Arbeitsgemeinschaft Der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften Research Articles

Management of acute community-acquired bacterial meningitis : Leading symptoms of impaired consciousness and fever with/without headache

Simultaneous symptoms of impaired consciousness and fever are suspicious for acute bacterial meningitis. This is amedical emergency and prompt action is essential. The clinical workup for suspected bacterial meningitis as well as treatment recommendations and differential diagnosis for the main symptoms of decreased vigilance and fever are described. Evaluation of selective literature using PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine®, Bethesda, MD, USA), especially taking into account the AWMF (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften) guideline of community-acquired bacterial meningoencephalitis in adults. Bacterial meningoencephalitis presents with the main symptoms of impaired consciousness, nuchal rigidity, headache and fever, which may, however, be absent in some cases. The diagnosis is confirmed by investigation of the cerebrospinal fluid. Further diagnostics include emergency laboratory tests, blood cultures, microbiological examinations, and cranial computed tomography (CCT). Empirical treatment should be administered promptly. Acute bacterial meningitis must be considered in cases of loss of vigilance and fever, requiring arapid, structured approach in the emergency department.

Sustainability-national and international initiatives in intensive care and emergency medicine

Climate change with global warming, natural disasters, species extinction and soil erosion is doubly relevant for medicine: On the one hand, heat waves, floods and other natural disasters lead to new disease patterns to which healthcare systems must adapt. On the other hand, the global healthcare system itself contributes to these effects, as it is estimated that the CO2 footprint of all healthcare facilities accounts for around 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. National and international initiatives to promote sustainability concepts in intensive care and emergency medicine. Research on homepages of national and international (specialist) societies dealing with intensive and emergency care medicine and corresponding PubMed search (sustainability and climate change and emergency or intensive care medicine). Six of the 12national specialist societies surveyed have taken initiatives on sustainability, notable among them the initiative of Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften (AWMF) for anew registration of the S1guideline "Sustainability in intensive care and emergency medicine". On the international scene, the activities of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) with numerous publications on the topic of sustainability in intensive care medicine and the practical guide "Abeginners guide to sustainability in intensive care medicine" as well as the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) with aconsensus paper on sustainability should be highlighted. At the national level, initiatives on sustainability (guidelines, working groups, forums) are emerging and are attracting increasing attention and activity. The umbrella organization of German Intensive Care Medicine, the Deutsche Interdisziplinäre Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin (DIVI), has so far shown no (discernible) activity; there is an urgent need for action here, and health policy and the German Medical Association should also become (even) more involved in reducing the CO2 footprint in the healthcare sector. Internationally, there are anumber of societies and institutions that are promoting the topic of "sustainability", although astronger focus on the area of intensive care and emergency medicine would also be desirable here.

Clinical Practice Guideline: Recommendations for the Perioperative Management of Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancer Patients.

Colorectal and pancreatic carcinoma are the most common cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Their surgical treatment carries a high morbidity: Complications arise in 25% to 30% of cases, often prolonging recovery times and delaying the initiation of adjuvant therapy, leading, in turn, to worse oncological outcomes. The goal of multimodal perioperative management (mPOM) is to lower the postoperative complication rate through a combination of perioperative measures. This guideline on the perioperative management of gastrointestinal tumors (POMGAT) meets all requirements for an S3 guideline as specified by the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften, AWMF). These include a systematic literature search, quality assessment of the included publications, an evaluation of the reliability of the evidence according to the GRADE approach, and a structured consensus process. Meta-analyses have shown that mPOM lowers the complication rates of both pancreatic and colorectal resections (RD 0.96 with 95% confidence interval [0.92; 0.99] and RR 0.66 [0.54; 0.80], respectively). This shortens the hospital stay after pancreatic resections by a median of 2.33 days [-2.98; -1.69] and after colorectal resections by a median of 2.59 days [-3.22; -1.97]. Adherence to the POMGAT-S3 guideline for pancreatic and colorectal cancer surgery is associated with improved recovery, which can lead to a faster return to intended oncological treatment (RIOT) and thus to better long-term outcomes. These recommendations are not restricted to gastrointestinal cancer surgery; they can also be applied to visceral surgery for benign conditions, as well as to gynecological and urological operations.

