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Purpose: To report indications and clinical outcomes of corneal grafts ≤ 5.5 mm in diameter ("mini-KP") in a German tertiary referral center. Methods: Patients who had undergone mini-KP to treat corneal ulcers with or without perforation between 2011 and 2018 at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Düsseldorf, Germany, were identified from the local keratoplasty registry. All patient records were reviewed for age, gender, laterality, systemic and ophthalmological diseases, etiology of the corneal ulcerative disease, pre- and postoperative visual acuity over a follow-up time of up to 12 months, graft size, postoperative complications and the need for and timing of further corneal interventions. Results: 37 eyes of 37 patients (male: n = 20; female: n = 17) with a mean age (± standard deviation) at presentation of 70 ± 18.8 years (range: 22–92 years) were identified. Most common etiologies were neurotrophic keratopathy (n = 15), dysfunctional tear syndrome (n = 9) and atopic keratoconjunctivitis (9). Mean graft diameter was 4.51 ± 0.63 mm (range: 3-5.5 mm). 23/37 eyes (62%) required no further intervention in the acute phase. 14/37 patients (38%) required secondary corneal intervention, due to complications. One-year graft survival was 78.4%. One eye had to be eviscerated due to recurrent corneal ulceration and endophthalmitis. 36 of 37 eyes were preserved. We found a highly significant correlation between type 2 diabetes and the development of postoperative complications (r =.46; p =.005). Corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) improved from 1.42 ± 0.75 logMAR to 0.9 ± 0.65 logMAR postoperatively (t (23) = 5.76; p <.001). Conclusion: Mini-KP can be used successfully in eyes with advanced corneal ulcers due to various infectious and noninfectious etiologies to restore tectonic stability in the long-term and with moderate visual gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Germany, educational deficits or potential benefits involved in global health education have not been analysed till now. Objective: We assess the importance medical students place on learning about social determinants of health (SDH) and assess their knowledge of global health topics in relation to (i) mobility patterns, their education in (ii) tropical medicine or (iii) global health. Methods: Cross-sectional study among medical students from all 36 medical schools in Germany using a webbased, semi-structured questionnaire. Participants were recruited via mailing-lists of students' unions, all medical students registered in 2007 were eligible to participate in the study. We captured international mobility patterns, exposure to global health learning opportunities and attitudes to learning about SDH. Both an objective and subjective knowledge assessment were performed. Results: 1126 online-replies were received and analysed. International health electives in developing countries correlated significantly with a higher importance placed on all provided SDH (p ≤ 0.006). Participation in tropical medicine (p < 0.03) and global health courses (p < 0.02) were significantly associated with a higher rating of 'culture, language and religion' and the 'economic system'. Global health trainings correlated with significantly higher ratings of the 'educational system' (p = 0.007) and the 'health system structure' (p = 0.007), while the item 'politics' was marginally significant (p = 0.053). In the knowledge assessment students achieved an average score of 3.6 (SD 1.5; Mdn 4.0), 75% achieved a score of 4.0 or less (Q25 = 3.0; Q75 = 4.0) from a maximum achievable score of 8.0. A better performance was associated with international health electives (p = 0.032), participation in tropical medicine (p = 0.038) and global health (p = 0.258) courses. Conclusion: The importance medical students in our sample placed on learning about SDH strongly interacts with students' mobility, and participation in tropical medicine and global health courses. The knowledge assessment revealed deficits and outlined needs to further analyse education gaps in global health. Developing concerted educational interventions aimed at fostering students' engagement with SDH could make full use of synergy effects inherent in student mobility, tropical medicine and global health education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, education and training in global health has been the subject of recurring debate in many countries. However, in Germany, there has been no analysis of the educational needs or demands of medical students, or the educational deficits or potential benefits involved in global health education. Our purpose is to analyse international health elective patterns of medical students enrolled at German universities and assess whether or how they prepare for their electives abroad. We examine the exposure of medical students enrolled at German universities to training courses in tropical medicine or global health and assess students' perceived needs and demands for education in global health. Methods: Cross-sectional study among medical students in Germany including all 36 medical schools during the second half of the year 2007. All registered medical students were eligible to participate in the study. Recruitment occurred via electronic mailing-lists of students' unions. We developed a web-based, semi-structured questionnaire to capture students' international mobility patterns, preparation before electives, destination countries, exposure to and demand for global health learning opportunities. Results: 1126 online-replies were received and analysed from all registered medical students in Germany (N = 78.067). 33.0% of all respondents (370/1126) declared at least one international health elective and of these, 36.0% (133/370) completed their electives in developing countries. 36.0% (131/363) did not prepare specifically at all, 59.0% (214/363) prepared either by self-study or declared a participation in specific preparation programmes. 87.8% of 5th and 6th year students had never participated in a global health course and 72.6% (209/288) had not completed a course in tropical medicine. 94.0% (861/916) endorsed the idea of introducing global health into medical education. Conclusion: Students in our sample are highly mobile during their studies. International health electives are common, also in developing countries. Formal preparation beyond self-study is virtually non-existent amongst our sample and the participation rate in courses of tropical medicine or global health is appallingly low. We have identified unmet perceived needs and the demand for more learning opportunities in global health in our sample, urging for reforms to adjust curricula to a globalising world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]