Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin
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Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed · Apr 2014
Review[Emergency and intensive medical care of status epilepticus].
Convulsive status epilepticus is defined as a general or focal epileptic seizure lasting longer than 5 min or recurrent seizures without regaining consciousness between seizures. Status epilepticus is a life-threatening condition caused by underlying pathologies (e.g., stroke, meningitis, cerebral hypoxia, cerebral edema). In addition, patients are in danger of physical injury and impaired brain stem reflexes. ⋯ Benzodiazepines are the first choice treatment for status epilepticus. This article summarizes a guideline-directed therapy with different pharmaceutical substances and ways of application. A pragmatic approach for limited diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities in the emergency situation is presented.
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Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed · Apr 2014
Review[Diagnostic markers and assessment of efficacy of antibacterial therapy].
In anti-infective therapy, there is a need for objective diagnostic markers to guide the appropriate selection and duration of antibacterial treatment. In the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial infections, three aspects must be considered: the appropriateness of antibacterial therapy, the initiation and evaluation of an effective initial therapy, and termination of the antimicrobial treatment. Repetitive monitoring of procalcitonin (PCT) has been proposed as such a marker in conjunction with the clinical presentation and microbiological sampling of blood, urine, and/or sputum. ⋯ Examples are calcitonin-producing tumors, medullary C-cell thyroid carcinoma, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). PCT can also be elevated in fungal infections. On the other hand, localized and encapsulated infections (e.g., abscess, endocarditis and early stages of infections) can be associated with lowered PCT values.
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Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed · Apr 2014
Review[Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects in antibiotic treatment].
Severe sepsis and septic shock have a high mortality and, therefore require fast and effective antibiotic treatment with low toxicity. Because of sepsis-induced pathophysiological changes, pharmacokinetics of antimicrobial agents can be altered. Particularly water-soluble drugs display an enhanced volume of distribution during early sepsis. ⋯ They can result in severe complications such as renal failure or ventricular arrhythmias. Conversely, enzyme induction may lead to subtherapeutic drug levels. When continuous renal replacement therapy is required, the dosage of antibiotics has to be adapted according to the results of respective pharmacokinetic studies.