New S2k guideline "Surgical techniques for gender incongruence"

Various techniques for the surgical treatment of gender incongruence (GI) have been available for years. The spectrum is broad and covers various specialties. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of clinics offering body-modifying procedures. This has led to aconsiderable variation in methods in some cases. Although the topic has recently found its way more and more into teaching and the relevant specialist literature, there are still no evidence-based recommendations on the various techniques. Acompendium of established surgical techniques was to be compiled, containing recommendations on indication, performance and aftercare as well as complication management and subjecting them to aconsensus-based evaluation. In accordance with "Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften" (AWMF) regulations, the guideline was developed at level S2k, i.e., it is consensus based. The guideline group was founded in February 2019 in aformal constituent meeting. Atotal of 14medical societies and 2interest groups were recruited for the guideline work. In the end, two consensus meetings were held, which was due to the large number of recommendations and background texts to be adopted. The guideline focuses on the choice and applicability of surgical techniques as well as the wishes of those seeking treatment and protection of fertility. There is awide variety of methods and treatment goals for each individual. Taking into account medical standards, recommendations, and contraindications, an optimal result that minimizes individual suffering can be achieved together with the person seeking treatment. The content of the guideline represents aunique compendium of surgical methods, recommendations for the selection of procedures, and common indications in the field of body-modifying surgery for gender incongruence.

Acquisition, status and transfer of knowledge in compression therapy : Cross-sectional study in healthcare professions using phlebological compression therapy

Due to scientific progress, healthcare professionals should regularly undergo appropriate continuing education. For this, knowledge transfer is essential. Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the acquisition, status and transfer of knowledge of professional groups applying phlebological compression therapy in Germany. Healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses and medical assistants) received aquestionnaire developed for this study, which queried different aspects of acquisition, status and transfer of knowledge. Responses from 522 participants were analysed. The topic of compression therapy was not taught in the nursing or medical education of 43.3%. Specialist journals that address compression therapy were read regularly (at least 6times/year) by 16.1% of the participants; 63.0% had no specialist books on this subject. Only 6.7% were aware of AWMF ("Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften") guidelines on the topic and 16.3% of the corresponding DNQP ("Deutsches Netzwerk für Qualitätsentwicklung in der Pflege") expert standard. In all, 41.2% participated in at least one internal training on compression therapy per year, 72.0% in external training and 19.2% in online training. Atotal of 30.7% stated that they did not use any information sources to acquire knowledge. Possible sources of knowledge about compression therapy in Germany are insufficiently known within the investigated healthcare professional groups studied or are not regularly used. The result is aconsiderable knowledge deficit with adiscrepancy between the current state of science and practice.

Psychiatric, socio-legal and perioperative aspects of vaginoplasty

The number of scientific papers on gender-confirming surgeries as well as the surgeries themselves have increased by leaps and bounds in recent years. This leads to sometimes considerable waiting times for people seeking treatment. Social media and the internet do not always provide reliable and high-quality information. Therefore, it is necessary that both surgically and conservatively active urologists are familiar with topics regarding transgender persons. The establishment of structured training, the guarantee of minimum quality standards in the treatment of transgender persons and the further education and training of medical staff pose particular challenges. The German Society for Urology (DGU) and the German Society for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (DGPRÄC) have already founded their own working groups on the surgical side, which coordinate their work. Under the auspices of the professional societies DGU and DGPRÄC, aguideline on surgical procedures for gender incongruence was developed under the umbrella of the AWMF ("Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften") which is currently being finalised. For along time, the health care of transgender people has been moving in afield of tension between the right of self-determination of those seeking treatment, on the one hand, and the fear of making the wrong medical decisions, on the other. In contrast to most other conditions in urology, the goal of treatment is largely determined by the person seeking treatment and does not necessarily follow predetermined schedules or content. The treatment should primarily aim at reducing the individual's suffering and promoting quality of life.

