[Intraoperative electromyographic recurrent laryngeal nerve identification as a routine measure]. / Intraoperative elektromyographische Recurrensidentifizierung als Routinemassnahme.

In recent years, two methods of intraoperative monitoring of the laryngeal nerve have mostly been used: evoked electromyographic responses via endscopically applied needle electrodes inserted into the adducting laryngeal muscles, and non-invasive electrodes like special tubes with integrated electrodes or separately insertable electrodes like the postcricoid electrode or disposable electrodes attached to the tube, as used in this study. The incidence of recurrent nerve paresis or paralysis during the IRM period was 1/174 nerves (0.6%). The advantage of the IRM is the quick and certain identification of the nerve; intraoperative monitoring cannot replace a proper surgical technique. We conclude that the IRM, using a laryngeal surface electrode attached to the tube, is a safe and reliable method.

Reduced rates of catheter-associated infection by use of a new silver-impregnated central venous catheter.

A central venous catheter with a new form of silver impregnation of the internal and external surfaces was investigated for antimicrobial activity and tolerance in patients in a controlled comparative, prospective and randomized clinical study. Commercially available catheters with no antimicrobial activity were used as controls. One hundred sixty-five catheters were included in the final evaluation. All catheters were percutaneously inserted for the first time with a duration of > or = 5 days and a microbiological examination of the catheter tip. Catheter location (> 90% internal jugular vein), mean duration of catheterization (8-9 days), patients' age and diagnosis were comparable in both groups. Silver-impregnated catheter tips showed an incidence of colonization in 14.2/1000 catheter days and control catheters in 22.8/1000 catheter days. This represents a reduction of 37.7%. Catheter-associated infections were diagnosed in the silver group in 5.26/1000 catheter days and 18.34/1000 catheter days in the control group, indicating a reduction rate of 71.3% (P < 0.05, chi 2-test). No complications or side effects were documented in either group.

[Drug onset time of atracurium after pancuronium priming in elderly patients]. / Anschlagszeiten von Atracurium nach Pancuronium-Priming bei älteren Patienten.

Synergism occurs between some combinations of non-depolarising muscle relaxants. To test the effect of pancuronium as a priming dose of atracurium, 45 adults were anaesthetised with 25 micrograms/kg alfentanil. 75 micrograms/kg midazolam, and 0.25 mg/kg edomidate, O2/N2O and enflurane, and were randomised to one of three groups. After induction, 15 patients received 0.5 mg/kg atracurium, 15 were primed with 0.075 mg/kg atracurium and another 15 with 0.0125 mg/kg pancuronium and three minutes later 0.45 mg/kg atracurium. Neuromuscular response was monitored by adductor pollicis electromyogram (EMG) by stimulating in a TOF pattern. Times for tI reduction of 75, 50, 25 and 0% and tI recovery to 10% were taken. There were no differences between the two groups that received only atracurium. The pancuronium priming group showed a significantly faster onset of neuromuscular blockade (tI = 0%: control group I: 76.3 +/- 15.4 sec vs. pancuronium group III: 64.3 +/- 11.3 sec) and a prolonged recovery. Pancuronium priming can shorten the onset time of atracurium while atracurium priming alone showed no shortening. This suggests a synergism for pancuronium priming in combination with atracurium.

[Measuring cardiac output in infants with the Fick principle via oxygen consumption: animal experiment and clinical results]. / Ermittlung des Herzzeitvolumens bei Kleinkindern mittels des Fickschen Prinzipes über den Sauerstoffverbrauch: Tierexperimentelle und klinische Ergebnisse.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this investigation was the validation of cardiac output measurement in children using the method of Fick with the help of a new equipment for the determination of oxygen uptake. METHODS: We compared the cardiac output measured with thermodilution with the calculated cardiac output using the method described by Fick in an animal model (11 dogs, mean weight 20 kg). For determining the cardiac output on Fick's principle oxygen uptake and oxygen content of the arterial and pulmonary-arterial blood was measured in the ventilated dogs. To examine the method of Fick in clinical routine we also determined oxygen uptake and arterial and central venous oxygen content in 5 children in the postoperative period after cardiac surgery with a mean weight of 8.5 kg. Cardiac output in the patients was calculated with the central venous and the pulmonary-arterial oxygen content. The two results were compared. RESULTS: The animal model showed a good correlation of cardiac output measurement on thermodilution and on Fick's method (alpha = 0.001, t-test of significance of correlation). With the method of Fick we found also reliable results at follow up in the clinical routine in the 5 children. The comparison of cardiac output calculated with the central venous oxygen content versus the pulmonary-arterial oxygen content shows a good correlation over all (r = 0.92). In some cases however we found profound differences.

