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Background: In 2016 the German Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (DGAI) and the Association of German Anesthetists (BDA) published 10 quality indicators (QI) to compare and improve the quality of anesthesia care in Germany. So far, there is no evidence for the feasibility of implementation of these QI in hospitals., Objective: This study tested the hypothesis that the implementation of the 10 QI is feasible in German hospitals., Material and Methods: This prospective three-phase national multicenter quality improvement study was conducted in 15 German hospitals and 1 outpatient anesthesia center from March 2017 to February 2018. The trial consisted of an initial evaluation of pre-existing structures and processes by the heads of the participating anesthesia departments, followed by a 6-month implementation phase of the QI as well as a final re-evaluation phase. The implementation procedure was supported by web-based implementation aids ( www.qi-an.org ) and internal quality management programs. The primary endpoint was the difference in the number of implemented QI per center before and after implementation. Secondary endpoints were the number of newly implemented QI per center, the overall number of successful implementations of each QI, the identification of problems during the implementation as well as the kind of impediments preventing the QI implementation., Results: The average number of implemented QI increased from 5.8 to 6.8 (mean of the differences 1.1 ± 1.3; P < 0.01). Most frequently the QI perioperative morbidity and mortality report (5 centers) and the QI temperature management (4 centers) could be implemented. After the implementation phase, the QI incidence management and patient blood management were implemented in all 16 centers. Implementation of other quality indicators failed mainly due to a lack of time and lack of structural resources., Conclusion: In this study the implementation of QI was proven to be mostly feasible in the participating German hospitals. Although several QI could be implemented with minor effort, more time, financial and structural resources would be required for some QI, such as the QI postoperative visit.

As a single and reliable parameter for prediction of the difficult airway is missing, the specialist societies for anesthesiology recommend the use of scores that combine the individual parameters. Contemporary scores include head-neck mobility, mouth opening and anatomical distances. Their training and correct performance are essential. For a broad acceptance the performance has to be easy and fast. In addition, before anesthesia a check must be made for pathological alterations (e.g. tumors) in the head and neck region and the patient history must be thoroughly determined. If the patient reports difficulties with securing the airway in the past, these are likely to occur again if they have not been surgically resolved. This includes an accurate documentation of the airway and knowledge of the in-house standard operating procedure on unexpected difficult airways as well as local equipment. Preparation causes work but may save lives.

The current article is a summary of the 2018 revised S3 guideline on screening, diagnosis, therapy, and follow-up of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) from an anesthesiological point of view. It is the only interdisciplinary guideline that describes in particular the perioperative anesthesiological and intensive care management.

Although pain services have been established in many hospitals, there is considerable heterogeneity among them with respect to organization of service, staff and qualifications of staff, and treatment approaches.With this recommendation, the German Society for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine defines requirements for pain services in hospitals with respect to organizational standards and staff qualifications. The therapy offered by pain services supplements the treatment provided by the other departments involved, ensuring the high quality of specialized pain management in all areas of the hospital. Pain services shall oversee treatment with specialized analgesia techniques as well as the involvement of consultants, bringing together in-hospital pain medicine expertise in one service with availability 24 h and 7 days per week via a single contact. The medical head of the pain service shall be a qualified provider of pain medicine as defined by the German Medical Association and as a minimum should also have undergone additional training in basic psychosomatic medicine. Further members of the medical staff should possess the credentials of a medical specialist: non-medical staff should have completed continuing education in the treatment of pain. Minimal guidelines for personnel resources were defined: these included a specific time frame for first contacts (20 min) and follow-up (10 min) for specific analgesic techniques and for the involvement of consultants (first contact 45 min, follow-up 20 min), with additional time for travel, set-up, training and quality management. In addition to definition of the space and equipment needed, each service should draft its own budget, and this should be adequate and plannable. Written agreements between the disciplines and transparent documentation, including patient-reported outcomes, are recommended to ensure quality. The provision of specialized pain therapy should have high priority over all disciplines or departments.