German guidelines on community-acquired acute bacterial meningitis in adults

IntroductionThe incidence of community-acquired acute bacterial meningitis has decreased during the last decades. However, outcome remains poor with a significant proportion of patients not surviving and up to 50% of survivors suffering from long-term sequelae. These guidelines were developed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurologie (DGN) under guidance of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften (AWMF) to guide physicians through diagnostics and treatment of adult patients with acute bacterial meningitis.RecommendationsThe most important recommendations are: (i) In patients with suspected acute bacterial meningitis, we recommend that lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (with simultaneous collection of serum to determine the cerebrospinal fluid-serum glucose index and blood cultures) is obtained immediately after the clinical examination (in the absence of severely impaired consciousness, focal neurological deficits, and/or new epileptic seizures). (ii) Next, we recommend application of dexamethasone and empiric antibiotics intravenously. (iii) The recommended initial empiric antibiotic regimen consists of ampicillin and a group 3a cephalosporin (e.g., ceftriaxone). (iv) In patients with severely impaired consciousness, new onset focal neurological deficits (e.g. hemiparesis) and/or patients with newly occurring epileptic seizures, we recommend that dexamethasone and antibiotics are started immediately after the collection of blood; we further recommend that —if the imaging findings do not indicate otherwise —a lumbar CSF sample is taken directly after imaging. (v) Due to the frequent occurrence of intracranial and systemic complications, we suggest that patients with acute bacterial meningitis are treated at an intensive care unit in the initial phase of the disease. In the case of impaired consciousness, we suggest that this is done at an intensive care unit with experience in the treatment of patients with severe CNS diseases.ConclusionsThe German S2k-guidelines give up to date recommendations for workup, diagnostics and treatment in adult patients with acute bacterial meningitis.

Nichtmedikamentöse Interventionen für Menschen mit Demenz

Non-pharmacological interventions for people with dementia are intended to improve quality of life and well-being, alleviate psychopathological and behavioral symptoms, and also offer caregivers support and opportunities to promote resilience. Against the background of the multiple failures in the field of pharmacological-therapeutic research, these approaches have become increasingly important. An up-to-date overview of the most important non-drug interventions for people with dementia and related recommendations for therapeutic use. Narrative review taking into account the current state of research and the recommendations of the Working Group of (German) Scientific Medical Societies (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften, AWMF) S3guideline "Dementia". The most important interventions from this therapeutic spectrum include cognitive stimulation to maintain cognitive functioning, physical activation and creative therapeutic activities to promote communication skills and social participation. In the meantime, access to these diverse psychosocial interventions has also been supplemented by digital technology. What these interventions have in common is that they are based on the individual cognitive and physical resources of those affected, improve quality of life and mood, and promote participation and self-efficacy. In addition to psychosocial interventions, nutrition-related approaches ("medical food") and non-invasive neurostimulation have recently also shown potential in the context of non-drug therapy for people with dementia.

Critical Implications of IVDR for Innovation in Diagnostics: Input From the BioMed Alliance Diagnostics Task Force.

Critical Implications of IVDR for Innovation in Diagnostics: Input From the BioMed Alliance Diagnostics Task Force.

The Diagnosis, Treatment, and Aftercare of Cervical Carcinoma.

Approximately 4380 cases of cervical carcinoma were diagnosed in Germany in 2016. In women who had not participated in early detection programs, cervical carcinoma was usually already in an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Certified structures for care in conformity with the existing guidelines are available. The new German clinical practice guideline was revised with the participation of 50 medical societies under the expert guidance of the Guideline Program in Oncology, which includes the German Association of the Scientific Medical Societies (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften, AWMF). A systematic literature review was conducted. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were considered. The histologic tumor stage and lymph-node stage are essential determinants of the treatment strategy. The main innovation regarding surgical treatment is the revival of open hysterectomy (overall survival [minimally invasive vs open hysterectomy]: 94.04% vs 99.4%; hazard ratio [HR]: 6.00; 95% confidence interval [1.77; 20.30]). In addition, for tumors measuring 2 cm or less, sentinel node biopsy is recommended rather than radical pelvic lymphadenectomy. MRI-guided brachytherapy is an oblig atory component of radiochemotherapy (overall survival [radiochemotherapy with vs without brachytherapy]: 58.2% vs 46.2%, p<0.001). The standard palliative treatment consists of bevacizumab combined with a platinum-containing agent (overall survival: HR: 0.77 [0.62; 0.95]; p = 0.007). Despite the introduction of new treatments, the outcome of patients with advanced cervical carcinoma has not much improved. In the surgical treatment of cervical carcinoma, the open approach is now favored. The sentinel node biopsy technique has become well established for the surgical staging of small tumors. Controlled trials are needed so that the outcome of women with cervical carcinoma, particularly in its advanced and metastatic stages, can be improved.

