title: [Guidelines in trauma surgery--direction or hindrance?].
abstract: The German Society of Trauma Surgery decided in November 1995 to pass a resolution on trauma diagnosis and therapy guidelines. The first eight guidelines, dealing with the Diagnosis Related groups relevant for trauma patients, have now been completed by the scientific committee of the society and is published as a pocket book in July 1997. The content is clearly classified, and each guideline is described shortly. This book does not serve as a substitute for textbooks and surgical manuals. Guidelines have to be open to new innovative trends and should not compel certain diagnostic or therapeutic procedures to be used. Instructions may help to reduce costs and to establish necessary procedures. Legally these guidelines describe the medical standard and, therefore, can not be ignored. They do not replace the medical expert. Guidelines require a high degree of expert knowledge. Therefore, they should only be published and modified by a scientific society. As guidelines may endanger the medical freedom of treatment and development of innovative trends, they need to be carefully defined for a wide range of application.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Unfallchirurgie, Plastische und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum, Zentrum Chirurgie, Göttingen.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Stürmer
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011379:Prognosis; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000191:economics; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*
vernacular_title: Leitlinien in der Unfallchirurgie--Richtschnur oder Fessel?