Der Anaesthesist
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Effects of anaesthesia and analgesia on postoperative morbidity and mortality remain controversial. Numerous studies have demonstrated that epidural anaesthesia and pain relief by epidural analgesia reduces perioperative stress responses and thus may reduce postoperative morbidity and mortality. In patients undergoing vascular surgery, epidural anaesthesia diminished postoperative hypercoagulability. ⋯ One reason for this disappointing finding may be the missing integration of improved postoperative pain relief into general surgical care. A multimodal therapeutic approach, which consists of preoperative patient information, sufficient analgesia, early mobilisation and enteral feeding, may solve this discrepancy. Therefore, prospective controlled studies are needed to assess the influence of this perioperative approach on outcome.
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Thoracic epidural anaesthesia (TEA) faces growing interest as an adjuvant anaesthetic and postoperative analgesic regimen. The procedure allows a specific blockade of nociceptive reflex arches and may exert beneficial effects on stress-induced alterations of organ function. Myocardial blood flow to areas at risk is improved, and paradoxical reactions of atherosclerotic coronary arteries after sympathetic stimulation are suppressed. ⋯ Although lumbar epidural anaesthesia is preferred by many anaesthesiologists as there is no risk of traumatizing the spinal cord, many positive effects are forgone. With insufficient rostral spread of a lumbar epidural block above the fifth thoracic level, cardiac complications can occur due to reflex activation of sympathetic outflow in unblocked thoracic regions. When the contraindications are carefully observed, TEA can be safely performed in most patients.
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Until today, the use of epidural analgesia in obstetrics still remains controversial. In the opinion of many obstetricians the use of an epidural for a healthy laboring parturient is not necessary and can lead to potentially harmful side effects. However, painful labor leads to a maternal stress reaction with the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine. ⋯ Several studies show that epidural analgesia can attenuate the maternal stress reaction and thereby improve maternal and fetal well-being, as long as precautions are taken. The avoidance of maternal hypotension with sufficient volume preload with lactated Ringer's solution or colloids, and decreasing the concentration of local anaesthetics by adding opioids will prevent an increase in instrumental deliveries. With the use of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) the amount of local anaesthetics can even further be reduced.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
[Preoperative hemodilution with bovine hemoglobin. Acute hemodynamic effects in liver surgery patients ].
Haemoglobin solutions can be an alternative to allogeneic red-cell transfusions because they combine colloid osmotic with oxygen transport properties. Since severe toxic side effects have been overcome by ultrapurification, clinical interest has been focused on haemodynamics changes during application of haemoglobin preparations. The present clinical study examines changes of haemodynamic and oxygen transport parameters during and after haemodilution with ultrapurified polymerized bovine haemoglobin (HBOC-201) in comparison to hydroxyethyl starch (HES). ⋯ Patients did not show any severe complications during and after infusion of HBOC-201. However, vasoconstrictive side effects resulted in increased systemic but not pulmonary resistance. Ongoing studies with higher doses of HBOC-201 applied in a larger number of patients will probably reveal potential clinical consequences of the demonstrated haemodynamic changes.