Der Anaesthesist
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Delirium is the most common form of cerebral dysfunction in intensive care patients and is a medical emergency that must be avoided or promptly diagnosed and treated. According to current knowledge the development of delirium seems to be caused by an interplay between increased vulnerability (predisposition) and simultaneous exposure to delirogenic factors. Since delirium is often overlooked in the clinical routine, a continuous screening for delirium should be performed. ⋯ Non-pharmaceutical interventions through early mobilization, reorientation, sleep improvement, adequate pain therapy and avoidance of polypharmacy are of great importance. Depending on the clinical picture, different substances are used in symptom-oriented drug treatment of delirium. In order to achieve these diagnostic and therapeutic goals, an interdisciplinary treatment team consisting of intensive care, intensive care physicians, ward pharmacists, physiotherapists, nutrition specialists and psychiatrists is necessary in order to meet the requirements of the patient and their relatives.
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Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) forms a group of rare hereditary diseases with rapid neurodegenerative progression due to an abnormal accumulation of iron in the basal ganglia. This causes extrapyramidal symptoms as well as dystonia and mental retardation. The most common form of NBIA is pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN, formerly Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome). There are multiple anesthesiological challenges with great implications for the clinical routine, particularly regarding the preparation for general anesthesia and the premedication visits. As with other orphan diseases, the available recommendations are mainly based on case reports. ⋯ The handling of NBIA patients requires good preparation, including an interdisciplinary team and customized time management. In principle, both general anesthesia as a balanced method and total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) seem to be possible/viable options. The main focus is on airway management. Even after brief sedation in the context of diagnostic measures, the patient should be monitored for longer than usual.