Der Anaesthesist
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The treatment of cancer pain with opioids is well accepted. However, the use of opioids for the treatment of non-cancer pain is still a matter of controversy. The main matters of concern are physical dependence and opioid abuse. ⋯ The reliable intake of prescribed medication must be assured if necessary by laboratory screening. The treatment of non-cancer pain with opioids may be an alternative for those patients, who didn't gain sufficient reduction of pain by other therapies. Standards for this therapy are an absolute necessity and are to be followed closely.
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Selecting a route for drug administration during CPR requires consideration of the speed with which access can be obtained, the technical difficulties involved in performing the procedure, the associated risk of complications, delays in drug delivery to the central circulation, and the duration of effective drug levels following injection. The peripheral venous route is the safest method, and drug delivery can be enhanced by a fluid bolus after injection of the medication. The circulation time is shortest after central venous injection, but there is some risk of complications. ⋯ The endotracheal tube provides an accessible route for administration of most drugs, but peak concentrations are lower than those obtained by other routes. While the results are almost the same as an intravenous injection, the intraosseous route is currently underrepresented in clinical practice. This method must not only be considered in pediatric patients, but in adult patients as well.
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Review
[The child with minor trauma. Does observation of fasting times reduce the risk of aspiration?].
According to a literature search, it seems most unlikely based on patho-physiological requirements and physiological aspects that traumatized children benefit from preoperative waiting times aimed at achieving a 6-h fast. Irrespective of fasting, traumatized children are at risk of requiring aspiration. Many generally recommended measures for the avoidance of aspiration are neither reasonable nor effective in traumatized children. The physical and psychological benefits that can be derived from shorter preoperative waiting times can more than over-ride the organizational difficulties caused by waiting longer.
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Clinical manifestations of sepsis, such as systemic inflammatory response and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, are considered to be the results of a decompensated host defense response. If tissue injury is sufficiently severe to overwhelm local defense mechanisms, systemic activation of these essentially protective mechanisms may lead to autodestructive "host defense failure disease." This is not always caused by invading bacteria; sterile inflammation such as results from multiple trauma or pancreatitis can initiate a similar response. ⋯ In particular, the sequential induction of acute phase and heat shock response may initiate programmed cell death, reflecting a potential molecular mechanism for the development of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. The development of anti-inflammatory treatment strategies seems to be hampered by the discrepancy between locally protective and systemically detrimental properties of the host defense response.