Der Anaesthesist
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The action profile of succinylcholine is unmatched even 50 years after its introduction into anaesthestic practice. This is probably why succinylcholine, despite its many and partly life-threatening side-effects, is still considered to be indispensable by many anaesthetists and emergency doctors. The main indication for succinylcholine--the facilitation of endotracheal intubation in patients considered to be at an increased risk of aspiration of gastric fluid, e.g. patients undergoing a Caesarean section or presenting with an ileus--remains undisputed. ⋯ In the case of an expected difficult airway no muscle relaxant should be given, because severe hypoxaemia in these patients probably can only be prevented by a professional airway management. Succinylcholine is no longer an option in elective paediatric anaesthesia. The drug, however, retains its value in critical situations where a rapid onset but a short duration of action is of prime importance.
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Clinical Trial
[Coronary bypass operation with complete median sternotomy in awake patients with high thoracic peridural anesthesia].
High thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) combined with general anesthesia is increasingly being used for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with extracorporeal circulation. Recent developments in beating heart techniques have rendered the use of TEA alone in conscious patients possible and have been reported for single-vessel beating heart CABG via lateral thoracotomy. For multi-vessel revascularization the heart is usually approached via median sternotomy, therefore the use of TEA alone was applied in awake patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease who underwent CABG via median sternotomy. ⋯ We could demonstrate that the use of TEA alone for CABG via median sternotomy was feasible and produced good results. High patient satisfaction in our small and highly selected cohort could be reported. Nevertheless, randomized controlled trials in large cohorts are mandatory to definitively evaluate the role of TEA alone in cardiac surgery.
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For correction of a shoulder instability (Bankart's operation) in a 33-year-old woman, a combined regional and general anaesthesia was chosen. An interscalene catheter to block the brachial plexus was placed preoperatively without complication. The following day this resulted in an upper extremity almost without motor function and with complete hypoesthesia of the dermatomes C5-C7. ⋯ Stimulation of the three truncs of the brachial plexus was possible and showed electrophysiological signs of recovery of distal parts of the plexus. After 2 years no clinical corresponding recovery could be observed. Despite all investigations (electroneuromyography, evoked potentials, etc.) no clear etiology could be established to explain this adverse outcome.
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Case Reports
[A thirty-year old bodybuilder with septic shock and ARDS from abuse of anabolic steroids].
We report the case of a 30-year-old body builder who developed a gluteal abscess at the site of injection of regularly self-administered anabolic steroids. After breaking the abscess under general anaesthesia, the patient developed septic shock and fulminant adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In addition to discussing the pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, and treatment, we focus on the immunomodulatory mechanisms of anabolic substances that may have contributed to the course of the disease in this particular patient.