[The duties of a consulting physician in acute life-threatening emergencies]

A duty to provide immediate assistance exists also for those physicians who are not able to provide the necessary assistance themselves but who are capable to prepare the realization of the assistance or improve such realization. When a life threatening condition is found by a physician who only examines the patient it is his duty to contact immediately another physician who can more effectively deal with the emergency situation of the patient than himself. The necessary hospitalization can be prepared in this manner. If a colleague can not be contacted immediately it is sometimes necessary to inform the next of kin of the necessary immediate hospitalization even though this may interfere with the general rule of confidentiality even to the next of kin.