Articles: critical-care.
-
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune-disorder and clinically characterised by weakness of voluntary muscles including respiratory and pharyngeal muscles. As myasthenia gravis is a rare disease surgeons and anesthesiologists are only seldomly confronted with patients suffering from this disease. ⋯ On the other hand this paper gives information about the intensive care and management of patients suffering from myasthenic of cholinergic crisis, which is known to be a lifethreatening emergency. Finally, the paper describes shortly the long-term treatment with immunosuppressive or immunoregulatory measures.
-
Laser doppler flowmetry (LDF) is a new non-invasive technique by which microcirculation changes in tissue can be studied. In recent papers, this technique has been used to measure microflow in standardized fluid models, in animals and in human clinical situations. LDF utilizes the doppler shift, i.e. the frequency (wave length) change that light as well as all waves undergo being reflected by moving objects such as, e.g. red blood cells. ⋯ Patient in shock. LDF seems to be an interesting new non-invasive technique, supplying a good definition of the skin microflow. In the future, this technique could be one of the non-invasive techniques used for intensive care, defining the microcirculation state of a patient.