In 2016 quick Sequential [Sepsis-related] Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) was presented as a simple bedside screening tool in identifying sepsis and is now replacing the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria in many Emergency Departments. We wanted to study whether these diagnostic criteria were sensitive enough to identify sepsis on the initial hospital admission in a cohort of patients who rapidly developed pneumococcal septic shock....

Dyspnea is a distressing symptom of many terminal ill patients that has to be treated. Despite recent guideline recommendations there is still great restraint in using opioids for the treatment of dyspnea. In this report, we investigated, whether transdermal application of buprenorphine (TD BUP) is a safe and efficient way to treat dyspnea. Before applying BUP, dyspnea was scored on numerical analog scales and the patients were examined (assessment of vital parameters, questionnaires). Than trea...

Intense, refractory neuropathic pain is an unfortunate complication following a Herpes Zoster (HZ) infection/ rash and is regarded as post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). The risk of PHN increases with age. The erector spinae plane (ESP) block has been demonstrated to block transmission through the thoracic and lumbar spinal nerves. This report describes two patients that were able to significantly reduce their chronic pain medications following a series of ESP blocks....