring systems (such as sequential organ failure assessment [SOFA], International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis disseminated intravascular coagulation [ISTH DIC], and sepsis-induced coagulopathy [SIC] score) can be helpful in predicting clinical course, need for hospital resources (such as intensive care unit [ICU] beds, intubation and ventilator therapy, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation [ECMO]) and patient's outcome in patients with COVID-19. However, therapeutic options are actually limited to unspecific supportive therapy.

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The outcome of transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TF-TAVI) with a self-expanding (SEP) versus a balloon-expandable prosthesis (BEP) in patients with a reduced ejection fraction (rEF, ≤40%) has not been previously investigated. Patients with rEF have an increased risk of death after TF-TAVI compared to patients with a preserved ejection fraction (pEF), and prosthesis choice might influence the outcome of these patients. We, therefore, sought to compare all-cause mortality of patients with rEF using a SEP versus a BEP.

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Background: Carcinoid heart disease (CHD) (Hedinger syndrome) is a rare manifestation, it has been described in up to 60% of patients with both neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and carcinoid syndrome (CS) which, typically inducing right heart-sided abnormalities.

Methods: Between 07/15 and 10/18, six patients (mean age 63±12 years; 3 females) presented with manifested (NYHA III-IV) Hedinger syndrome's related valvular(s) lesion and were operated at our center. Clinical data, adverse events and patient outcomes were recorded.

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Background: Since inadequate heparin anticoagulation and insufficient reversal can result in complications during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery, heparin anticoagulation monitoring by point-of-care (POC) activated clotting time (ACT) measurements is essential for CPB initiation, maintainance, and anticoagulant reversal. However, concerns exist regarding reproducibility of ACT assays and comparability of devices.

Methods: We evaluated the agreement of ACT assays using four parallel measurements performed on two commonly used devices each (i.

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Background: Most centres use fresh frozen plasma (FFP) based protocols to prevent or treat haemostatic disturbances during liver transplantation. In the present study, we used a rotational thrombelastometry (ROTEM™, TEM, Munich, Germany) guided haemostasis management with fibrinogen concentrates, prothrombin complex concentrates (PCC), platelet concentrates and tranexamic acid without FFP usage and determined the effect on 30 day mortality.

Methods: Retrospective data analysis with 372 consecutive adult liver transplant patients performed between 2007 and 2011.

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Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) is a point-of-care viscoelastic method and enables to assess viscoelastic profiles of whole blood in various clinical settings. ROTEM-guided bleeding management has become an essential part of patient blood management (PBM) which is an important concept in improving patient safety. Here, ROTEM testing and hemostatic interventions should be linked by evidence-based, setting-specific algorithms adapted to the specific patient population of the hospitals and the local availability of hemostatic interventions.

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Objectives: To evaluate the impact of baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and its interaction with low-gradient aortic stenosis (LGAS) on all-cause mortality after transfemoral aortic valve implantation (TF-TAVI).

Methods: We reviewed mortality data of 624 consecutive single center TF-TAVI patients and categorized LVEF according to current ASE/EACVI recommendations (normal, mildly-, moderately-, and severely abnormal).

Results: Baseline LVEF was normal in 336 (53.

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In severely injured patients, trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) present at hospital admission is associated with increased transfusion requirements, morbidity and mortality. Early and effective treatment contributes to improved survival rates. Laboratory coagulation assays have long turn-around times and evidence for their usefulness, especially in the context of TIC, is weak.

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We review contemporary coagulation management for patients undergoing liver transplantation. A better understanding of the complex physiologic changes that occur in patients with end-stage liver disease has resulted in significant advances in anesthetic and coagulation management. A group of internationally recognized experts have critically evaluated current approaches for coagulopathy detection and management.

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Background: Hyperosmolar therapy with either mannitol or hypertonic saline (HTS) is commonly used in the treatment of intracranial hypertension (ICH). In vitro data indicate that both mannitol and HTS affect coagulation and platelet function in dogs. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 20% mannitol and 7.