Background and Objective: Due to multiple factors the performance of preclinical emergency anesthesia is fraught with risks even for experienced emergency physicians. In order to support emergency physicians in monitoring and management of anesthesia, the German practice management guidelines for preclinical emergency anesthesia in adults were published in 2015; however, current data on adherence to the guidelines are not available., Material and Methods: In a retrospective register analysis of preclinical anesthesia from 2015-2017 in Baden-Württemberg, the recorded anesthetic agents, monitoring, airway management and medical disciplines of emergency physicians were analyzed. The anesthetic agents utilized were compared to the emergency scenarios in the guidelines (e.g. cardiac patients, patients with acute respiratory insufficiency or acute neurological disorder and trauma patients)., Results: Midazolam and propofol were predominantly used in the 12,605 cases of preclinical emergency anesthesia evaluated. The adherence to the guidelines was 35% for cardiac patients, 51% for patients with acute respiratory insufficiency or 52% for acute neurological disorders and 79% for trauma patients. Securing the airway was carried out in 88.5 % with endotracheal intubation (capnography 79%). Discipline-related differences occurred in airway management for the devices used, capnography, muscle relaxation and the frequency of the subjectively difficult airway. A higher adherence for trauma patients and patients with acute neurological disorders was found for emergency physicians who were anesthesiologists compared to non-anesthesiologists., Conclusion: The study of the current state of preclinical emergency anesthesia in Germany showed a deficient implementation of the pharmacological recommendations for action except for trauma patients. Reasons for divergence could arise due to different availability of rescue equipment, training concepts or discipline of emergency physicians. Suitable education and training could improve the quality of prehospital anesthesia in Germany.

Background: Risk assessment prior to elective surgery is an important tool in the context of perioperative patient care; however, only a few studies have been carried out to address the processes and problems during preoperative assessment for anesthesia., Aim: Over a period of several weeks all preoperative anesthesia evaluations prior to elective surgery were prospectively recorded in order to generate a data pool with a view to identifying options for process optimization., Material and Methods: All preoperative evaluations over a period of 38 working days at the University Medical Center Regensburg were recorded and analyzed with respect to waiting time for the patient and the duration of the preoperative consultation on medication. Also documented were the patient age, ASA score, the faculty carrying out the operation, type and risk of surgery, planned time of surgery, professional experience of the anesthesiologist and the approval status for surgery. In addition, all problems which occurred during the preoperative anesthesia evaluation were documented using a questionnaire., Results: Overall 2233 preoperative assessments for anesthesia were recorded and analyzed. The number of patients attending the preoperative assessment clinic differed markedly in the course of a day and was lower at the end of the week. Approval for surgery with no reservations was given more frequently by anesthesiologists with more than 5 years professional experience and consultants compared to younger colleagues. The main reason for approval with reservations or no approval was the lack of patient records and test results, which should have been presented according to the in-house standard for preoperative assessment for anesthesia. The mean waiting time was 58.6 ± 30.3 min, the mean duration of the patient documentation review and physician-patient consultation together was 33.6 ± 16.3 min. Anesthesiologists with 2-5 years professional experience needed significantly less time for patient documentation reviews and physician-patient consultations than younger and more experienced colleagues. The duration of the preoperative assessment for anesthesia correlated with the ASA score and risks of surgery., Conclusion: The analysis of processes and problems in the context of preoperative assessment for anesthesia revealed several options for optimization. Major efforts should be the implementation of an appointment system for the preoperative assessment clinic in order to generate a homogeneous distribution of patients during the course of a day. Furthermore, surgeons and case managers should be requested to refer patients to the preoperative assessment clinic only with complete records and test results according to the in-house standard.

Background and Objective: In 2015 practice management guidelines on prehospital emergency anesthesia in adults were published in Germany. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether emergency physicians follow these guidelines in daily practice and to assess their level of experience with the use of anesthetic agents., Material and Methods: In an online survey the way of induction of preclinical anesthesia (including preoxygenation time and applied monitoring techniques) was assessed with the help of virtual scenarios based on the guidelines. Furthermore, the individual level of experience with specific anesthetic agents was estimated by the total number of anesthetic procedures performed with these drugs (0, 1-10, 11-25, 26-50, 51-100, and >100 procedures)., Result: A total of 155 emergency physicians answered the online survey. Except for cardiac patients and for the preoxygenation time, we found a high accordance between specific algorithms proposed in the guidelines and emergency physicians' clinical practice. Furthermore, the median level of experience with rocuronium and succinylcholine was significantly higher compared to vecuronium. With respect to induction agents the highest level of experience was found for propofol and thiopental, the lowest for the combination of ketamine/propofol and midazolam. Generally, compared to non-anesthetists, emergency physicians had significantly higher levels of experience with the use of these anesthetic agents (except for etomidate and vecuronium). Over 94% used a 4-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), pulse oxymetry, non-invasive blood pressure and quantitative capnography for monitoring. The availability of succinylcholine was 91%, rocuronium 55%, vecuronium 29% and sugammadex 9%., Conclusion: The results of this survey demonstrate that clinical practice of emergency physicians is in high accordance with the recommendations named in the guidelines for prehospital emergency anesthesia in adults (except for cardiac patients and time of preoxygenation). With respect to the lower levels of experience of non-anesthetists in the use of anesthetic drugs, specific training concepts may help to further improve the quality of preclinical emergency care.

