Der Anaesthesist
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Treatment of patients suffering from acute lung injury is a challenge for the treating physician. In recent years ventilation of patients with acute hypoxic lung injury has changed fundamentally. ⋯ Additionally computed tomography techniques to assess the pulmonary situation and recruitment potential as well as bed-side techniques to adjust PEEP on the ward have been modified and improved. This review gives an outline of recent developments in PEEP adjustment for patients suffering from acute hypoxic and hypercapnic lung injury and explains the fundamental pathophysiology necessary as a basis for correct treatment.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
[Comparison of ready-to-use devices for emergency cricothyrotomy : randomized and controlled feasibility study on a mannequin].
According to various algorithms of airway management, emergency cricothyrotomy (coniotomy) represents the ultimate step for managing the difficult airway. As most physicians have limited experience with this technique several ready-to-use devices have emerged on the market with the aim of simplifying the procedure. However, they differ in details, such as configuration or the order of particular steps. Therefore, the intention of this randomized and controlled feasibility study was to test various sets and compare them to the classical surgical approach. ⋯ This study allowed the comparison of surgical coniotomy to several ready-to-use devices in a standardized setting utilizing a reusable plastic mannequin. The interpretation for real emergency conditions is limited as individual anatomy, traumatic alterations of the neck or complications, such as bleeding or damage of important structures were not part of the study objectives. However, all participating emergency physicians successfully used the coniotomy sets provided at the first attempt. No device required significantly more time than the surgical approach. The procedures using cuffed devices lasted longer in comparison to procedures using uncuffed ones; however, this difference would only play a minor role in reality as effective ventilation with minute volumes greater than 7 l/min will only be achieved by a cuffed cannula with a minimum internal diameter of 4 mm. Devices with no cuff or with tube diameters smaller than 4 mm will only allow oxygenation of the patient, which in turn requires an inspiratory oxygen concentration of 100% and a relatively high ventilation frequency.
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Review
[Anesthesia for geriatric patients : Part 2: anesthetics, patient age and anesthesia management].
Part 2 of this review on geriatric anesthesia primarily describes the multiple influences of age on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of different anesthetic agents and their impact on clinical practice. In the elderly the demand for opioids is reduced by almost 50% and with total intravenous anesthesia the dosages of propofol and remifentanil as well as recovery times are more determined by patient age than by body weight. ⋯ With muscle relaxants both delayed onset of action and prolonged duration of drug effects must be considered with increasing age and as this may lead to respiratory complications, neuromuscular monitoring is highly recommended. The following measures appear to be beneficial for geriatric patients: thorough preoperative assessment, extended hemodynamic monitoring, use of short-acting anesthetics in individually adjusted doses best tailored by depth of anesthesia monitoring, intraoperative normotension, normothermia and normocapnia, complete neuromuscular recovery at the end of the procedure and well-planned postoperative pain management in order to reduce or avoid the use of opioids.