Medical Clinic I, Cardiology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine

This refers to a combination of devices used to monitor the patient's circulatory parameters.
Circulatory parameters include heart rate, which is recorded by an electrocardiogram (ECG). It also includes blood pressure, which is measured either non-invasively using an upper arm cuff or invasively via cannulation of the arm or femoral artery, as well as oxygen saturation and body temperature. If there are any deviations from normal values, acoustic alarms are triggered in the ward. These are collated in the base centre, enabling the team caring for the patient to respond promptly.

PiCCO, bedside echocardiography and sonography are available for advanced haemodynamic monitoring. PiCCO is a device developed by a specialist company which uses two measurement methods (thermodilution and pulse contour analysis) to optimally control the patient's treatment (fluid administration and circulatory support medication).

The ventilator (respirator) can either assist or completely take over the patient's breathing. This can be done as non-invasive ventilation via a mask, for example in the event of a deterioration in a pre-existing chronic lung disease or acute pulmonary oedema. If a tube (ventilation tube) is inserted into the windpipe through the mouth or nose, this is referred to as invasive ventilation.

In the event of cardiac arrest, a mechanical resuscitation aid is available which automatically performs chest compressions once it has been applied. This allows the intensive care team to concentrate on treating the patient.

Patients who are successfully resuscitated after cardiac arrest, for example ventricular fibrillation during an acute heart attack, benefit from therapeutic cooling in terms of their neurological outcome (probability of long-term neurological damage). This is carried out using a special cooling catheter, which is inserted into the femoral vein. This method allows cooling and, in particular, rewarming to be controlled very effectively.

These are implanted in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory, with further treatment taking place in our intensive care unit.

The term dialysis refers to a blood purification procedure used to replace kidney function in cases of renal failure. The dialysis procedures available on the ward are either intermittent haemodialysis in cooperation with the nephrology department or continuous veno-venous haemofiltration (CVVH).

The bronchoscopy (examination of the airways) with the option of mucus suction is performed at the bedside in cooperation with the pulmonology department.

If artificial ventilation is expected to be required for a longer period of time, e.g. in cases of ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome = acute lung failure) or if weaning from the ventilator proves difficult, a tracheotomy (incision in the windpipe) may be necessary. In percutaneous dilatation tracheotomy, the windpipe is punctured from the outside using a hollow needle and a guide wire is inserted. A bronchoscopy is used to check the correct position of the wire in the windpipe, and then the access is widened using a plastic dilator via the wire until a breathing tube can be inserted. This procedure is performed by our pulmonology department.