Background: The quality assurance of care and patient safety, with increasing cost pressure and performance levels is of major importance in the high-risk and high cost area of the operating room (OR). Standard operating procedures (SOP) are an established tool for structuring and standardization of the clinical treatment pathways and show multiple benefits for quality assurance and process optimization., Objectives: An internal project was initiated in the department of anesthesiology and a continuous improvement process was carried out to build up a comprehensive SOP library., Material and Methods: In the first step the spectrum of procedures in anesthesiology was transferred to PDF-based SOPs. The further development to an app-based SOP library (Aesculapp) was due to the high resource expenditure for the administration and maintenance of the large PDF-based SOP collection and to deficits in the mobile availability. The next developmental stage, the SOP healthcare information assistant (SOPHIA) included a simplified and advanced update feature, an archive feature previously missing and notably the possibility to share the SOP library with other departments including the option to adapt each SOP to the individual situation. A survey of the personnel showed that the app-based allocation of SOPs (Aesculapp, SOPHIA) had a higher acceptance than the PDF-based developmental stage SOP form., Conclusion: The SOP management system SOPHIA combines the benefits of the forerunner version Aesculapp with improved options for intradepartmental maintenance and administration of the SOPs and the possibility of an export and editing function for interinstitutional exchange of SOPs.

Since the publication of the first german guidelines on airway management in 2014, new techniques have been established in the clinical routine and new insights into existing strategies have been published. As a consequence the new guidelines on airway management of the German Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine represent the current state of scientific knowledge and integrate the currently recommended techniques and strategies. The aim of these guidelines is to guarantee an optimal care of patients undergoing anesthesiological procedures and serve as an orientation and decision aid for users.

Background: The current situation in hospitals is characterized by financial limitations and simultaneously by increasing demands on quality and safety. The operative interface between anesthesia and transfusion medicine affects both factors., Aim: A detailed analysis was performed to evaluate the process quality at this operative interface at the University Hospital of Göttingen. The aim of the project was to revise und develop the structures and responsibilities at this interface, to dispose of weak points and to realize the optimization potential in the supply of blood products., Material and Methods: A databank-based electronic data processing solution was established with the clear definition of responsibilities for the various workflow procedures and the written documentation of these definitions in standard operating protocols. In order to guarantee the necessary transparency a routine reporting system to the department of surgery was established. In addition, a continuous further development of the blood supply standard based on electronic report data was implemented., Results: By implementing the above named measures the rate of supplied to transfused blood products could be increased from 43.1 % to 55.7 %. The compliance with the blood supply standard improved continually over the first 18 months from 60.3 % to 92.3 %. The rate of supplied blood product deliveries without subsequent operation could be reduced from 9.0 % to 4.6  %. As a result of this optimization the supply costs in the internal cost allocation were reduced from 9,406  to 3,544 ., Conclusion: The measures described are appropriate to cost-effectively improve quality and patient safety. The optimization measures presented in this article can be implemented in other hospitals to increase quality and safety after individual adjustment to the local circumstances.

Background: There is no nationwide evaluation of the quality of anaesthesia in Germany. Thus, the aim of this study was to perform analyses using administrative routine data relating to this topic., Methods: Nationwide hospital claims data of patients insured with the local healthcare insurance fund (AOK) in the year 2007 were analyzed. Indicators from International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-10, German modification (ICD-10-GM) diagnosis codes for possible anaesthesia complications were selected., Results: Based on the present data, it was not possible to validate indicators which can be applied to detect the quality of anaesthesia., Conclusions: Administrative data seem to be an appropriated basis for measurement of quality of outcome in anaesthesiology. Further investigations should be performed to include the diagnosis present on admission. Moreover, there is a need for comparing routine data to the standardized data set, known as the "core data set anaesthesia".

