[Perioperative medication management]. / Perioperatives Medikamentenmanagement.

The management of chronic medication in the perioperative phase represents as a serious challenge for the involved physicians. Especially patients with elevated ASA-scores frequently suffer from multiple co-morbidities which often need numerous medications. The probability of pharmacological interactions rises with the number of these medications. Moreover it must be taken into consideration that chronic medication potentially interferes with both intravenous and inhaled anesthetics and moreover, bleeding complications are more likely to occur in patients undergoing chronic pharmacotherapy. The aim of this article is to provide a summary of the existing evidence concerning perioperative medication in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Several guidelines and advisories dealing with cardiovascular medication have been published during the last decade. The main scope of these publications was on beta-blockers and other cardiovascular medication. There is less evidence on not-cardiovascular medication as in most cases only case reports and expert opinions are published. Existing epidemiologic studies on this topic are rather heterogeneous.

[Perioperative medication management]. / Perioperatives Medikamentenmanagement - Langversion.

The management of chronic medication in the perioperative phase represents as a serious challenge for the involved physicians. Especially patients with elevated ASA-scores frequently suffer from multiple co-morbidities which often need numerous medications. The probability of pharmacological interactions rises with the number of these medications. Moreover it must be taken into consideration that chronic medication potentially interferes with both intravenous and inhaled anesthetics and moreover, bleeding complications are more likely to occur in patients undergoing chronic pharmacotherapy. The aim of this article is to provide a summary of the existing evidence concerning perioperative medication in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Several guidelines and advisories dealing with cardiovascular medication have been published during the last decade. The main scope of these publications was on beta-blockers and other cardiovascular medication. There is less evidence on not-cardiovascular medication as in most cases only case reports and expert opinions are published. Existing epidemiologic studies on this topic are rather heterogeneous.

[Analgesic efficacy of TENS therapy in patients with gonarthrosis. A prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study]. / Analgetische Effizienz von transkutaner elektrischer Nervenstimulation (TENS-Therapie) bei Patienten mit Gonarthrose. Eine prospektive, randomisierte, placebokontrollierte, doppelblinde Studie.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the study was to substantiate the influence of TENS on pain development and medication needs of patients with proven gonarthrosis and chronic pain. The study included a 3-week stimulation period and 2-week observation period after the end of stimulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients (at least 20 per group) were assigned to either an active treatment group or placebo group in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. For the active treatment group the TENS therapy device with HAN stimulation (alternating phase of stimulation) was used (TENStem eco).Total length of time: 30 min at least two times a day. The length of therapy was 3 weeks (therapy), followed by an observation period of 2 weeks (follow-up). The total length of the study was 5 weeks, whereby at the beginning and at the end of weeks 1, 3 and 5 the SF-36, WOMAC score and Lysholm score were documented; the pain score was documented daily. RESULTS: There are no significant demographic differences between the groups. In the active treatment group there was clear relief in pain intensity in the morning, midday and evening over the 3-week period of therapy. The Lysholm score in the active treatment group was 53.4 at the beginning, 90 after 1 week, 94.5 after the third week and 91 by the fifth week (significant difference). There were no side effects. CONCLUSION: TENS therapy with HAN stimulation resulted in pain relief in patients with gonarthrosis during the therapy period with TENS, but the pain relief did not last beyond the end of the TENS therapy. There was an improvement in the Lysholm score and the WOMAC score during the therapy. This improvement remained over the following 2-week period of observation without further TENS therapy. TENS therapy is a simple and effective method to treat gonarthrosis with very few side effects.