Development and alignment of undergraduate medical curricula in a web-based, dynamic Learning Opportunities, Objectives and Outcome Platform (LOOOP).

Introduction: This study presents a web-based method and its interface ensuring alignment of all parts of a curriculum map including competencies, objectives, teaching and assessment methods, workload and patient availability. Needs, acceptance and effectiveness are shown through a nine-year study.

Methods: After a comprehensive needs assessment, the curriculum map and a web-based interface "Learning Opportunities, Objectives and Outcome Platform" (LOOOP) were developed according to Harden's conceptual framework of 10-steps for curriculum mapping.

Effects of a standard operating procedure on prehospital emergency care of patients presenting with symptoms of the acute coronary syndrome.

To determine whether a standard operating procedure (SOP) for prehospital management of patients with the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) improves the quality of patient care in terms of adherence to treatment guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology. Among a total of 1025 patient medical records collected from a period before and after the introduction of the SOP, 269 records included the working diagnosis of ACS and were then reviewed for guideline adherence. Most aspects of patient evaluation, monitoring, treatment, and hospital allocation were fairly guideline adherent (>70%) before the SOP was introduced and were not affected by the SOP.

Risk factors in critical illness myopathy during the early course of critical illness: a prospective observational study.

Introduction: Non-excitable muscle membrane indicates critical illness myopathy (CIM) during early critical illness. We investigated predisposing risk factors for non-excitable muscle membrane at onset of critical illness.

Methods: We performed sequential measurements of muscle membrane excitability after direct muscle stimulation (dmCMAP) in 40 intensive care unit (ICU) patients selected upon a simplified acute physiology (SAPS-II) score >OR= 20 on 3 successive days within 1 week after ICU admission.

[Blast injury].

The blast injury is characterized by 3 different patterns of injury: blast wave, splintered fragments and displacement of victim's body. Severe external and internal hemorrhage, tension pneumothorax and the lethal trios (hypothermia, acidosis, coagulopathy) require a rapid prehospital and inhospital trauma care according to a standardized protocol. The concepts of damage control resuscitation and damage control surgery have proven to be effective and should be integrated into the treatment.

Standard operating procedures as a tool to improve medical documentation in preclinical emergency medicine.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to improve the completion of patient care documentation items on patient care reports (PCRs) in a physician-staffed, 4500-calls-per-year preclinical ground emergency medical service (EMS) base.

Methods: Two series of PCRs were analysed before (n=505) and after (n=520) the introduction of SOPs. PCR forms were analysed for the rate of completion of documentation comparing prompted data in check boxes and non-prompted data written in blank spaces at the discretion of the emergency physician.

[First therapy of drowning accident].

Rescue and medical care of people in a drowning accident is a rather rare incident which still needs special attention. The rescue process can be technically challenging and only a well experienced team will be able to act professionally without any time loss. At a first step all team members have to protect themselves.

Nonexcitable muscle membrane predicts intensive care unit-acquired paresis in mechanically ventilated, sedated patients.

Objectives: : To investigate the predictive value of electrophysiological measurements including validation of muscle membrane excitability on the development of intensive care unit (ICU)-aquired paresis.

Design: : Prospective observational study.

Setting: : University ICU.