Genetic counseling and diagnostic guidelines for couples with infertility and/or recurrent miscarriage.

Around 10-15 % of all couples are infertile, rendering infertility a widespread disease. Male and female causes contribute equally to infertility, and, depending on the definition, roughly 1 % to 5 % of all couples experience recurrent miscarriages. In German-speaking countries, recommendations for infertile couples and couples with recurrent miscarriages are published as consensus-based (S2k) Guidelines by the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften" (AWMF). This article summarizes the current recommendations with regard to genetic counseling and diagnostics. Prior to genetic counseling, the infertile couple must undergo a gynecological/andrological examination, which includes anamnesis, hormonal profiling, physical examination and genital ultrasound. Women should be examined for the presence of hyperandrogenemia. Men must further undergo a semen analysis. Based on the overall results, hyper- or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism can be diagnosed in both sexes. Female genetic diagnostics for infertility comprise karyotyping, analysis of the FMR1 premutation and a gene panel including genes associated with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) or congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Male genetic diagnostics for infertility comprise karyotyping, screening for AZF microdeletions, CFTR analysis and a gene panel including genes associated with CHH. Also, gene panels are increasingly being used to causally clarify specific phenotypes such as defective sperm morphology/motility or azoospermia. As infertile couples have an increased risk for chromosomal aberrations, a chromosomal analysis should also be offered to both partners prior to undergoing assisted reproductive technology. In couples with recurrent miscarriages, karyotyping is recommended to detect balanced structural chromosomal aberrations.

Guideline on diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of laryngeal cancer

The German S3 guideline on diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of laryngeal cancer was developed in 2019 as part of the oncology guideline program of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften, AWMF) of the German Cancer Society (Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft, DKG) and German Cancer Aid (Deutsche Krebshilfe, DKH), published under the leadership of the German Society for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. The guideline was funded by DKH as part of the oncology guideline program. Since guidelines are an important tool for quality assurance and quality management in oncology, they should be incorporated into everyday care in atargeted and sustainable manner. The guideline should generally fulfil the interdisciplinary character of early diagnosis, diagnostics, treatment, rehabilitation, and follow-up, with the aim of developing evidence- and consensus-based recommendations and statements for treatment of laryngeal cancer with the aim of organ preservation, but also show their limits. The main recommendations of the original text are summarized. The guideline is available as along and ashort version in the guideline program of the DKG ( https://www.leitlinienprogramm-onkologie.de/leitlinien/larynxkarzinom/ ) and also as an app ( https://www.leitlinienprogramm-onkologie.de/app/ ).

Guideline on diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of laryngeal cancer

The German S3 guideline on diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of laryngeal cancer was developed in 2019 as part of the oncology guideline program of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften, AWMF) of the German Cancer Society (Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft, DKG) and German Cancer Aid (Deutsche Krebshilfe, DKH), published under the leadership of the German Society for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. The guideline was funded by DKH as part of the oncology guideline program. Since guidelines are an important tool for quality assurance and quality management in oncology, they should be incorporated into everyday care in atargeted and sustainable manner. The guideline should generally fulfil the interdisciplinary character of early diagnosis, diagnostics, treatment, rehabilitation, and follow-up, with the aim of developing evidence- and consensus-based recommendations and statements for treatment of laryngeal cancer with the aim of organ preservation, but also show their limits. The main recommendations of the original text are summarized. The guideline is available as along and ashort version in the guideline program of the DKG ( https://www.leitlinienprogramm-onkologie.de/leitlinien/larynxkarzinom/ ) and also as an app ( https://www.leitlinienprogramm-onkologie.de/app/ ).

Diagnosis and treatment of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in childhood and adolescence: An evidence- and consensus-based guideline.