[Drug induced prevention of the acid aspiration syndrome in non-elective cesarean section]. / Die medikamentöse Prophylaxe des Säure-Aspirations-Syndroms bei nicht elektiver Sectio Caesarea.

Pulmonary aspiration of gastric content with a subsequent aspiration syndrome is a major cause of maternal mortality. Since regurgitation in patients undergoing general anaesthesia cannot reliably be excluded, a prophylaxis with specific drugs is recommendable. In a prospective investigation on patients undergoing nonelective Caesarean section, the H2-receptor antagonist famotidine (fam), the antacid sodium citrate (cit) and the dopamine antagonist metoclopramide (met) were evaluated with respect to volume and acidity of gastric juice. When indicated, a group of 255 patients received 20 mg famotidine i.v., with a randomised subgroup of 126 of these patients also receiving 10 mg metoclopramide i.v. A second group of 171 patients received 20 ml 0.3 M sodium citrate p.o., with a randomised subgroup of 75 of these patients receiving 10 mg metoclopramide i.v. in addition. After induction of anaesthesia the gastric content was evacuated via a gastric tube. Mean volume and pH of the gastric juice as well as the percentage of patients at risk for the development of an aspiration syndrome (juice volume > 0.4 ml/kg and pH < 2.5) were determined. Already in the first hour after drug administration a lower percentage of patients at risk could be observed compared to data from patients without prophylaxis published in recent studies (fam 18.2%, fam + met 12.0%, cit 1.9%, cit + met 2.2%). Treatment with sodium citrate was most effective because of a rapid increase in pH (cit vs. fam: p < 0.05, cit vs. fam + met: p < 0.1, cit + met vs. fam: p < 0.05, cit + met vs. fam+met: p < 0.1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Increased fMet-Leu-Phe receptor expression and altered superoxide production of neutrophil granulocytes in septic and posttraumatic patients.

Activation of neutrophils by various inflammatory stimuli has been shown to play a pivotal role in septic and posttraumatic tissue injury. To further elucidate the mechanisms modulating the oxidative metabolism, we assessed superoxide production induced by N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) and phorbol myristate acetate and the expression of FMLP receptors of human neutrophils on several days during sepsis and after trauma. Neutrophils of septic patients isolated on days 0-4 after the diagnosis of sepsis showed a significant, more than twofold increase in specific binding of [3H]FMLP at 1, 120, and 240 nM. Scatchard plot analyses revealed that this increase in specific binding was due to an increase in the number of low- and high-affinity FMLP receptors with no changes in receptor affinity. On days 5-10 after the onset of sepsis the up-regulation of FMLP receptors on circulating neutrophils was followed by receptor down-regulation. Likewise, neutrophils from patients with trauma that was not complicated by sepsis bound significantly more [3H]FMLP than neutrophils from volunteers. However, the increase in FMLP receptors was less than that in septic neutrophils and returned earlier to normal. In accordance with the up-regulation of FMLP receptors, neutrophils obtained from patients with sepsis or after trauma on days 1-4 and days 1-2, respectively, produced significantly more superoxide anion upon stimulation with FMLP. However, after stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate, a receptor-independent activator of protein kinase C, these cells released less superoxide anion than controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[A comparison of the two anticholinergic agents atropine and glycopyrrolate during antagonism of a muscle relaxation with pyridostigmine]. / Vergleich der beiden Anticholinergika Atropin und Glycopyrrolat bei der Antagonisierung einer Muskelrelaxation mit Pyridostigmin.

Central, peripheral and cardiac side-effects of both anticholinergic drugs atropine and glycopyrrolate were compared during the antagonism of muscle relaxation with pyridostigmine. In a randomized, double-blind fashion 50 patients were given 10 micrograms/kg of atropine and 50 were given 5 micrograms/kg of glycopyrrolate with 125 micrograms/kg pyridostigmine intravenously. Continuous Holter ECG-monitoring over 3 hours was performed. The procedure was divided into the following phases: control (5 minutes before application of antagonists), phase I (application of antagonists and the following 5 minutes), phase II (subsequent 30 minutes), phase III (until 3 hours had passed). The first 32 minutes were subdivided into periods of 4 minutes. Analysed were: 1st: The number of patients with supraventricular, junctional and ventricular beats, 2nd: The mean heart rate per period, 3rd: The incidence of central-anticholinergic syndromes and the peripheral antimuscarinic side-effects. Supraventricular beats were found after atropine in 42 patients and after glycopyrrolate in 18 patients (p < 0.001). The differences mainly occurred during phase I (atropine 15 vs. glycopyrrolate 4 p < 0.05) and III (atropine 38 vs. glycopyrrolate 18, p < 0.01). Junctional beats were found after both drugs (atropine 7 vs. glycopyrrolate 10), above all during phase III. Ventricular beats were observed after atropine (21) and glycopyrrolate (18). Atropine as well as glycopyrrolate caused an increased heart rate within the first 4 minutes (atropine 47% vs. glycopyrrolate 27%, p < 0.01). During phase III after atropine, the heart rate decreased below the control value (p < 0.05). None of the patients showed central anticholinergic syndromes after either drug.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Atropine versus glycopyrrolate in eye surgery. A comparison of rhythm disorders and heart frequency using Holter-ECG]. / Atropin versus Glycopyrrolat bei ophthalmochirurgischen Eingriffen. Vergleich der Rhythmusstörungen und der Herzfrequenz mit Holter-EKG.

