ABSTRACT
Hintergrund Um Veränderungen in der herzchirurgischen Patientenversorgung während der COVID-19-Pandemie in Deutschland zu objektivieren, hat die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Thorax‑, Herz- und Gefäßchirurgie (DGTHG) eine strukturierte Umfrage durchgeführt. Methode An dieser Umfrage unter 79 herzchirurgischen Fachabteilungen im Juni 2021 beteiligten sich 53 Fachabteilungen. Folgende Zeitpunkte wurden der Umfrage zugrunde gelegt: 01.01.2020 als Zeitpunkt vor Beginn der COVID-19-Pandemie und der 30.04.1921 als Stichtag für die Datenerhebung. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt war die „dritte Welle“ der Pandemie in Deutschland bereits abgeflaut, und eine Rückkehr zum Routinebetrieb erschien absehbar. Ergebnis Am 01.01.2020 standen den 53 teilnehmenden herzchirurgischen Fachabteilungen dauerhaft insgesamt 800 Intensivtherapiebetten zur Verfügung. Mit Stand zum 30.04.2021 hatte sich diese Intensivbettenkapazität um 25,6 % auf 595 reduziert. Auch die Anzahl der OP für herzchirurgische Eingriffe hatte sich während der beiden ersten „Lockdowns“ in Deutschland von 207 vor der Pandemie auf 152 reduziert (−26,6 %). Während der COVID-19-Pandemie wurden stationäre Bereiche umgewidmet, sodass 50,9 % der Teilnehmer angaben, dass ärztliches Personal und in 75,5 % der teilnehmenden Fachabteilungen auch pflegerisches Personal in spezielle COVID-19-Bereiche delegiert wurde. Schlussfolgerung Seit Beginn der Coronapandemie im Januar 2020 und dem Auslauf der „dritten Welle“ im Mai 2021 hat sich die herzchirurgische Versorgung in Deutschland erheblich verändert: Dies führte durch Schließung von Intensivbetten und OP in herzchirurgischen Fachabteilungen zu erheblichen Implikationen der Patientenversorgung. Zusatzmaterial online Zusätzliche Informationen sind in der Online-Version dieses Artikels (10.1007/s00398-022-00527-5) enthalten.
ABSTRACT
Background: For documentation of COVID-19 pandemic-related changes in cardiac surgery in Germany, the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery carried out a structured survey. Methods: From 79 German institutions for cardiac surgery, 53 took part in the survey. The cut-off date before the pandemic was taken as 1 January 2020 and 30 April 2021 as the cut-off date for data recruitment. At this point of time, the third wave of the pandemic in Germany had already ebbed away and the return to routine surgery seemed to be foreseeable. Results: On 1 January 2020, in 53 German cardiac surgery departments 800 intensive care beds were allocated. In April 2021, this capacity was reduced by 25.6% to 595 beds. Accordingly, the number of operating rooms for cardiac surgery procedures was reduced from 207 to 152 (-26.9%) during the first two lockdowns. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital facilities were restructured: 50.9% of participants delegated medical personnel, and 75.5% had to transfer nursing personnel to special COVID-19 facilities in their hospitals. Conclusion: From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic until the end of the third wave during April 2021, cardiac surgery in Germany changed profoundly, leading to a substantial reduction of intensive care beds and operating rooms for patients requiring cardiac surgery.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Education of medical students in surgery not only consists of knowledge about diseases and their treatment but also of practical skills like i.e. suturing. In the clinical training of medical students, professional interaction and communication with patients is a key component. Due to the circumstances of distancing and reduced exposure to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical training of medical students has been challenging. To combat these restrictions, digital modern teaching concepts had to be implemented. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Surgical education of medical students was reorganised during the summer semester 2020 and winter semester 2020/2021 and the necessary adjustments, as well as their evaluation by students, were analysed. Results were compared to the pre-COVID evaluations of the summer semester 2019. Furthermore a survey of all university surgical departments in Germany (n = 39) was conducted to compare the different approaches to handling this very new situation. RESULTS: All participating centres were performing surgical education with medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, digital teaching methods were well accepted by students and teachers, even though short-term changes were necessary during the second wave of the pandemic. Both students and teachers missed the direct mutual interaction as well as with patients (summer semester 2020 36%, winter semester 2020/2021 40%). Modern and digital teaching concepts were assessed positively (summer semester 2020 45%, winter semester 2020/2021 40%) and long term implementation was desired by students and teachers (winter semester 2020/2021 60%). CONCLUSION: Training of practical surgical skills, as well as communication skills, can only be taught in presence. Digital learning concepts can support, but not replace, surgical courses held in presence, including contact to patients and manual training. Blended learning concepts facilitate a leap towards modern teaching concepts and increase the quality of classes spent in presence.