Der Anaesthesist
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Up to now only acetylcholine esterase inhibitors, such as neostigmine, were available as antagonists of residual neuromuscular blocks. Sugammadex is a modified gamma-cyclodextrin that binds rocuronium and chemically similar aminosteroidal muscle relaxants, such as vecuronium. The underlying mechanism of action is new and differs completely from that of acetylcholine esterase inhibitors. This review summarizes data published so far within the framework of the licensing procedure about the efficacy, safety and side-effects of sugammadex and presents potential new anesthesiological concepts using this compound.
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Although almost 10% of all newborn infants need some form of respiratory assistance after birth, only 1% will require more advanced forms of resuscitation. Because these rare events cannot always be anticipated, pediatricians and neonatologists may not be readily available and resuscitation will have to be performed by anesthesiologists. In recent years, international guidelines for neonatal resuscitation have been revised by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Heart Association (AHA), as well as the European Resuscitation Council (ERC). ⋯ The use of 100% oxygen in neonatal resuscitation is increasingly being challenged. In the rare event of a newborn whose heart rate drops below 60 beats/min, more advanced resuscitation (chest compressions using the 2-thumb-encircling-hands technique, epinephrine 10-30 mug/kgBW i.v.) will be required. Finally, the guidelines mention the possible neuroprotective effect of therapeutic hypothermia after asphyxia, but finally only recommend that hyperthermia should be avoided.
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Certification is a compulsory element of today's quality management. However, the instruments used for certification have mostly originally been developed for industrial purposes. Even with tried and tested adaptation to hospital structures, transferring these instruments to the medical environment implies partial negligence of outcome quality. ⋯ This review describes the necessity to develop a specific indicator system, which is needed for an objective, reliable and valid system of certification for intensive care units. The second part of the review describes the current efforts which are being undertaken to develop such a certification system for German intensive care units. Until this new system has been validated, certification of intensive care units is of limited value for evaluating the quality of intensive care units in Germany.
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Substantial progress has been achieved in recent years in research on the interaction between pain and pruritus. Over and above the known inhibition of pruritus by painful stimuli (e.g. scratching), a foundation for the explanation of opioid-induced pruritus was laid through the discovery of pruritus-specific neuronal processing channels. Although traditionally the degranulating effect of opioids on mast cells was assumed to be the essential mechanism, it is now clear that opioids can also induce itching at the spinal level. ⋯ If this inhibition is weakened by opioids, the disinhibited itch neurons become active and mediate itching, without stimulation of the primary afferent peripheral nerves. Spinal triggering of itching is observed in particular by activation of mu-opioid receptors (mu-OR), while kappa-OR surprisingly suppress itch. The therapeutic implications of this interaction will be described.
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Besides severe cerebral trauma, abdominal bleeding is the most frequent cause of death after multiple trauma. Abdominal bleeding is difficult to diagnose because initially at the scene a multiply injured patient with a stable circulation is often encountered. ⋯ The following article deals with the ultrasound investigation of injured patients, the indications and examination technique are described, as well as the specific characteristics of using ultrasound at the scene. Finally, device-specific characteristics and the state of development in Germany are presented.