Anästhesiologie, Intensivmedizin, Notfallmedizin, Schmerztherapie : AINS
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Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther · Mar 2012
Case Reports[Transthoracic echocardiography in anesthesia - case studies].
Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is a well established tool in cardiology and cardiosurgery. The rapid availability of TTE, combined with high quality and quantity of diagnostic messages, provides the user an interesting option in the area of anesthesia and intensive care medicine. The presenting case reports describe the importance and possibilities of transthoracic echocardiography for anaesthetists in the non-cardiosurgical area.
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Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther · Mar 2012
[Anaesthesia in patients after transplantation].
More than 17000 patients currently live in Germany who have had organ transplants. The implications of this for the anaesthetists are that they are very likely to be confronted by such a patient at some point during their active career. Besides the preoperative assessment which includes that of the function of the transplanted organ, appropriate immunosuppression poses a particular challenge. ⋯ Strictly aseptic measures are mandatory as well as detailed evaluation of the risk-benefit balance of all invasive procedures. There are no significant differences between the anaesthetic approaches and agents in transplant and non-transplant patients. However, in the latter group, homeostasis of all organ systems should be more focused on.
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Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther · Mar 2012
[End-of-life decisions - what is important for our routine duties in critical care medicine?].
End-of-life decisions (EOLD) are frequently used in patients who die in the intensive care unit. The decision to limit life support and the extent of limitation depends on the nature of the disease, its progress and the presumed prognosis and, equally important, the patient's preferences. These preferences should be stated by the patient if he or she is able to do so. ⋯ Withdrawing life-sustaining treatment and changing to palliative care should be considered if intensive care medicine is futile because of the severity of the patient's condition. It is vital to find an interdisciplinary consensus about EOLD within the medical team as well as with the patient/surrogate decision maker. The agreement is documented in the patient's chart.