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Biomedical subjects

D Zech

Publications and source records attributed to D Zech.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

[Interdisciplinary treatment of pancreatic cancer].

Resection of the pancreas due to carcinoma represents with an operative mortality of 3.5% and three-year-survival of 15% an operative strategy, which should be carried out as a therapy of choice only on selected patients with an early cancer stage (ex. T1). But no other treatment offers the chance of long-time survival and curation. There seems to be no influence of operative therapy on patient prognosis in advanced cancer stages. In these cases, palliative treatment (ex. biliodigestive anastomosis or transcutaneous biliary drainage) are methods of choice. A main palliative aspect should be a painless patient. This can be achieved by oral or i.v. medication and/or chemical neurolysis of plexus coeliacus.

Adult↗

Postoperative pain management and respiratory depression after thoracotomy: a comparison of intramuscular piritramide and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia using fentanyl or buprenorphine.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare the analgesic efficacy of fentanyl, buprenorphine, and piritramide and to define the respiratory risk during conventional postoperative pain management and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). DESIGN: Randomized, single-blind study. SETTING: Department of anesthesiology of an urban hospital. PATIENTS: Sixty patients (ASA) physical status II and III) recovering from unilateral thoracotomy performed under standardized general anesthesia including intercostal blockade. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were treated with intramuscular (IM) piritramide (7.5 to 15 mg as needed) or intravenous (IV) PCA with fentanyl (demand dose 34 micrograms) or buprenorphine (demand dose 80 micrograms) during the early postoperative period, using the On-Demand Analgesia Computer (ODAC, Janssen Scientific Instruments, Beerse, Belgium). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The mean postoperative observation period was 24 to 25 hours. During this time, patients requested 55.8 +/- 23.2 mg of piritramide, 1.04 +/- 0.54 mg of fentanyl, or 1.81 +/- 0.78 mg of buprenorphine. Analgesia in all groups was judged mostly good to excellent, with a preference for PCA. Side effects were only of minor intensity in all groups; euphoria or dysphoria occurred only with buprenorphine. Two patients using PCA and five patients having IM analgesia developed short periods of respiratory depression (respiratory rate less than or equal to 8 breaths/minute and/or oxygen (O2) desaturation less than or equal to 90%), which promptly responded to commands to breathe deeply. Respiration rates did not differ, and frequent arterial blood sampling showed normal mean partial pressures of oxygen (PO2) and carbon dioxide (PCO2) and arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) in all subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Opioid-induced respiratory depression occurred infrequently during postoperative pain management whether by conventional means or using PCA, even though high doses of opioid analgesics were required intermittently for adequate postoperative pain relief by either technique.

Analgesia, Patient-Controlled↗

[Preoperative autologous blood donation and intraoperative autotransfusion in first implantation of hip endoprostheses--a retrospective study].

The records of a total of 102 patients who underwent primary total hip replacement during 1987-88 were evaluated retrospectively. 36 patients had donated 1-3 units of whole blood preoperatively. Surgery was performed with the use of a device for intraoperative autotransfusion (IAT). Another 25 patients without preoperative autologous blood donation were operated with the use of IAT. None of these techniques was available for the remaining 41 patients. The mean perioperative blood loss and the mean volume of transfused blood were 1400 ml and 1000 ml respectively. Equal quantities of blood were lost intra- and postoperatively, whereas only one fifth of transfused blood was given intraoperatively. Homologous blood transfusion was not required in 32% of the patients for whom autologous blood was not available. However after preoperative autologous blood donation, 95% of the 2-unit donors and 100% of the 3-unit donors could be operated without homologous blood transfusion. Autologous blood donation did not increase the need for homologous blood transfusions. With the use of IAT it was only 20% of the patients that at least 500 ml of blood were salvaged for retransfusion. On the basis of these findings, elective primary total hip replacement would seem to be the ideal operation to be performed after preoperative autologous blood donation and, whenever possible with the use of IAT. The desirable ratio of 1,5:1 for the units of blood to be crossmatched preoperatively vs. units transfused perioperatively can be achieved solely by preoperative donation of 3 units of autologous blood.

Aged↗

Adverse effects of systemic opioid analgesics.

Adverse effects of opioids are multiple. They are most often receptor-mediated and inseparable from their desired effects. The most severe mishaps with opioids are related to their respiratory depressant effect, which is widely influenced by factors such as pain, previous opioid experience and awareness. Other relevant central nervous system effects of opioids include cough suppression, nausea and vomiting, rigidity, pruritus and miosis. The cardiovascular adverse effects of opioids are mainly related to histamine release and differ widely between agonists and agonist-antagonists. Gastrointestinal effects such as constipation, reflux and spasms of the bile duct are well described. Adverse effects on endocrine, immunological and haematological functions are possible, while allergic reactions are extremely rare. The adverse effects of long term use are overestimated. Systemic toxicity is negligible and development of tolerance is minimal while treating pain. In the clinical setting of pain control, addiction and withdrawal do not pose significant problems. Nevertheless, the possible effects of opioids on the unborn child should always be considered. Overall, opioids show a good record of safety. Their use should not be unduly limited by unfounded fears of adverse effects, but these effects should be avoided by anticipation and prevention.

Analgesics, Opioid↗