Der Anaesthesist
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Surgical interventions and invasive procedures can trigger an inflammatory reaction in patients. This inflammatory reaction is an inherent response by the body and can be triggered by different stimuli, including the surgical tissue trauma itself and also by the administration of drugs commonly used for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. ⋯ This article discusses the causes and effects of inflammatory processes in the perioperative phase. Additionally, it highlights the immunomodulatory effects of perioperatively administered therapeutics and anesthetics. Knowledge of this topic enables the reader to make qualified decisions in the perioperative setting to improve the individual patient outcome.
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The current update of the ESC (European Society of Cardiology) guidelines on managing cardiovascular diseases during pregnancy provides instructions for doctors in daily practice. Heart diseases are the most common reason for maternal death during pregnancy in western countries. ⋯ Compared to the guidelines from 2011 some changes have been made regarding the recommendations to classify maternal risk according to the modified World Health Organization (mWHO) classification or in recommendations on anticoagulation for low-dose and high-dose requirements of vitamin K antagonists. The main focus of this summary of recent recommendations is the impact on the anesthesia management in order to provide responsible anesthesiologists with relevant background knowledge.
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Fortunately, mass casualty incidents involving a large number of children and adolescents are rare and the experience in this field, both in terms of medical as well as psychosocial emergency care is comparatively low. Children represent a vulnerable group and have a particularly high risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder in the aftermath of experiencing disasters. A selective literature search was carried out in Medline. ⋯ Accordingly, it makes sense to integrate such structures into the respective deployment concepts. A specific screening algorithm for children could so far not prevail but due to the physiological and anatomical characteristics appropriate emergency medical care concepts should be provided. Furthermore, hospitals must adapt to this patient group in a suitable manner.