[Intercultural competence. Management of foreignness in intensive care medicine]

Living in a multicultural society is characterized by different attitudes caused by a variety of religions and cultures. In intensive care medicine such a variety of cultural aspects with respect to pain, shame, bodiliness, dying and death is of importance in this scenario.

To assess the importance of cultural and religious attitudes in the face of foreignness in intensive care medicine and nursing. Notification of misunderstandings and misinterpretations in communication and actions.

An analysis of the scientific literature was carried out and typical intercultural conflict burden situations regarding the management of brain death, organ donation and end of life decisions are depicted.

Specific attitudes are found in various religions or cultures regarding the change of a therapeutic target, the value of the patient's living will and the organization of rituals for dying. Intercultural conflicts are mostly due to misunderstandings, assessment differences, discrimination and differences in values.

Intercultural competence is crucial in intensive care medicine and includes knowledge of social and cultural influences of different attitudes on health and illness, the abstraction from own attitudes and the acceptance of other or foreign attitudes.