Der Anaesthesist
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Blood transfusions are commonly viewed as life-saving interventions; however, current evidence shows that blood transfusions are associated with a significant increase of morbidity and mortality in a dose-dependent relationship. Not only explanatory models of basic research but also the results from randomized controlled trials suggest a causal relationship between blood transfusion and adverse outcome. ⋯ Patient Blood Management (PBM) allows transfusion rates to be dramatically reduced through correcting anemia by stimulating erythropoiesis, minimization of perioperative blood loss and harnessing and optimizing the physiological tolerance of anemia. A resolution of the World Health Assembly has endorsed PBM and therefore morbidity and mortality should be significantly reduced by lowering of the currently high blood utilization rate of allogeneic blood products in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
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Small molecules can have a significant effect on human metabolic processes. Computational drug design aims at constructing specialized small molecules that selectively and efficiently address specific proteins. ⋯ Modern computational drug design goes far beyond the lock and key principle. Possible future developments are discussed and a current successful example of computational drug design in the field of painkiller medication is demonstrated.
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The case of a 45-year-old male patient (body weight 52 kg, height 1.61 m) with a locally invasive gastric carcinoma infiltrating into the retroperitoneal space is reported. Because of severe cancer pain a tunnelled thoracic epidural catheter (EC) was placed at thoracic spinal level 7/8 and a local anesthetic (LA) mixture of bupivacaine 0.25 % and morphine 0.005 % was infused continuously at 6 ml h(-1). To optimize pain therapy the concentration was doubled (bupivacaine 0.5 %, morphine 0.01 %) 3 months later but the infusion rate was reduced to 3 ml h(-1) thus the total daily dose did not change. ⋯ Morphine could not be detected. A histological examination showed unreactive fatty tissue necrosis within the crystalline deposits but nerve tissue could not be identified. It is concluded that the bupivacaine crystalline deposits arose due to precipitation but the clinical significance with regard to sensory level and neuraxial tissue toxicity is unknown.