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H Böhrer

Publications and source records attributed to H Böhrer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

[Repeated improper intravenous injection of fentanyl from a transdermal system].

We report on a 30 year-old male who misused transdermal fentanyl. He injected the contents of transdermal patches intravenously. Suffering from chronic pain following total hip replacement, he had received a prescription for this drug formulation from his general practitioner. During his stay in a pain clinic he was able to obtain a total of 13 fentanyl patches from other patients or local pharmacies. He became seriously ill with multiple organ dysfunction in the course of an infection of his thigh. After surgical and intensive care treatment he recovered soon, but the hip prosthesis had to be explanted. There are some reports in the literature of misuse of fentanyl patches. The contents may be ingested orally, or they can be inhaled. Aspirated with a syringe the content of fentanyl patches can also be injected intravenously, sometimes resulting in exit-us. Prescribers must be aware of the potential for abuse of fentanyl patches which can be stolen, sold or even removed from dead bodies.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed2004

[Spinal anaesthesia in 50 patients with previous lumbar spinal surgery].

In anaesthesia textbooks, spinal anaesthesia is described as relatively contraindicated in patients with a history of lumbar spinal surgery. In order to assess the feasibility of spinal anaesthesia in these patients, we performed 56 spinal anaesthetics in 50 consecutive patients with previous lumbar spinal surgery. Our success rate of spinal anaesthesia was 100 %. Side effects were only minor and had a low incidence. We conclude that spinal anaesthesia is a viable technique in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Is the preoperative removal of dentures reasonable in every case?].

Traditionally, dentures are removed prior to anaesthesia. Modern techniques in dentistry and the widespread use of regional anaesthesia should lead to a more individual approach to this problem. From a legal standpoint, the information about advantages and disadvantages concerning the removal of dentures can be explained without problems to the patient without medical background.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed2001

[Retrospective analysis of fluconazole efficacy in Candida-colonized, non-neutropenic, surgical patients in long-term intensive care].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The early clinical diagnosis of invasive candidiasis is difficult. Fluconazole, which has been available since the early 1990s, is a relatively atoxic intravenously applicable antimycotic agent. For this reason it has been widely used - possibly too much. The aim of this study was the retrospective critical evaluation of the efficacy of systemic antifungal chemotherapy in non-neutropenic, Candida-colonized, surgical patients in long-term intensive care. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 69 patients (54 men and 15 women, aged 55.8 [range 18-87] years) of 364 patients of the anaesthesiological intensive care unit (ICU) of the University Hospital of Heidelberg in 1991 and 1992 were selected for the study. None of the 69 patients was suffering from proven invasive candidiasis according to the gold-standard criteria of positive histology, blood culture, or isolation from a sterile compartment. However, 35 of the 69 patients were systemically treated with fluconazole (on average 295 mg per day for 10.2 days intravenously). 34 patients did not receive any antifungal therapy. Retrospectively we analysed the course of the disease in both groups of patients. Furthermore, 173 serum samples of these patients were available for investigations by Western blot for anti-Candida antibodies of the immune globulin classes M and G. RESULTS: Both groups, antimycotically treated and untreated patients, had similar characteristics at base-line: age, sex, underlying disease, severity of the disease (APACHE II Score), and also mortality (approximately 20 % in both groups). Only times in the ICU and on mechanical ventilation were significantly enhanced in fluconazole treated patients (p values 0.0004 each). Before therapy, the fluconazole patients had significantly more often yeasts in primarily non-sterile compartments (chi (2) test 0.05). The yeasts were partly eradicated by fluconazole (32/54, 59.3 %). Anti-Candida antibodies significantly correlated with higher age (anti 47 kDa antigen, p = 0.02), but not with other, clinically, diagnostically or prognostically relevant parameters. CONCLUSION: Fluconazole in non-neutropenic, Candida-colonized, surgical patients in long-term ICU care neither improved the clinical course nor the mortality rate among these patients. These observations indicate that there was a trend of overestimating the clinical significance of Candida in this group of patients. Fluconazole therapy may be significantly reduced in such patients.