This evidence- and consensus-based practical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) in childhood and adolescence has been developed by a group of delegates from relevant specialist societies and organisations; it is the result of an initiative by the German-Speaking Society of Neuropediatrics (GNP), and is supported by the Association of Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF, Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften). A systematic analysis of the literature revealed that only a few adequately-controlled studies exist for this particular age group, while none carries a low risk of bias. For this reason, the diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations largely rely on findings in adult patients with GBS, for which there are a higher number of suitable studies available. Consensus was established using a written, multi-step Delphi process. A high level of consensus could be reached for the crucial steps in diagnosis and treatment. We recommend basing the diagnostic approach on the clinical criteria of GBS and deriving support from CSF and electrophysiological findings. Repetition of invasive procedures that yield ambiguous results is only recommended if the diagnosis cannot be ascertained from the other criteria. For severe or persistently-progressive GBS treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is recommended, whereas in cases of IVIG intolerance or inefficacy we recommended treatment with plasmapheresis. Corticosteroids are ineffective for GBS but can be considered when acute onset chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (A-CIDP) is suspected due to a prolonged disease course. The full German version of the Guideline is available on the AWMF website (https://www.awmf.org/leitlinien/detail/ll/022-008.html).

Benign Breast Disease in Women.

Most clinical breast changes in women are benign; in only 3% to 6% of cases are they due to breast cancer. How- ever, there is a lack of up-to-date, evidence-based treatment recommendations for the various benign differential diagnoses. Selective literature search of PubMed from 1985 to May 2019, including current national (AWMF, Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften [Association of Scientific Medical Societies in Germany]) and inter- national guidelines. Mastalgia and fibrocystic changes are common (around 50% of all women over the age of 30). Fibroadenomas occur in 25% of women; they are the most common benign tumors of the breast and do not require treatment. With most benign breast changes the risk of dedifferentiation is very low. However, it is important in the differential diagnosis to distinguish between such benign changes and breast cancer or changes that carry a risk of malignancy. Complex cysts, for example, carry a risk of malig- nancy of 23% to 31%, papillary lesions 16% , and radial scars 7%. Where there is doubt, histological confirmation should be sought by means of percutaneous biopsy. Benign breast changes can be definitively distinguished from malignant lesions through the selective use of avail- able diagnostic investigations and interdisciplinary collaboration. When lesions of uncertain malignant potential are found (B3 in the biopsy classification), complete excision is indicated. Prospective studies on the early diagnosis of breast cancer in lesions carrying a risk of malignancy are desirable.

Procedural guideline for Iodine-131 whole-body scintigraphy in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (version 5)

Version 5 of the procedural guideline for Iodine-131 whole-body scintigraphy (WBS) in differentiated thyroid carcinoma is an update of the version 4, published by the "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nuklearmedizin" (DGN). This procedural guideline advises on how to best perform I-131 whole body scintigraphy after I-131 therapy or after application of a diagnostic I-131 activity. A representative expert group has discussed and reached consensus on the procedural guideline; the development of this procedural guideline therefore fulfils the criteria for level S1 (first step) within the classification of the German Workgroup of Scientific Medical Societies ("Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften"; AWMF).

A systematic review of latest evidence for antibiotic prophylaxis and therapy in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Especially in oral and maxillofacial surgery, where procedures involving the aero-digestive tract considered clean contaminated, surgical site infections (SSI) represent a severe health care burden. To improve implementation and methodological standard, an upgrade of the existing S1 guideline to a consensus-guided S3 guideline was initiated by the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e.V., AWMF, register number 067/009) and 25 collaborating medical societies. A systematic literature search based on the Scottish Intercollegiate GL Network (SIGN)-search string for the guideline "Antibiotic prophylaxis in surgery" from 2014 was performed and equivalent exclusion/inclusion criteria were applied. An additional hand search provided latest evidence. In total, 80 clinical trials, retrospective studies, reviews, and meta-analysis were analyzed. For orthognathic surgery, prolonged antibiotic regimen may reduce risk for SSI but there is lack of evidence for the effects of short- vs. long-term therapy. For maxillofacial traumatology, antibiotic prophylaxis might reduce SSI but prolonged postoperative dosing shows no benefit. For clean-contaminated oncological interventions, anti-infectious therapy for 24h only can reduce SSI; patients may not benefit from prolonged regimen. In contrast, for dentoalveolar procedures such as implantology or third molar removal, literature reveals ambivalent results. In summary, consensus process of the planned S3 guideline is much in need to transfer the indecisive results for antibiotic prophylaxis in dentoalveolar surgery in clinical praxis and encourage adherence to guidelines.

