Der Anaesthesist
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Review Biography Historical Article
[Hans Franz Edmund Killian - nestor of German anesthesia : Critical appraisal on the 125th anniversary of his birth].
The surgeon Hans Killian was born on 5 August 1892 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. Together with the pharmacologist Hellmut Weese and the surgeon Helmut Schmidt he was one of the nestors of modern German anesthesia. Early on during his scientific and clinical career, he addressed problems of surgical anesthesia and in 1928 he became one of the editors of the first German journal of anesthesia Narcosis and Anesthesia ("Narkose und Anästhesie"). ⋯ Because of his merits in the foundation of the German Society of Anesthesia on 10 April 1953 he became its first honorary member. Killian died on 7 March 1982 in Freiburg, Germany. Excerpts of his autobiography which he wrote a few years before his death and which were part of his inheritance are published here for the first time.
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Microsurgical procedures for construction of anastomoses present new challenges for anesthetists in the perioperative setting. Despite their increasing importance, so far no perioperative management guidelines for these patients existed. ⋯ Perioperatively, the choice of anesthetic procedure as well as the management of fluid infusion, blood glucose, temperature and blood transfusion are of great importance. Adequate analgesia as well as strict control should be performed as soon as possible postoperatively, preferably in a surveillance unit to detect and treat any complications as early as possible.
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Review Biography Historical Article
[Rudolf Frey - a biographical sketch on the occasion of his 100th birthday].
The life of an outstanding human being, a creative personality, will find the interest of posterity if he is acknowledged not only as a representative of his time but also decades later can be described as a formative character. This applies to Rudolf Frey who, like no other, has deeply influenced the development of German language anesthesiology after the Second World War. In the 1950s and 1960s as a visionary he already portrayed the four pillars of our discipline as the future field of work of anesthetists: anesthesiology, intensive care, emergency medicine and pain therapy. The authors take the anniversary of his 100th birthday as an occasion to recall Rudolf Frey's extraordinary biography.
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In patients with severely compromised gas exchange, interhospital transportation is frequently necessary due to the need to provide access to specialized care. Risks are inherent during transport, so the anticipated benefits of transportation must be weighed against the possible negative outcome during the transport. The use of specialized teams during transportation can help to reduce adverse events. ⋯ This article defines the group of patients that may benefit from referral. This article discusses the risks associated with the transportation of patients with severely impaired gas exchange and the risks related to different means of transportation. The decisions required before transportation are described as well as the practical approach starting at the transferring hospital until arrival at the admitting hospital.
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Even in western developed countries, the probability of survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is only 6-10%. In order to improve survival after OHCA, early initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by laypersons is essential. Introduction of CPR training in schoolchildren seems to be effective to increase lay-CPR rates. ⋯ A minimum age of 12-13 years is required to achieve a comparable quality of CPR to adult basic life support (BLS). Key issues are (i) the correct detection of a cardiac arrest, (ii) a correctly performed call for help, (iii) thoracic compressions and (iv) if applicable, the initiation of adequate mouth-to-mouth ventilation. Practical training showed a significantly higher CPR quality compared to theoretical training only or to the use of instruction or online videos only. Worldwide implementation of a 2-h BLS training per year in children from the age of 12 or younger is recommended by the "Kids Save Lives"- statement since 2015. In Germany, implementation at the level of the federal states has progressed to different degrees.