APACHE↗
PubMed2001

Etomidate and thiopental inhibit platelet function in patients undergoing infrainguinal vascular surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative platelet hyperaggregability following general anesthesia has been reported in patients undergoing major vascular surgery. In contrast, since anesthetic agents inhibited platelet function both in vitro and in vivo, an increased risk for postoperative bleedings due to prolonged platelet dysfunction has been discussed. Nevertheless, data describing platelet-affecting properties of induction agents such as etomidate and thiopental in patients undergoing major vascular surgery are lacking. METHODS: Platelet function was determined at 0, 2, 20, and 200 microg/ml thiopental and at 0, 0.2, 2, 20 microg/ml etomidate in vitro in blood samples drawn from 16 patients suffering from severe occlusive arterial disease. In addition, 30 patients undergoing vascular surgery were investigated before (PRE) and after anesthesia induction (T0) either with etomidate (ETO group, n=16) or thiopental (THIO group, n=14), and 2 h after the beginning of surgery (T2). Platelet function was determined according to platelet aggregation, in vitro bleeding time, and flow cytometric measurements. RESULTS: In vitro, P-selectin expression was inhibited by etomidate at 2 and 20 microg/ml (-28% and -38%, respectively) and also by thiopental at 200 microg/ml (-27%). In patients undergoing vascular surgery, anesthesia induction in the ETO group resulted in a 31% prolongation of the in vitro bleeding time and an inhibition of ADP- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation (-30% and -17%, respectively) and of P-selectin expression (-25%) at T0. In the THIO group, only ADP-induced platelet aggregation was affected (-16%). At T2, all parameters had reached PRE level again in both groups. Furthermore, in comparison with the THIO group, operation time was significantly prolonged and transfusion volume was significantly increased in the ETO group. In addition, platelet count and hematocrit significantly decreased at T2, whereas levels of tPA, PAI-1, fibrinogen and antithrombin III and partial thromboplastin time remained unchanged in both groups during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, etomidate and, to a minor extent, thiopental offered significant platelet inhibitory properties. Anesthetic-induced platelet inhibition may lead to higher transfusion rates and prolonged operation times. Therefore, anesthetic-related platelet inhibitory properties should be considered when searching for the anesthetic agent of choice, especially in patients with compromised hemostasis and co-existing bleeding disorders.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Measuring patient satisfaction with anaesthesia: perioperative questionnaire versus standardised face-to-face interview.

BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction represents an essential part of quality management. Measuring the degree of patient satisfaction can be achieved with a variety of tools such as postoperative visits and patient questionnaires. The primary aim of this study was to quantify the degree of patient satisfaction with anaesthesia. A secondary aim was to compare the questionnaire technique with standardised face-to-face interviewing. METHODS: The authors prospectively studied 700 patients on the second postoperative day. Patients were randomised and allocated to complete either a written questionnaire or to answer the same questions during a standardised face-to-face interview. The questionnaire was subdivided into a set of questions on anaesthesia-related discomfort and another set on satisfaction with anaesthesia care in general. The questions on discomfort were assessed on a 3-point scale, and those on patient satisfaction on a 4-point scale. RESULTS: Response rate was 84% (589 of 700 patients). Internal consistency, as measured by Cronbach's alpha, was 0.84. When evaluating the questions on anaesthesia-related discomfort, the most frequent sensations were "drowsiness" (>75%), "pain at the surgical site" (>55%), and "thirst" (>50%). The data on patient satisfaction showed a high degree of satisfaction (>90%). The responses to questions on anaesthesia-related discomfort revealed only minor differences between the questionnaire and the face-to-face interview. The questions on satisfaction with anaesthesia, however, were answered consistently in a more critical manner during the interview (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The standardised interview may be more suited to determine patient satisfaction than a questionnaire. Quality improvements are possible for emergence from anaesthesia, postoperative pain therapy, and the treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed1999

Minimal leptin elimination into ultrafiltrate during continuous venovenous haemofiltration in patients with sepsis.

Intensive care patients with organ failure often suffer an acute catabolic state. Leptin is a 16-kDa hormone which is produced by mature adipocytes and correlates with human energy expenditure. We investigated whether continuous venovenous haemofiltration, which may eliminate molecules up to 20-30 kDa, is capable of removing human leptin. Leptin measurements were made in the plasma of 15 patients with sepsis before continuous venovenous haemofiltration (T0) and during the procedure at 24 h (T1), 48 h (T2), and 72 h (T3), using samples taken before and after haemofiltration. In addition, measurements were made in the ultrafiltrate at T1-T3. The plasma leptin level at T0 was 17.6 ng mL-1. The concentration at T1 was 17.5 ng mL-1 pre-filter and 26.5 ng mL-1 post-filter (T2: 14.2/23.2 ng mL-1; T3: 12.4/16.3 ng mL-1). This concentration effect after haemofiltration was also seen with albumin. The values measured at T3 tended to be lower than those recorded at T1. The mean leptin levels in the ultrafiltrate were 0.15-0.18 ng mL-1. The range of leptin levels in the ultrafiltrate was thus only 0.5-3% of that measured in plasma. We conclude that human leptin is only minimally elimininated into the ultrafiltrate by continuous venovenous haemofiltration and that plasma leptin levels may decrease during sepsis.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

