Publications by authors named "Imach S"

: The insertion of chest drains (CD) in trauma patients is a lifesaving, albeit high-risk intervention. Safe insertion of CD in settings where aids like ultrasound are not available relies on a landmark technique defining the so-called triangle of safety. The inferior margin of this triangle is identified by nipple height, which is thought to correspond to the fifth intercostal space (ICS).

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  • * These registers are particularly useful during significant trauma incidents, such as natural disasters and mass casualty events, by offering data-driven recommendations for effective resource management.
  • * The complexity of maintaining these registers has increased due to tighter regulations, like the EU GDPR, and future legislation in Germany aims to simplify the documentation process for routine data.
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  • Nonoperative management (NOM) is increasingly used for blunt splenic injuries (BSIs) in Germany, showing high success rates even in severe cases, with guidelines supporting this practice.
  • A study analyzed data from 2,782 patients with BSIs, revealing that 57.5% received NOM while angioembolization (ANGIO) was used in only 1.0% of cases, mainly for less severe injuries.
  • The findings suggest a disconnect between clinical practice and guidelines, as more severe injuries typically led to splenectomy instead of ANGIO, highlighting the potential need for improved local treatment protocols.
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Thromboelastometry like ROTEM is a point-of-care method used to assess the coagulation status of patients in a rapid manner being particularly useful in critical care settings, such as trauma, where quick and accurate assessment of coagulation can guide timely and appropriate treatment. Currently, this method is not yet comprehensively available with sparse data on its effectiveness in resuscitation rooms. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of early thromboelastometry on the probability of mass transfusions and mortality of severely injured patients.

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This prospective, multicenter observational cohort study was carried out in 12 trauma centers in Germany and Switzerland. Its purpose was to evaluate the rate of undertriage, as well as potential consequences, and relate these with different Trauma Team Activation Protocols (TTA-Protocols), as this has not been done before in Germany. : Each trauma center collected the data during a three-month period between December 2019 and February 2021.

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  • Angioembolization (ANGIO) is underutilized in treating blunt liver trauma (BLT) in Germany, despite being recommended by guidelines.
  • A large proportion (70.9%) of patients were managed nonoperatively (NOM), with surgical intervention mainly for severe injuries (AIS ≥ 3).
  • Key risk factors affecting mortality rates in BLT include injury severity, age over 60, hemodynamic instability, and high blood transfusion requirements.
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Background: Checklists are a powerful tool for reduction of mortality and morbidity. Checklists structure complex processes in a reproducible manner, optimize team interaction, and prevent errors related to human factors. Despite wide dissemination of the checklist, effects of checklist use in the prehospital emergency medicine are currently unclear.

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Purpose Of Review: While MESS has historically influenced limb salvage versus amputation decisions, its universal applicability remains uncertain. With trauma systems expanding and advancements in trauma care, the need for a nuanced understanding of limb salvage has become paramount.

Recent Findings: Recent literature reflects a shift in the management of mangled extremities.

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On 17 April 2019, a coach with tourists from Germany crashed in Madeira, requiring repatriation by the German Air Force. The Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) concept was the central component of patient care. Data in Madeira were collected through a structured interview.

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Background: High expectations are currently attached to the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the resuscitation room treatment of trauma patients with respect to the development of decision support systems. No data are available regarding possible starting points for AI-controlled interventions in resuscitation room treatment.

Objective: Do information request behavior and quality of communication indicate possible starting points for AI applications in the emergency room?

Material And Methods: A 2‑stage qualitative observational study: 1.

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Purpose: In the prehospital care of potentially seriously injured patients resource allocation adapted to injury severity (triage) is a challenging. Insufficiently specified triage algorithms lead to the unnecessary activation of a trauma team (over-triage), resulting in ineffective consumption of economic and human resources. A prehospital trauma triage algorithm must reliably identify a patient bleeding or suffering from significant brain injuries.

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Background: Currently, there are no data available on dropouts from residency programs and changes of clinic in orthopedics and trauma surgery (O&T). The aim of the study is to identify personal and structural risk factors leading to dropout or switching of postgraduate training in O&T in order to present solution strategies.

Methods: A nationwide anonymous online survey was conducted among residents in O&T in summer 2020.

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Background: Tracheal intubation is the gold standard in emergency airway management. One way of measuring intubation quality is first pass success rate (FPSR). Mastery of tracheal intubation and maintenance of the skill is challenging for non-anesthesiologists.

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  • Many COPD patients experience early onset augmented dyspnea, known as Deventilation Syndrome (DVS), after using non-invasive ventilation (NIV) as a negative side effect.
  • The study collected data from 67 in-patients with severe COPD to clinically characterize DVS, defining it as a significant increase in dyspnea as measured by the Borg scale shortly after NIV use.
  • Results showed that DVS occurred in 58% of patients, particularly affecting those with more severe bronchial obstruction and elevated respiratory rates compared to those without DVS.
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Background: Outcome data about the use of tranexamic acid (TXA) in civilian patients in mature trauma systems are scarce. The aim of this study was to determine how severely injured patients are affected by the widespread prehospital use of TXA in Germany.

Methods: The international TraumaRegister DGU® was retrospectively analyzed for severely injured patients with risk of bleeding (2015 until 2019) treated with at least one dose of TXA in the prehospital phase (TXA group).

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  • Safety investigations in aviation utilize structured techniques to analyze flight data and cockpit recordings in order to identify root causes of incidents.
  • Full-scale medical simulations, particularly during emergencies like cardiac arrests, can similarly reveal insights by recording treatment interventions and dialogues among EMS providers.
  • The analysis of these recordings highlighted issues such as faulty decision-making, loss of leadership, and automation bias, suggesting that using root cause analysis (RCA) during simulations can enhance EMS training and education.
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Background: Tracheal tube tip and cuff positions of different cuffed paediatric tracheal tube brands in the trachea can vary with design.

Methods: Data from three clinical studies with measured tracheal lengths were pooled in a database including 422 children aged from birth to 16 yr. Dimensional data of seven cuffed paediatric tracheal tube brands (ID 3.

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Background: Airway exchange catheters (AEC) and fiberoptic bronchoscopes (FOB) for tracheal intubation are selected so that there is only a minimal gap between their outer and inner diameter of endotracheal tube (ETT) to minimize the risk of impingement during airway instrumentation. This study aimed to test the ease of passage of FOBs and AECs through paediatric ETT of different sizes and from different manufacturers when using current recommendations for dimensional equipment compatibility taken from text books and manufacturers information.

Methods: Twelve different brands of cuffed and uncuffed ETT sized ID 2.

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Background: Every year preventable adverse events endanger a considerable number of patients. Current guidelines of the Federal Joint Committee require clinical quality management to provide amongst others an independent clinical risk management and a critical incident reporting system (CIRS). Such guidelines increase the pressure to actively deal with errors, even in emergency medicine.

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Introduction: Securing the airway with a tracheal tube is essential in emergency situations, in the intensive care setting as well as during anesthesia for surgery and other interventions. Current methods of airway assessment are poor screening tests for predicting difficult direct laryngoscopy due to a generally low positive predictive value; therefore, successful endotracheal intubation requires a high level of expertise, regular training and practice and sometimes additional tools. Currently, several video laryngoscopes (VL) with different designs are commercially available and have been investigated in a wide variety of settings.

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Background: Securing the airway using a tube exchanger catheter is an important and useful technique in anesthesia. Its success is mainly hampered by tube tip impingement of laryngeal structures. Advancing the tracheal tube along its normal curvature via a tube exchanger catheter has a high risk of tube tip impingement mainly of right laryngeal structures.

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