[Not Available].

The process recommendations of the Ethics Section of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) for ethically based decision-making in intensive care medicine are intended to create the framework for a structured procedure for seriously ill patients in intensive care. The processes require appropriate structures, e.g.

[Simulation-based training for a hospital incident command group].

Background: We report on immersive simulation scenarios with video-enhanced debriefing as part of a full day education program for members of a newly implemented hospital incident command group. The hospital incident command group has a key function in the initial phase of a hospital crisis. Simulation exercises were used to provide practical experience for the participants in a yet unknown task area and to support the acquisition of professional and personal competencies.

[Dealing with coercion in intensive care medicine : Recommendations from the Ethics Section of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) in collaboration with the Ethics Section of the German Society for Internal Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DGIIN)].

The treatment situation in intensive care is characterised by a specific asymmetry in the relationship between patients and the team: Patients are particularly dependent on their environment and often show impaired consciousness and capacity to consent. This facilitates the use of coercion or enables and/or provokes it. The aim of this recommendation is to show ways to recognise patients with their wishes and needs and to integrate them into treatment concepts in the intensive care unit in order to reduce and avoid coercion whenever possible.

Spinal cord stimulation in sympathetically maintained complex regional pain syndrome type I with severe disability. A prospective clinical study.

Background And Purpose: In this prospective trial we assessed the long-term effect of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on the improvement of functional status in complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS I).

Methods: A prerequisite for eligibility to SCS treatment was the responsiveness of patients to sympathetic nerve block. In 29 patients with chronic sympathetically maintained CRPS I, the efficacy of SCS on deep pain, allodynia and functional disability was determined.

Interface between hospital and fire authorities--a concept for management of incidents in hospitals.

Introduction: Although every hospital needs a security plan for the support of immobile patients who do not possess autonomous escape capabilities, little information exists to assist in the development of practical patient evacuation methods.

Hypothesis: 1) In hospitals during disasters, incident leadership of the fire authorities can be supported effectively by hospital executives experienced in the management of mass casualties; and 2) As an alternative for canvas carry sheets, rescue drag sheets can be employed for emergency, elevator-independent, patient evacuation.

Methods: A hospital evacuation exercise was planned and performed to obtain experiences in incident command and to permit calculation of elevator-independent patient transport times.

Spinal cord stimulation in postherpetic neuralgia and in acute herpes zoster pain.

Unlabelled: We studied the effects of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Data of 28 patients were prospectively investigated over a median period of 29 (quartiles 9--39) mo. In addition, four patients with acute herpes zoster (HZ) pain were studied simultaneously.