Background: According to numerous pharmacoeconomic studies new anaesthesia techniques can improve recovery times and thus can have a positive economic impact on patient turnover. However, artificial study protocols do not always match real world situations and thus the practical impact of such studies remains unclear., Material and Methods: At 10 hospitals exclusively using sevoflurane as a volatile anaesthetic, the ad hoc implementation of desflurane was studied with respect to post-anaesthetic recovery times (primary endpoint) and postoperative outcome measured by the Quality of Recovery Score- (QoR-)40, on the first postoperative day was investigated. Randomization of patients undergoing elective surgical procedures under general anaesthesia with sevoflurane (n=186) or desflurane (n=176) was started immediately after a period of a few days after introducing the new drug to all participants. Except for the volatile anaesthetic the anaesthetic procedure was performed according to local standing operating procedures., Results: All parameters indicating the immediate postanaesthetic recovery were superior in the patients receiving desflurane (mean±SD). Time to extubation was accelerated from 8.7±9.7 to 6.2±6.8 min. Times to recalling name and date of birth were accelerated by 2.6 and 3.8 min, respectively. Transferring the patients from the operating theatre to the post-anaesthetic recovery unit was 17.3±11.5 min after sevoflurane and 13.7±7.8 min after anaesthesia with desflurane. Eligibility for discharge according to a modified Aldrete score (White and Song 1999) was reached after 103±98 and 79±76 min, respectively. The postoperative recovery (QoR 40 questionnaire) did not differ 24 h later., Discussion: The implementation of a new drug (here: desflurane to substitute sevoflurane) can improve speed of recovery immediately after termination of anaesthesia even after a very short period of introducing the new technique but has no positive long term effects. Thus, the results of this trial performed under a real world scenario (health service research) without tight standardization by an artificial study protocol supports the results originating from randomized controlled clinical trials.

Allowances have been made for surveillance as an essential component in the chain of anesthesiological care and the increasing importance of the recovery room by reformulation of the recommendations of the German Society for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care medicine (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin, DGAI) and the Professional Association of German Anesthetists (Berufsverband Deutscher Anästhesisten, BDA) on surveillance following anesthesia procedures. These recommendations replace the previous guidelines on postoperative surveillance and the recommendations on organization and equipping of recovery units. In the following article the essential new aspects of the recommendations on surveillance following anesthesia procedures will be presented.

The share of ambulatory procedures is increasing with advances in operative and anesthesiological methods and pressured by economical necessities. Following legal regulations procedures with and without hospital stay underlie the same quality measures. Multimodal concepts comprising anesthesiological and operative procedures, pain therapy as well as postoperative care allow for quality improvements in respect to operative outcome and patient satisfaction.

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has remained the first choice of treatment in preventing ischemic stroke due to symptomatic stenosis of the internal carotid artery despite other new available options. During CEA patients are first and foremost at risk of cerebral as well as myocardial ischemia, therefore, maintenance of the oxygen supply to the brain and the myocardium is of outstanding importance requiring reliable monitoring of cerebral and cardiac function. The regional versus general anesthesia debate is an age-old one that has brought few definite answers regarding the impact on postoperative outcome of either anesthetic technique. Up to now, there is little evidence from only a few randomized clinical trials to demonstrate the superiority of either anesthetic technique with respect to outcome parameters. Because the level of evidence in favor of regional anesthesia during CEA can at least be rated between 1(-) and 2(+) the resulting recommendation is grade C. The purpose of the review is to highlight the characteristics and goals of anesthetic management during CEA.

The present article reviews improvements in the 2008 version of the German Refined - Diagnosis Related Groups (G-DRG) which are relevant for anaesthesia and intensive care medicine. The focal points of further developments and the data base of the updated DRG version are presented. The efforts of the InEK, the institution which is responsible for the design and development of the G-DRG system, to provide a transparent system driven by rules are also explained, followed by a description of changes in coding of diagnoses (e.g. new diagnosis codes, revised complication and comorbidity level matrix, new specifications of individual diagnosis-related groups such as acute paraplegia) and procedures (e.g. new procedure codes, modifications for complex procedures). Furthermore, some new developments concerning the functions "complicating procedure" (increase in number of G-DRGs concerned and enlarged coverage of complex intensive care procedures) as well as changes in the demographic attribute "mechanical ventilation" (modification of G-DRGs for prolonged mechanical ventilation) are discussed. Finally, the legal requirements for supplemental revenues in 2008 (e.g. new additions, movements between different catalogues of services, transitions from the catalogue of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic methods to the official catalogue) are updated. The present contribution is an update of previous articles on this topic published in this journal in 2007. Therefore, knowledge of these previous publications is a prerequisite for the understanding of the current article. Readers who are not familiar with the complex material should refer to the publications from 2007.

The increasing mechanisation, specialisation and sub-specialisation in medicine have enduringly supported the delegation of originally medical activities to non-medical personnel and sometimes also made it necessary. Economical considerations have recently given additional impulse to these developments. It is indisputable that medical activities can be delegated to assistant personnel, however, it is equally indisputable that within the scope of the total spectrum of medical activities, there are limits to the extent of delegation, i.e. activities reserved exclusively for medical doctors. These include, by consensus of opinion, the physical examination, diagnosis, assessment of indication, determination of the therapy plan and informing the patient. The following article justifies from professional and legal viewpoints why anaesthesia also belongs to the genuine medical duties and is reserved exclusively for medical personnel. Therefore, the correct performance of parallel narcosis is coupled with far-reaching liability risks for all participants involved in this form of organisation or those responsible for them.