Anticholinergics are indicated in ophthalmic surgery to inhibit oculocardiac reflexes (OCR). Although all anticholinergics exert an arrhythmic effect, comparative data on occurrence and severity of arrhythmias are not available. The aim of this investigation was to compare atropine (A) and glycopyrrolate (G) in adults undergoing ophthalmic surgery. One hundred patients (ASA class I and II, age range 20-60 yrs.) were given equipotent doses of either A (10 micrograms.kg-1) or G (5 micrograms.kg-1) in a randomized, double-blind fashion, before induction of anaesthesia. Continuous Holter monitoring was performed. The procedure was divided into the following phases: O (5 min before drug), I (5 min after drug), II (up to induction), III (induction until intubation), IV (intubation until operation), V (operation). Supraventricular, junctional, and ventricular arrhythmias were analyzed. Severe arrhythmia was judged to be greater than 5 events per min, or ventricular beats Lown classes III-V. The beat to beat analog signal was digitalized. The heart rate (HR) and the occurrence rate of OCR (greater than 20% decrease in heart rate, arrhythmias) was calculated by a computerized program. Analysed were: 1. the frequency of OCR, 2. the mean HR for each phase, 3. the frequency of all the various arrhythmias during the whole period, 4. as well as for each phase. The number of patients with severe arrhythmias 5. either for all the time or 6. for the individual phase were registered separately. There were no differences 1. in the frequency of OCR and 2. in mean HR during all phases between A and G.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Famotidine dosage in children. The effect of different doses on the pH and volume of the gastric juice]. / Famotidingabe bei Kindern. Wirkung verschiedener Dosen auf pH und Volumen des Magensaftes.

Children undergoing general anesthesia are at increased risk of severe aspiration pneumonitis. Cimetidine and ranitidine, specific histamine (H2-receptor) antagonists, when given 1-3 h preoperatively markedly reduce the acidity and volume of gastric content. A newer compound, famotidine, is a more specific antagonist with no inhibitory effect on the drug metabolizing microsomal enzyme systems of the liver (cytochrome P-450), in contrast to cimetidine. An additional clinical advantage is a possible longer duration of action. In order to evaluate these potential advantages we studied the effects of preanesthetic oral famotidine on gastric fluid pH and volume in 4 groups in a random manner. METHODS. With parental consent, 107 infants and children (ASA I status, 4 months to 14 years old, NPO for at least 6 h) received either no famotidine (n = 29) or 0.15 mg/kg (n = 27), 0.3 mg/kg (n = 25) or 0.6 mg/kg (n = 26) famotidine at 7.00 a.m. Following induction by mask with nitrous oxide/oxygen (N2O/O2) and enflurane (E) or i.v. thiopental, intubation was performed in all patients. Anesthesia was maintained with N2O/O2 and E. A orogastric double-lumen tube was passed into the stomach, and the gastric content was aspirated in a uniform manner. Gastric volume was recorded and pH values were measured with pH paper. RESULTS. In the control group, 28 of 29 patients (97%) had a pH less than 2.5, 18/29 (62%) had a gastric volume greater than 0.4 ml/kg and 17/29 (59%) had a pH less than 2.5 and gastric volume greater than 0.4 ml/kg, meaning an increased risk of pneumonitis if the child aspirates the gastric content. Famotidine administration was effective between 1.5 and 6 h after oral administration. Preoperative famotidine application produces pH values of gastric contents higher than 2.5 in all dosage groups (84%, 94%, 75%), and these differences were highly significant (P less than 0.001), whereas the gastric volume reduction with these doses was not significant. The incidence of pH less than 2.5 and volume of gastric contents exceeding 0.4 ml/kg did not vary with the different doses of famotidine. As there were no measurable differences in the effect of famotidine, we recommend that children at high risk of pulmonary aspiration receive 0.15 mg/kg famotidine orally at least 1.5 h but not later than 6 h before induction.