192 results match your criteria: "Cologne Merheim Medical Center (CMMC)[Affiliation]"

: 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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Article Synopsis
  • - This study explores how machine learning can predict whether individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) will return to work one year after their injury, using data collected from 586 hospitalized patients across Europe.
  • - By analyzing hospital stay and follow-up data, the researchers found that including follow-up information significantly improved prediction accuracy, going from around 81% to 88%.
  • - The final model, which included five key predictors, achieved 90% accuracy and can help clinicians set realistic goals and tailor interventions for TBI patients, enhancing their chances of returning to work.
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Comparison of the European Foot and Ankle Score (EFAS) and the Self-Reported Foot and Ankle Score (SEFAS) in patients with foot and ankle surgery.

Arch Orthop Trauma Surg

November 2024

Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Member Faculty of Health Witten/ /Herdecke University, St. Elisabeth-Hospital Herten, Im Schlosspark 12, 45699, Herten, Germany.

Background: The European Foot and Ankle Score EFAS and the Self-reported Foot and Ankle Score SEFAS are two Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) used in foot and ankle surgery. The EFAS has been published in recent years, while the SEFAS is a validated questionnaire based on the New Zealand total ankle questionnaire.

Methods: We compared the EFAS to the SEFAS, Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) regarding reliability and validity based on the results of 126 patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery in a single center.

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Article Synopsis
  • 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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Is It Possible to Monitor the Safest Time to Perform Secondary Surgery on Free Flaps? A Clinical Evaluation of the Tewameter.

Medicina (Kaunas)

August 2024

Clinic for Plastic and Hand Surgery, Burn Care Center, Cologne Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), University of Witten/Herdecke, 51109 Cologne, Germany.

: Postoperative monitoring, following free flap surgery, plays a crucial role in ensuring the survival of the flap. However, in microsurgery, not only the immediate postoperative monitoring period but also the choice of the right time for secondary surgeries is crucial for the free flap survival. There is no clear consensus concerning the right choice of timing for secondary surgery.

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Early Point-of-Care Thromboelastometry Reduces Mortality in Patients with Severe Trauma and Risk of Transfusion: An Analysis Based on the TraumaRegister DGU.

J Clin Med

July 2024

Committee on Emergency Medicine, Intensive Care and Trauma Management (Sektion NIS) of the German Trauma Society (DGU®), 10623 Berlin, Germany.

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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Implementation of health-related quality of life in the German TraumaRegister DGU® - first results of a pilot study.

Health Qual Life Outcomes

June 2024

Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany.

Background: Approximately 30,000 people are affected by severe injuries in Germany each year. Continuous progress in prehospital and hospital care has significantly reduced the mortality of polytrauma patients. With increasing survival rates, the functional outcome, health-related quality (hrQoL) of life and ability to work are now gaining importance.

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Burn surgery on the hands is a difficult procedure due to the complex anatomy and fragility of the area. Enzymatic debridement has been shown to effectively remove burn eschar while minimizing damage to the surrounding tissue and has therefore become a standard procedure in many burn centers worldwide over the past decade. However, surprisingly, our recent literature review showed limited valid data on the long-term scarring after the enzymatic debridement of the hands.

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Update on the pathophysiology and management of acute trauma hemorrhage and trauma-induced coagulopathy based upon viscoelastic testing.

Clin Exp Emerg Med

September 2024

Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), Witten/Herdecke University, Cologne, Germany.

Uncontrolled hemorrhage and trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) are the two predominant causes of preventable death after trauma. Early control of bleeding sources and rapid detection, characterization and management of TIC have been associated with improved outcomes. However, recent surveys confirm vast heterogeneity in the clinical diagnosis and management of hemorrhage and TIC from acute trauma, even in advanced trauma centers.

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Effective approaches to address noncompressible torso hemorrhage.

Curr Opin Crit Care

June 2024

Department for Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), Witten/Herdecke University, Campus Cologne-Merheim.

Purpose Of Review: Noncompressible torso hemorrhage (NCTH) is now considered as the major cause of preventable death after both severe military and civilian trauma. Around 20% of all trauma patients still die from uncontrolled exsanguination along with rapidly evolving hemostatic failure. This review highlights the most recent advances in the field and provides an outline for future research directions.

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Management of patients with proximal femur fractures under DOACs.

Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg

April 2024

Department for Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), Witten/Herdecke University, Campus Cologne-Merheim, Ostmerheimer Str. 200, 51109, Cologne, Germany.

