[Emergency management in the heart catheter laboratory : When intensive care physicians meet cardiologists]

The establishment of primary percutaneous interventions for the treatment of myocardial infarction, increasingly complex coronary and noncoronary interventions in severely ill patients, and the increasing rise in the number of catheter examinations in elderly and morbid patients due to demographics frequently necessitates involvement of intensive care physicians for primary care of unstable patients and management of complications within the cath lab. In the context of complication and risk management, therefore, all cardiac catheter labs should develop a checklist in collaboration with the respective emergency/intensive care team. Team-oriented interdisciplinary management through standardization of emergency scenarios remains the key to success, despite all progress.