Der Anaesthesist
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Because of demographic developments, the fraction of the German population over 65 years of age in the year 2025 will have risen to 20% and will continue to rise so that in 2030 this number will have doubled compared to today's numbers. This has a huge impact on the requirements for anaesthesiologic procedures. ⋯ A major concern in addition to cardiovascular and operative complications is the postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), not only because of its implications for the patient but also because of economical consequences. Regional anaesthesia has some benefits when compared to general anaesthesia as it leads to a reduction in thromboembolic and respiratory complications.
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We have developed a modern strategy for the anesthetic management of pediatric cleft lip and cleft palate repair using anesthetic drugs such as sevoflurane, desflurane, acetaminophen, remifentanil, and pirtitramide together with new techniques. It provides best conditions for the surgeon and maximum safety for the pediatric patient. A team of pediatricians, neonatologists, pediatric surgeons, and pediatric anesthetists have tackled the problem of management of children with craniofacial abnormalities such as cleft lip and cleft palate. The best and safest anesthetic techniques are outlined and the most frequent complications are discussed, e.g. management of the difficult airway, the airway in patients with complex craniofacial abnormalities, fiberoptic endotracheal intubation through a laryngeal mask, intraoperative dislocation of the endotracheal tube, postoperative airway obstruction and perioperative bleeding.
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Although scientific interest in the field of pain research is unremitting and the understanding of acute pain mechanisms has eminently advanced, it is evident that clinical practice of postoperative pain management still has major deficits. Indeed, the use of regional analgesia via a catheter, e.g. epidural analgesia (EDA), or patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) has become very popular. ⋯ However, the majority of patients are not managed by EDA or PCIA and cannot be ignored due to lack of knowledge of the proper use of basic analgesic treatment. Therefore, it makes sense to establish a standardized step-concept of postoperative pain management with regular quality control integrated into a multimodal perioperative rehabilitation program.
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Vasopressin and terlipressin are increasingly used as alternative non-adrenergic vasopressors for hemodynamic support of septic patients with arterial hypotension. Despite excellent vasopressive effects, vasopressin analogues may potentially impair macro-hemodynamics, oxygen transport and microvascular blood flow. ⋯ Although vasopressin analogues are emerging as promising alternatives to treat catecholamine-refractory hypotension, there is no evidence that vasopressin receptor agonists improve outcome. To date, vasopressin and terlipressin can, therefore, not be recommended for routine clinical use.
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Despite the growing evidence for the efficacy of different sympatho-modulatory therapies to lower perioperative cardiac morbidity and mortality, such therapeutic strategies are rather infrequently used in daily clinical practice. Most physicians involved in perioperative medicine are aware of the increasing literature related to this topic, but only few comply with current clinical practice guidelines even in the absence of contraindications. This review discusses possible explanations for this reluctance and again summarizes the basic and clinical principles of current sympatho-modulatory therapies including alpha(2)-agonism, beta-adrenergic antagonism, and regional anesthetic techniques in modern anesthetic practice. In addition, the emerging perioperative concept of a patient-tailored individualized pharmacotherapy based on "gene profiling", particularly the adrenergic polymorphisms, is discussed.