Purpose: In the past, preinjury direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) intake has led to delays in time to surgery (TTS) in patients with proximal femur fractures and delays in surgery have been associated with impaired outcomes. Although healthcare institutions/federal committees have set rules for treatment within 24 h of injury, comprehensive guidelines for the perioperative management of these patients, in particular when on preinjury DOACs, are still lacking. This contribution aims to summarize the current evidence on the safe time window for surgery in patients with proximal femur fractures on preinjury DOACs and to outline therapeutic options if emergency DOAC reversal becomes necessary.

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Purpose Of Review: The diagnosis and treatment of patients with severe traumatic bleeding and subsequent trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) is still inconsistent, although the implementation of standardized algorithms/treatment pathways was repeatedly linked to improved outcome. Various evidence-based guidelines for these patients now exist, three of which have recently been updated.

Recent Findings: A synopsis of the three recently updated guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of seriously bleeding trauma patients with TIC is presented: (i) AWMF S3 guideline 'Polytrauma/Seriously Injured Patient Treatment' under the auspices of the German Society for Trauma Surgery; (ii) guideline of the European Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) on the management of perioperative bleeding; and (iii) European guideline on the management of major bleeding and coagulopathy after trauma in its 6th edition (EU-Trauma).

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Reliability and validation of the German Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score.

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc

February 2024

Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, St. Elisabeth-Hospital Herten, Member Faculty of Health Witten/Herdecke University, Herten, Germany.

Purpose: Patient-related outcome measures (PROMs) are important instruments to evaluate efficacy of orthopaedic procedures. The Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS) is a PROM developed to evaluate outcomes after treatment of Achilles tendon ruptures (ATRs). Purpose of this study is to develop and culturally adapt the German version of the ATRS and to evaluate reliability and validity.

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Proteomic profiling of serum exosomes reveals acute phase response and promotion of inflammatory and platelet activation pathways in patients with heat stroke.

PeerJ

December 2023

Academy of Orthopedics, Guangdong Province, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degenerative Diseases, Guangzhou, China.

The pathological mechanism of heat stroke (HS) involves the acute phase response, unbalanced immunological/inflammatory reactions, and coagulation initiation, especially platelet activation. Although exosomes contain proteins involved in these biological processes, their protein cargo levels and potential roles in HS remain unknown. This study explored the serum exosome protein expression patterns after HS and their potential roles in the pathogenesis of HS.

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Introduction: Scarring after burn injuries remains one of the major challenges in burn medicine and is the subject of current research. Accurate and high-quality assessment of scars is needed to enable exact outcome evaluation of different treatments. Our aim was to evaluate the most common subjective scar evaluation scores-the POSAS (Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale) and VSS (Vancouver Scar Scale)-in comparison with the objective device Mexameter® for colour evaluation.

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Article Synopsis
  • 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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A simulation-based randomized trial of ABCDE style cognitive aid for emergency medical services CHecklist In Prehospital Settings: the CHIPS-study.

Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med

November 2023

Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), University Witten/Herdecke, Ostmerheimer Str. 200, 51429, Cologne, Germany.

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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Mangled extremity: limb salvage for reconstruction versus primary amputation.

Curr Opin Crit Care

December 2023

Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), University of Witten/Herdecke, Cologne, Germany.

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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Good scar management in burn care is essential. Nevertheless, there are no consistent recommendations regarding moisturizers for scar management. Our aim was to investigate and compare the effects of commonly used products on normal skin and burn scars.

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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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Acute Haemostatic Depletion and Failure in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Pathophysiological and Clinical Considerations.

J Clin Med

April 2023

Institute for Research in Operative Medicine (IFOM), University Witten/Herdecke, Campus Cologne-Merheim, Ostmerheimerstr. 200, D-51109 Köln, Germany.

Background: Because of the aging population, the number of low falls in elderly people with pre-existing anticoagulation is rising, often leading to traumatic brain injury (TBI) with a social and economic burden. Hemostatic disorders and disbalances seem to play a pivotal role in bleeding progression. Interrelationships between anticoagulatoric medication, coagulopathy, and bleeding progression seem to be a promising aim of therapy.

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Traumatic brain injury: the research continues with higher data quality evolving!

Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg

June 2023

Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, University Witten/Herdecke, Campus Cologne-Merheim, Cologne, Germany.

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The potential of point-of-care diagnostics to optimise prehospital trauma triage: a systematic review of literature.

Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg

August 2023

Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), University Witten/Herdecke, Cologne, Germany.

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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Introduction: Patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) regularly require intensive care with prolonged invasive ventilation. Consequently, these patients are at increased risk of pulmonary failure, potentially requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The aim of this work was to provide an overview of ECMO treatment in TBI patients based upon data captured into the TraumaRegister DGU® (TR-DGU).

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