The effect of intravenously administered magnesium on platelet function in patients after cardiac surgery.

UNLABELLED: After cardiac surgery, magnesium is often administered for prophylaxis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Magnesium, however, inhibits platelet function in vitro and in healthy volunteers. We performed a randomized, blinded, and placebo-controlled study to investigate the effect of magnesium on platelet function in patients after cardiac surgery. We studied patients who underwent uneventful coronary revascularization with cardiopulmonary bypass on the first postoperative day. Before and after an infusion of either 5.4 mmol magnesium (n = 19) or saline (n = 20), platelet function was investigated by means of in vitro bleeding time, platelet aggregation, and flow-cytometric assays. In addition, to investigate platelet function in vitro, 1, 5, and 10 mM magnesium were added to platelet-rich plasma before and 24 h after surgery in 30 patients. Compared with the control group, magnesium prolonged the in vitro bleeding time (22%) and inhibited ADP- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation (13% and 17%), platelet P-selectin expression (18%), and the binding of fibrinogen to the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor (10%). Magnesium also led to significant dose-dependent inhibition of platelet aggregation (19%), P-selectin expression (14%), and fibrinogen binding (11%) before and after surgery in vitro. Although the antithrombotic effect of magnesium may be beneficial in patients after coronary revascularization, large-dose magnesium therapy should be carefully considered in patients with impaired platelet function and co-existing bleeding disorders. IMPLICATIONS: In a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study of patients 24 h after coronary artery bypass grafting, IV administered magnesium inhibited platelet function in vitro and in vivo.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1999

Effect of patient-controlled analgesia on pulmonary complications after coronary artery bypass grafting.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether treatment with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) alone or in combination with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can prevent postoperative pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery, when compared with conventional nurse-controlled analgesia. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: University Medical Center. PATIENTS: A total of 120 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting. INTERVENTIONS: After extubation of the trachea, 120 patients were randomly allocated to three different methods of postoperative pain relief for 72 hrs. In group 1, patients received PCA with a bolus of 1.5 mg piritramide combined with a 10-min lockout interval. Group 2 patients were treated with a combination of PCA and administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed three times per day. Patients of group 3 received conventional nurse-controlled analgesia. Postoperative assessment included daily visual analog pain scoring (VAS) and chest radiographs. All chest radiographs were graded for the extent of atelectasis by a radiologist blinded as to treatment using a scale from 0 to 9 for each of the three lung fields of the right and left lungs. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Chest radiograph atelectasis scores and VAS values were similar among the three groups on the first and second days. On the third day, the chest radiograph atelectasis scores of the left lower and the right middle lung field were significantly better in the groups treated with PCA alone (4.7 +/- 3.0; 0.3 +/- 1.0) and in combination with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (3.9 +/- 1.1; 0.4 +/- 1.2) than in the control group (5.5 +/- 3.1; 0.8 +/- 1.8). Furthermore, on the third day, the VAS values for maximum pain were higher in the control group (42.6 +/- 19.7) compared with the VAS values in the two groups with PCA (32.2 +/- 17.9 and 34.5 +/- 21.0). CONCLUSIONS: PCA significantly decreases postoperative pulmonary atelectasis in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting when compared with nurse-controlled analgesia. In addition, patients treated with PCA experienced a higher quality of analgesia. We therefore conclude that treatment with PCA may reduce respiratory complications after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed1999

[Importance of blood transfusion in anemic patients with COPD and unsuccessful weaning from respirator].

