Der Anaesthesist
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Treatment of pulmonary hypertension is an important issue in intensive care. One therapeutic regimen involves the intravenous administration of prostacyclin (PGI2). This, however, is accompanied by diminished hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, reduced arterial oxygenation, and systemic vasodilation. ⋯ Furthermore, some patients do not respond to the treatment. In some individuals a reduction in pulmonary hypertension can be seen, while others lack even pulmonary vasodilation. The exact pathophysiological mechanisms remain to be investigated.
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Pain is a major, but largely neglected problem in AIDS patients. The aim of this article is to review the etiology of pain manifestations in AIDS patients in different organ systems and to discuss appropriate treatment strategies. The most common pain symptoms in AIDS patients are headache, oral cavity pain, dysphagia and adynophagia, chest pain, abdominal pain and pain related to peripheral neuropathy. ⋯ In view of the multiple organs involved in the presentation of AIDS requiring multiple drugs, careful attention to side effects, contraindications and drug interactions is warranted, when administering pain medications. Fear of the complexity of these issues should, however, not prevent effective pain management for these patients, who suffer from a fatal disease. A multidisciplinary approach to pain in AIDS patients, similar to the approach in patients with cancer, is desirable.
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Trauma and associated major blood losses in Germany represent the leading cause of mortality in patients up to 45 years of age. The endpoints of prehospital fluid resuscitation in traumatic-hemorrhagic shock are the restitution of intravascular volume und cardiac preload, in order to increase cardiac output and thus provide adequate oxygen delivery to the tissues. The key therapeutic factor to prevent the development of multiple organ failure complicating trauma and shock, however, is the normalization not only of macrohemodynamics (systemic blood pressure. cardiac output), but the restitution of the disturbed microvascular perfusion. ⋯ A new concept consists of i.v. bolus infusion of a small volume (4 ml/kg body weight) of a hyperosmolar (7.2-7.5%) NaCl/colloid solution, which is termed "Small-volume Resuscitation". Recently presented data from a cohort analysis of 8 preclinical studies show an increase in survival rate by about 5% when compared to standard of care. In addition, artificial oxygen carrying solutions are currently investigated. by which-through an increase of O2-blood content-oxygen delivery to the tissues might be augmented.