Articles

Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) has become a vital therapeutic option in managing severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) when conventional interventions fail. The American Thoracic Society (ATS) in 2024 and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) in 2023 released updated guidelines addressing the role of VV-ECMO. This article provides an overview of both guidelines, outlining their common ground and key distinctions without evaluating or favoring one approach over another.

Healthcare systems face increasing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint. Meeting regulatory demands and satisfying stakeholder expectations are just a few of the driving forces. Product Environmental Profiles (PEP) are becoming a powerful tool, providing transparent, reliable data on a product’s environmental performance. Based on comprehensive life cycle assessments, PEPs help hospitals make informed, sustainable purchasing decisions that support both environmental responsibility and financial performance.

Across healthcare systems worldwide, many hospitals still lack well-established structures to ensure efficient patient flow. The consequences? Increased health risks for patients, mental strain on healthcare workers, and economic losses for healthcare providers. But what causes this?

When is a digital patient flow management system a sensible solution? As a decision-maker and planner, how do I proceed in concrete terms, and what support can I expect from providers such as Getinge? Christian Cordes, Product Sales Manager for hospital IT solutions at Getinge, provides information and practical tips on how to approach this issue.

ECMO involves high-tech medicine – but not less nursing care. On the contrary, it is precisely the combination of advanced technology and individualized patient care that highlights how essential nursing competencies are. Tobias Wittler and Tobias Ochmann from Germany’s ECMO Network explain the professional, technical, and social skills nurses need to provide optimal care for ECMO patients – with a clear-eyed view of realities, challenges, and possible solutions.

ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) is a critical intervention that can save lives when conventional treatments fail. But it also presents extraordinary challenges for healthcare professionals, particularly nurses. In Germany, a grassroots initiative led by critical care nurses has established a national peer network dedicated to strengthening ECMO nursing competence through direct communication, experience sharing, and collaborative standard development.

In pharmaceutical production, maintaining equipment uptime is essential for operational efficiency and process safety. Particularly in cleanroom environments, unplanned downtime can disrupt workflows, increase overhead costs, and in some cases contribute to delays in drug availability.

On average, more than five percent of patients in the EU develop what is known as a healthcare associated infection (HAI). These infections, which occur in addition to the illness that brought the patient into care in the first place, are meant to be reduced as much as possible through preventive measures. Swiss hospital Spital Limmattal has completely redesigned its in-house sterile processing department (CSSD). Today, the optimized sterilization unit meets the highest quality standards and is also certified to reprocess medical devices for third parties.

Operating rooms run on precision and timing. Every procedure follows a tightly scheduled plan, and even minor disruptions can have a domino effect – delaying other surgeries, straining resources, and increasing pressure on already busy staff.

Medical technicians manage a broad range of medical equipment, often under considerable time and performance pressure. Ensuring reliable device functionality, minimizing downtime, and addressing malfunctions quickly are key responsibilities – each directly linked to patient safety. In addition to clinical demands, economic aspects such as unexpected repair costs and procurement processes must be factored into daily operations.

Investing in high-quality medical or life science equipment is only the first step. The real challenge lies in keeping those devices operational, compliant, and cost-efficient over their full life cycle. For many hospitals and labs, service contracts are becoming a key tool in achieving this balance.

Whether you are planning a new operating theater or building an entire hospital, including software equipment, you can rely on our many years of expertise in medical technology and hospital IT. We also offer a range of additional services, such as financing advice and staff training.