Background and Goal: For reimbursement via diagnosis-related groups (DRG), lump compensation-based payment of medical cases in German hospitals requires a case-related measuring and billing of resources that has to be consistent with DRG guidelines. Only through this, can the real costs be compared with the standard costs as calculated by the hospital reimbursment system (InEK) on a case-related basis and the DRG-specific break-even level be identified., Methods: In the present paper the authors introduce and validate two newly created alternative methods for case-related allocation of material costs in the field of anaesthesia. Method 1 allows online documentation of material costs via pre-defined anaesthesia standards. This full cost method is suitable for hospitals that have implemented an electronic hospital information system in their daily clinical documentation routine. For other hospitals method 2 could be applicable as the case-related allocation of material costs is done retrospectively based on the data collected in an electronic anaesthesia protocol record system (andoc, medlinq)., Results: Method 1 makes it possible to allocate 90.3% of anaesthesia-related material costs to a specific case corresponding to a Pearsson coefficient of 0.77. After iterative improvement through optimisation of modules the documentation quality could be raised to >98% and a Pearsson coefficient of 0.96. Although the expense for implementation and maintenance is considerable, the necessary documentation work for the clinician is low. Method 2 demands no further clinical effort in documentation and implementation and 49.1% of all material costs can be assigned on a case-related basis., Conclusions: The online documentation of material costs via predefined anaesthesia standards accounts for nearly all material costs in anaesthesia and only a negligible documentation effort is necessary for the clinician. Nevertheless, a complex and time-consuming configuration of standards and a continuous iterative alignment of the modules with the actual processes are required. Due to its process-orientated character, method 1 can also be used for workflow optimisation in terms of standard operating procedures (SOPs). Allocation of material costs with data from the electronic anaesthesia record system is a method that can be easily implemented but only a partial case relation is rendered possible.

The objective of this review is to describe which hygiene measures are appropriate and necessary in anaesthesia and the ICU and which are not, whereby unnecessary hygiene measures are those which are not substantiated by scientific data. The most effective single infection control measure is still hand disinfection between patient contacts. Unnecessary measures include routine sampling of environmental surfaces, disinfecting the floor in the ICU, protective gowns for visitors, so called in-line filters in the infusion system etc. Ventilator tubes only need to be exchanged once a week, even when no HMEs are used.

Quality of care and costs are getting closer together. Whereas costs and quality management did not play a substantial role 30 years ago, the consumption of resources nowadays is part of the outcome of quality of care. The definition of quality must be seen in the dimensions of structure, process and result. Resulting from newly developed clinical practice, guidelines are planned as instruments for cost containment in near future. Those guidelines may end up in a quality management system. The most wellknown european basic of such a quality management system are the DIN EN ISO 9000 f and the EFQM. The ISO 9001 and the European Quality Award became the most common base of evaluation for certification of quality management systems in Organisations European wide. Whereas the ISO 9001 does not give any information about the real achieved quality, the European Quality Award reflects the process. Guidelines are necessary to prove the cost effectiveness of measures of quality control and quality assurance since too much quality control and assurance may result in increased overall consumption of resources, leading to a reduction in the quality of care when ensuring that the overall budget is covered.

By means of medical records, anaesthesia protocols and autopsy reports on 59 severely burnt patients of all age and risk groups, the three anaesthetic procedures mainly used in this group of patients-NLA, inhalation narcosis with halothane and Ketamine mono-anaesthesia-were retrospectively compared with regard to intra-operative complications and mortality. All the patients were in the initial phase of the treatment of burns, and had to undergo a variety of surgical interventions; these included changes of dressing, tracheotomy, necrotomy and skin grafts. Special pathophysiological problems of burns with particular consideration of the cardiocascular system, the lungs, the kidneys, and the electrolyte and acid-base balance are pointed out. Attention is drawn to the decisive importance of "preanaesthetic management" and to the specific technical problems of anaesthesia in patients suffering from burns. Each of the anaesthetic procedures discussed proved to be fundamentally suitable for the anaesthesia of persons suffering from very severe burns. Each of the anaesthetic procedures discussed proved to be fundamentally suitable for the anaesthesia of persons suffering from very severe burns. It should be left to the individual to decide which procedure in his experience should be preferred for a particular case.