BACKGROUND: Imbalance of load-capacity relationship in severe COPD may lead to ventilatory failure. Additionally, in such patients, anemia may aggravate the ventilatory load. In this retrospective study we investigated whether anemia patients undergoing long-term ventilation benefit from transfusion. CASE REPORTS: We studied 5 anemic patients (hemoglobin: 8.7 +/- 0.8 g/dl) with COPD in whom trials of weaning from the ventilator had been unsuccessful. After transferral to our regional weaning centre, blood was transfused to increase the hemoglobin value to approximately 12 g/dl or higher. Subsequently, all patients could be successfully weaned within a short period. CONCLUSION: We conclude that in difficult to wean anemic patients blood transfusion should be considered and may lead to successful weaning.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Inhaled nitric oxide inhibits human platelet aggregation, P-selectin expression, and fibrinogen binding in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Recent data suggest that inhaled NO can inhibit platelet aggregation. This study investigates whether inhaled NO affects the expression level and avidity of platelet membrane receptors that mediate platelet adhesion and aggregation. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 30 healthy volunteers, platelet-rich plasma was incubated with an air/5% CO2 mixture containing 0, 100, 450, and 884 ppm inhaled NO. ADP- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation, the membrane expression of P-selectin, and the binding of fibrinogen to the platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor were determined before (t0) and during the 240 minutes of incubation. In addition, eight patients suffering from severe adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were investigated before and 120 minutes after the beginning of administration of 10 ppm inhaled NO. In vitro, NO led to a dose-dependent inhibition of both ADP-induced (3+/-3% at 884 ppm versus 70+/-6% at 0 ppm after 240 minutes; P<.001) and collagen-induced (13+/-5% versus 62+/-5%; P<.01) platelet aggregation. Furthermore, P-selectin expression (36+/-7% of t0 value; P<.01) and fibrinogen binding (33+/-11%; P<.01) were inhibited. In patients with ARDS, after two who did not respond to NO inhalation with an improvement in oxygenation had been excluded, an increase in plasma cGMP, prolongation of in vitro bleeding time, and inhibition of platelet aggregation and P-selectin expression were observed, and fibrinogen binding was also inhibited (19+/-7% versus 30+/-8%; P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: NO-dependent inhibition of platelet aggregation may be caused by a decrease in fibrinogen binding to the platelet GP IIb/IIIa receptor.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1998

Thrombomodulin modulates growth of tumor cells independent of its anticoagulant activity.

Thrombomodulin (TM), recognized as an essential vessel wall cofactor of the antithrombotic mechanism, is also expressed by a wide range of tumor cells. Tumor cell lines subcloned from four patients with malignant melanoma displayed a negative correlation between TM expression and cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of wild-type TM decreased cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. TM mutants with altered protein C activation capacity lead to a similar effect. In contrast, transfection of melanoma cells with mutant TM constructs, in which a portion of the cytoplasmic or lectin domain was deleted, abrogated the antiproliferative effect associated with overexpression of wild-type TM. Experiments performed with either peptide agonists/antagonists of the thrombin receptor, with hirudin, or with inhibitors of thrombin-TM interaction did not alter the growth inhibitory effect of TM overexpression. These data suggest that TM exerts an effect on cell proliferation independent of thrombin and the thrombin receptor, possibly related to the binding of novel ligands to determinants in the lectin domain which might trigger signal transduction pathways dependent on the cytoplasmic domain.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Rescue therapy with C1-esterase inhibitor concentrate after emergency coronary surgery for failed PTCA.

Administration of C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) attenuates myocardial necrosis and sustains normal cardiac performance after myocardial ischemia and reperfusion in animal experiments. We report on our first experience of C1-INH application as rescue therapy in patients undergoing emergency surgical revascularization after failed percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Three patients were treated, because post-operative hemodynamic stabilization could not be achieved despite prolonged reperfusion periods, high-dose inotropic support, inodilators and aortic counterpulsation. As there was no surgical or medical option remaining, C1-INH was administered starting with a 2000 unit bolus, followed by 1000 U 12 and 24 h after surgery. C1-INH therapy resulted in rapid hemodynamic stabilization of all patients; weaning from aortic counterpulsation and epinephrine support was possible within 1 day. All patients survived and were discharged from hospital. In this group of patients suffering from severe reperfusion injury after coronary surgery, C1-INH seemed to be an effective adjuvant therapy to restore myocardial function by blocking the complement cascade. These results should encourage the performance of controlled studies on the effects of prophylactic C1-INH substitution therapy in patients undergoing coronary surgery at high risk conditions.

Aged↗