Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2024; 72(01): 002-010
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1764230
Original Cardiovascular

Survey on the Updated German S3 Guideline for Intensive Care in Cardiac Surgery Patients

Thomas Simon Zajonz
1   Department of Anesthesiology, Operative Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Universitaetsklinikum Giessen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Giessen, Giessen, Hessen, Germany
,
Marit Habicher
1   Department of Anesthesiology, Operative Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Universitaetsklinikum Giessen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Giessen, Giessen, Hessen, Germany
,
Andreas Böning
2   Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Universitaetsklinikum Giessen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Giessen, Giessen, Hessen, Germany
3   Department of Adult and Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, Universitaetsklinikum Giessen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Giessen, Giessen, Hessen, Germany
,
Matthias Heringlake
4   Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Heart and Diabetes Center Mecklenburg, Western Pomerania, Karlsburg Hospital, Karlsburg, Germany
,
Jörg Ender
5   Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Leipzig Heart Centre University Hospital, Heart Center Leipzig, Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany
,
Andreas Markewitz
6   Deutsche Gesellschaft für Thorax-, Herz- und Gefäßchirurgie, Berlin, Germany
,
Florian Brenck*
1   Department of Anesthesiology, Operative Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Universitaetsklinikum Giessen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Giessen, Giessen, Hessen, Germany
,
Michael Sander*
1   Department of Anesthesiology, Operative Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Universitaetsklinikum Giessen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Giessen, Giessen, Hessen, Germany
› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Background The German guideline on intensive care treatment of cardiac surgical patients provides evidence-based recommendations on management and monitoring. It remains unclear if, respectively, to which degree the guidelines are implemented into the daily practice. Therefore, this study aims to characterize the implementation of guideline recommendations in German cardiac surgical intensive care units (ICUs).

Methods An internet-based online survey (42 questions, 9 topics) was sent to 158 German head physicians of cardiac surgical ICUs. To compare the effect over time, most questions were based on a previously performed survey (2013) after introduction of the last guideline update in 2008.

Results A total of n = 65 (41.1%) questionnaires were included. Monitoring changed to increased provision of available transesophageal echocardiography specialists in 86% (2013: 72.6%), SvO2 measurement in 93.8% (2013: 55.1%), and electroencephalography in 58.5% (2013: 2.6%). The use of hydroxyethyl starch declined (9.4% vs. 2013: 38.7%), gelatin 4% presented the most administered colloid with 23.4% (2013: 17.4%). Low cardiac output syndrome was primarily treated with levosimendan (30.8%) and epinephrine (23.1%), while norepinephrine (44.6%) and dobutamine (16.9%) represented the most favored drug combination. The main way of distribution was web-based (50.9%), with increasing impact on therapy regimens (36.9% vs. 2013: 24%).

Conclusion Changes were found in all questioned sectors compared with the preceding survey, with persisting variability between ICUs. Recommendations of the updated guideline have increasingly entered clinical practice, with participants valuing the updated publication as clinically relevant.

Ethical Approval Statement

Ethical approval for this study was not required as no animals or patients are involved.


* Both authors contributed equally to the manuscript.




Publication History

Received: 19 November 2022

Accepted: 21 January 2023

Article published online:
09 March 2023

© 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 
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