Analyse des coûts du traitement et de la rééducation des lésions nerveuses périphériques du membre supérieur en Allemagne

Nerve injuries are considered to be highly cost intensive due to the necessary specialized therapy, rehabilitation and long healing process. So far no cost analyses are available of the German collective and even the German treatment guideline (AWMF – Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e.V.) refers to Swedish or Swiss data. This study evaluates for the first time the costs of peripheral nerve lesions within the German health system. All patients who suffered a work-related peripheral nerve lesion of the upper extremity and were treated in our hospital between 01, 2012 and 12, 2017 were analysed. For patients with a follow-up of 78 weeks within this period, the costs of inpatient treatment (diagnostics, operation, ward days) and rehabilitation were calculated. Out of 556 patients with work-related nerve injuries 250 had a completed follow up and could be calculated. The mean age of patients was 39.97 y. 153 patients had a single median nerve injury with mean acute care costs of 3569.94 €, 24 had a single radial nerve injury with mean costs of 3166.14 €, 57 patients had a single ulnar nerve injury revealing 2650.25 €, 18 had a combined median and ulnar nerve injury resulting in median costs of 11,402.47 € and 1 had a combined median and radial nerve injury with 2083.45 €. In 123 cases (49%) one or more tendons were also injured resulting mean costs of 5085.53 €, instead of 2660.16 € with no injured tendons. Mean hospital stay was 7.03 days. 16% required a rehabilitation with mean costs of 5842.35 € and a mean stay of 25.71 days. The mean of overall costs of inpatient stay and rehabilitation was 4788.22 €. Injury to the peripheral nerves of the upper extremity has a major impact on the function of the arm and hand, the patient's life and employment. The health care costs for inpatient treatment of these injuries are similar to those known from Sweden or Switzerland. Almost 50% had combined nerve and tendon injuries, which led to average increase of 61% in costs. A considerable high amount is needed for the rehabilitation part. The costs will be presented more detailed in the presentation due to limited space in the abstract.

Update of the S2k guidelines : Surgical treatment of benign thyroid diseases

Thyroid resections represent one of the most common operations with 76,140 interventions in the year 2016 in Germany (source Destatis). These are predominantly benign thyroid gland diseases. Recommendations for the operative treatment of benign thyroid diseases were last published by the CAEK in 2010 as S2k guidelines (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e.V. [AWMF] 003/002) against the background of increasingly more radical resection procedures. Hemithyroidectomy and thyroidectomy are routinely performed for benign thyroid disease in practice. The operation-specific risks show a clear increase with the extent of the resection. Therefore, weighing-up of the risk-indications ratio between unilateral lobectomy or thyroidectomy necessitates an independent evaluation of the indications for both sides. This principle in particular has been used to update the guidelines. In addition, the previously published recommendations of the CAEK for correct execution and consequences of intraoperative neuromonitoring were included into the guidelines, which in particular serve the aim to avoid bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. Moreover, the recommendations for the treatment of postoperative complications, such as hypoparathyroidism and postoperative infections were revised. The updated guidelines therefore represent the current state of the science as well as the resulting surgical practice.

Cutaneous Lyme borreliosis: Guideline of the German Dermatology Society.

This guideline of the German Dermatology Society primarily focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous manifestations of Lyme borreliosis. It has received consensus from 22 German medical societies and 2 German patient organisations. It is the first part of an AWMF (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e.V.) interdisciplinary guideline: “Lyme Borreliosis – Diagnosis and Treatment, development stage S3”. The guideline is directed at physicians in private practices and clinics who treat Lyme borreliosis. Objectives of this guideline are recommendations for confirming a clinical diagnosis, recommendations for a stage-related laboratory diagnosis (serological detection of IgM and IgG Borrelia antibodies using the 2-tiered ELISA/immunoblot process, sensible use of molecular diagnostic and culture procedures) and recommendations for the treatment of the localised, early-stage infection (erythema migrans, erythema chronicum migrans, and borrelial lymphocytoma), the disseminated early-stage infection (multiple erythemata migrantia, flu-like symptoms) and treatment of the late-stage infection (acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans with and without neurological manifestations). In addition, an information sheet for patients containing recommendations for the prevention of Lyme borreliosis is attached to the guideline.