Zentralblatt für Gynäkologie
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Epidural analgesia for labour has been associated with an increased rate of motor blockade, and instrumental and Caesarean deliveries. In recent years, these risks were significantly reduced with modern concepts of epidural analgesia, including the use of lower doses of local anaesthetics in combination with opioids. With combinations of 0.0625-0.125 % of bupivacaine plus sufentanil or fentanyl, the incidence of maternal motor blockade approximates 10 % and most parturients are nowadays able to ambulate during labour. ⋯ The most common type of anaesthesia for Caesarean delivery is spinal anaesthesia due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness and speed of onset. It is suitable for cases of an urgent or emergent Caesarean delivery. General anaesthesia still leads to a higher maternal mortality and should be reserved for absolute emergencies and cases where neuraxial blockade is contraindicated.
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In spite of an increase in the number of caesarean sections, the incidence of anaesthetic-related complications remains low. This is due primarily to the increasing use of regional anaesthesia (spinal and or epidural anaesthesia) as general anaesthesia is associated with a 17-fold increase in complications, in particular failed endotracheal intubation, aspiration of gastric contents and hypoxia. It is most important that all obstetric patients deemed at risk for general anaesthesia (e. g. morbidly obese, hypertension, placenta praevia) should be identified as such by the obstetricians and referred to the anaesthetic department at an early stage. ⋯ Many of these so-called emergency cases are not real emergencies and could be equally well performed under regional anaesthesia. A continuing audit of maternal deaths in Germany should be established along similar lines to the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom. Most importantly, the increasing use of regional anaesthesia should be propagated as its use in Germany still lies well behind other countries such as Switzerland, the USA and the United Kingdom.
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Review
[A guideline for guidelines--methodological report and use of the guideline women's information].
Information and education is needed to empower autonomy and self-determination of patients (informed consent). Furthermore reliable and accurate medical information is necessary for patients who want to take an active part in medical decision-making. The aim of this work is to define the requirements helping to assure the development of good qualified information material relevant for women and female patients as "a guideline on women information". An example of its use is given by embeding this guideline in the guideline for early detection of breast cancer in Germany by defining the specific elements required for developing qualified information on this issue for women. ⋯ The "guideline women information" is a systematically developed, consensus-based recommendation to improve the development of qualified lay information at the point of its process by defining gender-specific aspects required for good lay information and its evaluation. As a guideline for guidelines its use is demonstrated by integrating this guideline into the "guideline for early detection of breast cancer in Germany" to ensure the development of qualified guideline compliant information.
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Thrombocytopenia (< 150,000/microliter) is a common finding, occurring in 7-8% of pregnancies. Some conditions, such as gestational thrombocytopenia pose no maternal or fetal risks. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an acquired haematologic disorder, common among children and adults, with unknown etiology and autoimmune pathogenesis. ⋯ Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) are syndromes of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia. During pregnancy, TTP usually presents in the second trimester, whereas HUS develops in the postpartum period. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II is a serious, immune-mediated complication of heparin therapy.
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Review Comparative Study
[Current aspects of antihypertensive therapy in pregnant patients with pre-eclampsia].
Preeclampsia is a disease which occurs in Europe in about 6-8%, in the USA in about 7-10% and in Africa in about 18% of all pregnancies. A causal treatment of preeclampsia is, with the exception of delivery, not possible up to now. Since a prematurely delivery of the newborn has to be avoided because of the risks caused by immaturity of lungs, treatment and care of pregnant women having preeclampsia or any other kind of hypertensive diseases is restricted to the following approaches: antihypertensive treatment, volume expansion, and eclampsia prophylaxis with magnesium sulfate. ⋯ During antihypertensive treatment of patients with serious hypertension, i.e. with diastolic blood pressure of 110 x mm Hg and higher, dihydralazine is in clinical use since 40 years, although many patients suffer from side-effects of dihydralazine such as distinctive tachycardia, headaches, fluid retention and nausea. With urapidil a well controllable antihypertensive is available, which prevents the effect of catecholamines at the vascular wall by a postsynaptic alpha-1 receptor blockade. Previous studies related to the application of urapidil in the treatment of hypertension during pregnancy certify the good controllability of urapidil following intravenous application as well as minor side-effects after start of treatment.