[Intensive care of patients with [infarct-related] cardiogenic shock : Abridged version of the S1 guideline]

[Position paper of DGKL and DIVI on requirements for laboratory services in intensive care and emergency medicine]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The timely determination and evaluation of laboratory parameters in patients with acute life- or organ-threatening diseases and disease states in the emergency room or intensive care units can be essential for diagnosis, initiation of therapy, and outcome. The aim of the position paper is to define the time requirements for the provision of laboratory results in emergency and intensive care medicine. Requirements for point-of-care testing (POCT) and the (central) laboratory can be derived from the urgency.

METHODS

Expert groups from the DGKL (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Klinische Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin) and DIVI (Deutsche Interdisziplinäre Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin) developed a classification about the urgency for the determination of laboratory parameters as well as recommendations on the necessary organizational framework and quality assurance measures using national and international guidelines, review articles, and original papers.

RESULTS

Three levels of urgency are defined, based on the turnaround time of the most common laboratory parameters: emergency 1, with a turnaround time of no more than 15 min; emergency 2, with a turnaround time of a maximum of 60 min; urgent case, with a turnaround time within 4 h. In addition, a recommendation is made when to provide the results for the main ward rounds in the intensive care unit and the emergency department.

CONCLUSIONS

The recommendations allow the organizational and technical regulations for each hospital to be aligned with the urgency of the provision of the test results to the medical team based on the medical requirements.

[Hemodynamic monitoring- (NOT) a nursing task?!]

Ensuring adequate and stable hemodynamic conditions is an essential component of patient care in emergency and intensive care units. The assessment of circulatory status is complex and influenced by patient-specific characteristics, medical staff experience, and available equipment. Hemodynamic monitoring encompasses both invasive and noninvasive methods to monitor circulatory parameters. It supports patient management and ensures therapeutic success by alerting healthcare providers to deviations, including critical values. In practice, numerical data often receive more emphasis than comprehensive patient observation, potentially leading to misinterpretation. Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are highly qualified nursing professionals who work largely autonomously due to their advanced training. However, there is currently no uniform legal regulation for these professions in Germany. Clear definitions and nationwide regulations for related academic programs are necessary. Interprofessional collaboration, as well as the qualifications and numbers of nursing staff, significantly impact therapeutic outcomes. Hemodynamics involves the physical principles of blood flow and the assessment of vital parameters to ensure organ perfusion and oxygenation. The competence and knowledge of nursing staff are crucial for safe patient care. Local standard operating procedures (SOPs) should consider interprofessional collaboration and the qualifications of team members.

[Effects of nursing visits on primary nursing : An evaluation study in an intensive care unit]

BACKGROUND

After a pilot phase in 2017, nursing visits (PV) were implemented in an intensive care unit (ICU) at a university hospital. So far, published findings on the impact of PV on the primary nursing organisation system (process-responsible nursing [PP]) could not be identified.

AIM

Primary aim was to investigate the effects of PV on PP from the nurses perspective. Secondary aims included comparison with the results of the pilot phase (t0) to determine further effects, general conditions of the PP and the overall evaluation.

METHODS

A quantitative evaluation study using a standardised questionnaire was used.

RESULTS

The survey was conducted in September to October 2023 (t1) with a response rate of 74.6% (n = 47). On a scale of 1-6 (strongly agree; strongly disagree), 100.0% of the process-responsible nurses (PP; n = 8) and 77.0% of the nurses without process responsibility (P; n = 30) rated the PV at levels 1-3 (p = 0.328) as contributing to the evaluation of care planning for patients with process responsibility. PV provided support for the implementation of PP (PP: 100.0%, n = 8; P: 79.5%, n = 31; p = 0.318) and had a statistically significant effect (r = 0.97, p = 0.035) on improving the quality of care and care planning for patients with procedural responsibility. The nurses indicated with levels 1-3 that the patients were more consciously brought into the focus of nursing care through the PV (t1: 74.4%, n = 35; t0: 86.4%, n = 38; p = 0.953). The PV should take place weekly and was rated with a median of 2 (IQR t1: 1-3; t0:1-2).

CONCLUSION

PV support the implementation of PP and patient-centred care in the ICU.

[Positioning therapy for intensive care patients]

The current S3 guideline, "Positioning Therapy and Mobilization of Critically Ill Patients in Intensive Care Units", introduces methodological changes and substantive updates compared to the previous version. Additionally, new evidence-based insights with specified PICO questions have been integrated, aiming for a more precise application of recommendations in clinical practice and thus enhancing the care of critically ill patients.A notable aspect is the more nuanced approach to early mobilization, which is recommended to commence within the first 72 hours of ICU admission. A staged concept and score-based mobilization schema facilitate improved patient rehabilitation. Mobilization should be standard of care, i.e., immobilization should be ordered by the physician. The guideline provides suggestions for the duration and additional mobilization measures to ensure patients stand, transfer actively from bed to chair, or walk as frequently as possible. These recommendations apply even during ECMO therapy, highlighting the importance of early mobilization.Further updates include semi-recumbent positions of at least 40° in intubated patients, with careful consideration of potential side effects. Continuous lateral rotation therapy (CLRT) is not advised due to the progress in intensive care therapy, shifting from deep sedation toward responsive patient management.Prone positioning (PP) involves rotating the patient 180° onto the ventral side. It is recommended as a therapeutic option for invasively ventilated patients with ARDS and impaired arterial oxygenation (PaO2/FiO2 <150mmHg), with a recommended minimum duration of 12 hours, ideally 16 hours. Special recommendations apply, for example, to COVID-19 patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, where awake proning should be considered.Additionally, new chapters have been introduced focusing on assistive devices and neuromuscular electrical stimulation.