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Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a tailor-made, non-technical skills seminar on medical student's behaviour, attitudes, and performance during simulated patient treatment.

Methods: Seventy-seven students were randomized to either a non-technical skills seminar (NTS group, n=43) or a medical seminar (control group, n=34). The human patient simulation was used as an evaluation tool.

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Background: Teaching emergency management should educate medical students not only for facts and treatment algorithms but also for time effective physical examination, technical skills, and team interaction. We tested the hypothesis, that using standardized emergency patients would be more effective in transmitting knowledge and skills compared with a more traditional teaching approach.

Methods: Medical students (n = 242) in their fourth (second clinical) year were randomized to receive either training on standardized patients simulating 3 emergency settings ("acute chest pain," "stroke," and "acute dyspnea/asthma") or traditional small group seminars.

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Background: Sugammadex prolongs activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT) suggestive of anticoagulant effects. To pinpoint its presumed anticoagulant site of action, the authors assessed Sugammadex's impact on a panel of coagulation assays.

Methods: Sugammadex, Rocuronium, Sugammadex and Rocuronium combined, or saline were added to blood samples from healthy volunteers and analyzed using plasmatic (i.

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Background: This multi-centre, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was designed to test the hypotheses that parecoxib improves patients' postoperative analgesia without increasing surgical blood loss following radical open prostatectomy.

Methods: 105 patients (64 ± 7 years old) were randomized to receive either parecoxib or placebo with concurrent morphine patient controlled analgesia. Cumulative opioid consumption (primary objective) and the overall benefit of analgesia score (OBAS), the modified brief pain inventory short form (m-BPI-sf), the opioid-related symptom distress scale (OR-SDS), and perioperative blood loss (secondary objectives) were assessed.

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Background: Although thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) and thrombelastography can be used for bedside diagnosis of fibrinolysis, the time needed for detection is often prolonged. Since untreated fibrinolysis can result in consumption of coagulation factors and bleeding, early diagnosis and decision making are desirable. Accordingly, we assessed ROTEM variables from extrinsically activated assays with (APTEM) and without (EXTEM) addition of aprotinin for their ability to rapidly identify fibrinolysis.

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Background: Allogeneic blood products transfusion during liver transplantation (LT) can be associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Data on thromboelastometry (ROTEM)-guided coagulation management with coagulation factor concentrates (CFCs)-fibrinogen concentrate and/or prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC)-are sparse. We aimed to retrospectively evaluate the safety events observed with this approach in our clinic.

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Bleeding is an important issue in cardiothoracic surgery, and about 20% of all blood products are transfused in this clinical setting worldwide. Transfusion practices, however, are highly variable among different hospitals and more than 25% of allogeneic blood transfusions have been considered inappropriate. Furthermore, both bleeding and allogeneic blood transfusion are associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and hospital costs.

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Purpose Of Review: On the one hand, cardiac and aortic surgery is associated with a high rate of allogeneic blood transfusion. On the other hand, both bleeding and allogeneic blood transfusion is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and hospital costs in cardiac and aortic surgery. This article reviews the current literature between 1995 and 2012 dealing with transfusion protocols in cardiovascular surgery.

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Background: Hypothermia and acidosis have been suggested as key initiators of trauma-induced coagulopathy, and severe bleeding caused by hyperfibrinolysis (HF) predicts mortality. We tested in vitro (1) whether clinically relevant grades of hypothermia, acidosis, and their combination impact on recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-tPA)-evoked HF and assessed (2) the efficacy of tranexamic acid (TA) in inhibiting fibrinolysis under such conditions.

Methods: To assess the effects of r-tPA-evoked HF, venous blood (3,000 μL) from healthy volunteers was incubated with r-tPA (final concentration, 100 ng/mL) or saline (control) for 30 minutes at the final measurement temperature.

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