[Monitoring of cardiovascular emergencies in the emergency department]

In the emergency department, patients with potential or confirmed cardiovascular diseases constitute a significant portion of the overall patient population. Monitoring for cardiovascular surveillance of these patients, until and during the diagnostics and acute therapy often presents an interdisciplinary and interprofessional challenge. This is partly due to the limited number of monitoring spaces in emergency departments. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a differentiated indication for cardiovascular monitoring. Despite limited monitoring resources, ensuring high patient safety is paramount. The correct approach holds significant prognostic importance. For patients requiring extended monitoring, especially using invasive systems, close personnel monitoring is essential, in addition to appropriate staffing and medical equipment. The overarching goal for such patients is to ensure prompt transfer to a suitable destination unit. The provision of an intensive care bed for further care within one hour is aimed for according to the directive of the Federal Joint Committee on staged emergency care in hospitals. Often, at the beginning of the emergency department visit, a definitive diagnosis is not yet established - this is addressed accordingly with symptom-oriented considerations. The present review article focuses on the practical Implementation and modalities of monitoring, as well as its application in a selection of cardiovascular diagnoses in the emergency department.

[Clinical acute and emergency medicine curriculum-focus on internal medicine : Recommendations for advanced training in internal medicine in the emergency department]

In Germany, physicians qualify for emergency medicine by combining a specialty medical training-e.g. internal medicine-with advanced training in emergency medicine according to the statutes of the State Chambers of Physicians largely based upon the Guideline Regulations on Specialty Training of the German Medical Association. Internal medicine and their associated subspecialities represent an important column of emergency medicine. For the internal medicine aspects of emergency medicine, this curriculum presents an overview of knowledge, skills (competence levels I-III) as well as behaviours and attitudes allowing for the best treatment of patients. These include general aspects (structure and process quality, primary diagnostics and therapy as well as indication for subsequent treatment; resuscitation room management; diagnostics and monitoring; general therapeutic measures; hygiene measures; and pharmacotherapy) and also specific aspects concerning angiology, endocrinology, diabetology and metabolism, gastroenterology, geriatric medicine, hematology and oncology, infectiology, cardiology, nephrology, palliative care, pneumology, rheumatology and toxicology. Publications focussing on contents of advanced training are quoted in order to support this concept. The curriculum has primarily been written for internists for their advanced emergency training, but it may generally show practising emergency physicians the broad spectrum of internal medicine diseases or comorbidities presented by patients attending the emergency department.

[Development and implementation of primary nursing in the intensive care unit: evaluation in mixed-methods design.]

Development and implementation of primary nursing in the intensive care unit: evaluation in mixed-methods design. Abstract:Background: In a university hospital, the development and implementation of Primary Nursing (Prozessverantwortliche Pflege, PP) in a pilot intensive care unit was initiated. To develop the roles of nurses with and without process responsibility a working group PP was founded while taking into account the skill-grade mix. Aim: The working group aimed to develop the roles of process-responsible nurses (PP) and nurses (P), as well as to plan and implement the implementation process. Methods: Development and piloting steps were taken based on the recommendations of the Medical Research Council. At three measurement points, the instrument for recording nursing systems (IzEP©) was used quantitatively and a focus group interview, as well as a ward process analysis, were used qualitatively in t0 (as-is analysis before development and piloting), t1 (6 months after implementation) and t2 (12 months after implementation). Results: PP mainly take over the care process's design and control. The IzEP© analysis showed that room care was practiced in t0 with 50.0%. The values increased towards PP from 74.0% in t1 to 83.5% in t2. Qualitatively obtained data supported these results and showed further optimization potential for practice. Conclusions: The results prove the successful implementation of PP in practice. For the development and implementation of new nursing roles, the involvement of the affected nurses is mandatory.

[Intensive care of patients with [infarct-related] cardiogenic shock : Abridged version of the S1 guideline]

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases and (infarct-related) cardiogenic shock are among the most frequent causes of death in Germany. Adequate clinical care often poses great challenges for hospitals. The complex care of patients in a multi-professional team places high demands on all those involved in the care process. Since nurses in particular are in close contact with patients and play a decisive role in shaping and controlling therapy, a national (intensive) care guideline is urgently needed.

METHODS

Within the framework of the guideline programme of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF), an S1 guideline was developed with the participation of six professional societies and published in May 2022. The guideline group defined relevant topics, which were processed through a systematic literature search in peer-reviewed journals. Based on the S1 classification, no separate evidence review was conducted. A formal consensus-building process was used to classify the recommendations.

RESULTS

The guideline contains 36 recommendations ranging from nursing care in the central emergency department to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory, intensive care unit and follow-up care. In addition, recommendations are made on the necessary qualifications and structural requirements in the respective areas in order to ensure a high-quality (nursing) care process.

CONCLUSION

This is the first national intensive care guideline. It is aimed at nurses involved in the care of patients with (infarct-related) cardiogenic shock. The guideline is valid until 30.12.2026.