Postoperative nausea and vomiting and opioid-induced nausea and vomiting: guidelines for prevention and treatment

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) causes patient discomfort, lowers patient satisfaction, and increases care requirements. Opioid-induced nausea and vomiting (OINV) may also occur if opioids are used to treat postoperative pain. These guidelines aim to provide recommendations for the prevention and treatment of both problems. A working group was established in accordance with the charter of the Sociedad Espa?ola de Anestesiología y Reanimación. The group undertook the critical appraisal of articles relevant to the management of PONV and OINV in adults and children early and late in the perioperative period. Discussions led to recommendations, summarized as follows: 1) Risk for PONV should be assessed in all patients undergoing surgery; 2 easy-to-use scales are useful for risk assessment: the Apfel scale for adults and the Eberhart scale for children. 2) Measures to reduce baseline risk should be used for adults at moderate or high risk and all children. 3) Pharmacologic prophylaxis with 1 drug is useful for patients at low risk (Apfel or Eberhart 1) who are to receive general anesthesia; patients with higher levels of risk should receive prophylaxis with 2 or more drugs and baseline risk should be reduced (multimodal approach). 4) Dexamethasone, droperidol, and ondansetron (or other setrons) have similar levels of efficacy; drug choice should be made based on individual patient factors. 5) The drug prescribed for treating PONV should preferably be different from the one used for prophylaxis; ondansetron is the most effective drug for treating PONV. 6) Risk for PONV should be assessed before discharge after outpatient surgery or on the ward for hospitalized patients; there is no evidence that late preventive strategies are effective. 7) The drug of choice for preventing OINV is droperidol.     

Perioperative and long-term morbidity and mortality after above-knee and below-knee amputations in diabetics and nondiabetics

We performed a retrospective review of a vascular surgery quality assurance database to evaluate the perioperative and long-term morbidity and mortality of above-knee amputations (AKA, n = 234) and below-knee amputations (BKA, n = 720) and to examine the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) (181 of AKA and 606 of BKA patients). All patients in the database who had AKA or BKA from 1990 to May 2001 were included in the study. Perioperative 30-day cardiac morbidity and mortality and 3-yr and 10-yr mortality after AKA or BKA were assessed. The effect of DM on 30-day cardiac outcome was assessed by multivariate logistic regression and the effect on long-term survival was assessed by Cox regression analysis. The perioperative cardiac event rate (cardiac death or nonfatal myocardial infarction) was at least 6.8% after AKA and at most 3.6% after BKA. Median survival was significantly less after AKA (20 mo) than BKA (52 mo) (P < 0.001). DM was not a significant predictor of perioperative 30-day mortality (odds ratio, 0.76 [0.39-1.49]; P = 0.43) or 3-yr survival (Hazard ratio, 1.03 [0.86-1.24]; P = 0.72) but predicted 10-yr mortality (Hazard ratio, 1.34 [1.04-1.73]; P = 0.026). Significant predictors of the 30-day perioperative mortality were the site of amputation (odds ratio, 4.35 [2.56-7.14]; P < 0.001) and history of renal insufficiency (odds ratio, 2.15 [1.13-4.08]; P = 0.019). AKA should be triaged as a high-risk surgery while BKA is an intermediate-risk surgery. Long-term survival after AKA or BKA is poor, regardless of the presence of DM.     

Body composition assessment and methodology in nonathletic and athletic adolescent and adult males and females

The purpose of this review is to outline methodology for assessing body composition utilizing anthropometric and densitometric techniques. The objective of body composition assessment is to measure body fat and lean body mass. The quantity of these components varies due to growth, physical activity, dietary regimens, and aging. Anthropometric techniques incorporate selected skinfolds, circumferences, skeletal widths, or other variables to estimate body composition within k2.0-4.0%. These techniques are adequate for field testing of groups or individuals, but are population specific. Densitometry measures body volume irrespective of physique, sex, or age. This laboratory technique estimates body composition within 1.0-2.0%, is more difficult to administer, but is not population specific. Some limitation exists with any present technique due to biological variability and incomplete research of reference body composition in children, females, and the aged. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1984;5(6):336-347.     

Surgical and anesthetic coordination during tracheal and carinal resections and reconstruction

A retrospective study of anesthetic and surgical techniques involved in 55 consecutive cases of tracheal and carinal resections completed from 2001 to 2007, is presented. The anesthetic maneuvers and surgical approach differed in relation with the site of the tracheal lesions (upper, middle, lower trachea or carinal), the degree of the obstruction, the emergency of the surgical intervention and the concomitant presence of the eso-tracheal fistula. Ventilatory support during anesthesia involved special equipment adapted to the particular techniques used in this type of surgery. Cross field intubation of trachea or a mainstem bronchus, and High Frequency Jet Ventilation-HFJV- have been frequently used. Perfect coordination of the anesthetic techniques with every surgical step is mandatory and for good long term results special anesthetic equipment and a good preoperative anesthetic and surgical assessment of the strategy is needed.     

学习奋斗奉献发展

哈尔滨市第五医院烧伤科成立于1975年,1994年被确定为市卫生系统重点专科,2006年被哈尔滨市政府评为重点学科.在30多年的时间里,经过几代人的不懈努力,科室不断发展壮大,从成立之初的25张床位、医师5人、护士8人,发展成为可进行烧伤早期救治与晚期康复、功能重建与美容整形和医疗、教学、科研于一体的医疗单元.     

镁与骨质疏松

镁离子是人体内重要的阳离子,参与多种生理活动。。镁缺乏易导致骨质疏松,适当补充镁可以增强骨密度,改善骨组织形态,缓解骨质疏松等症状。此外,可降解金属镁及其镁合金因其在骨折和骨缺损治疗中的潜在优势,有望在未来的骨外科治疗中得到广泛应用。然而镁离子促进成骨细胞增殖和分化,促进骨骼生长作用机制仍待深入研究。本文综述了镁在骨代谢中的作用及相关分子机制的最新研究进展。     

Teens and tanning knowledge and attitudes

Background: The incidence of skin cancer, including melanoma, continues to increase. Teenagers are especially vulnerable, as are young females. The incidence of melanoma among young women in their twenties and thirties has begun to increase again. These young people are also the population that frequent tanning salons. Objective: This voluntary, anonymous, New York University, Institutional Review Board-approved survey was given to students in grades 9 through 12 to ascertain their understanding of what causes skin cancers and the dangers of excessive sun exposure and tanning salons. Methods and materials: An Institutional Review Board-approved, 22-question survey was administered anonymously to more than 450 students with 368 returned responses. The survey was administered to students in grades 9 through 12 at two high schools in New York and New Jersey. Results: More than 80 percent of students view movie stars as tan and almost 60 percent see "tan" people as better looking. In addition, more than 90 percent believe that a tan does not prevent further damage to the skin (as opposed to the customary belief that a "base" tan can protect against extreme sun exposures, such as when on a tropical vacation). There appears to be a disconnect between knowledge and sun tanning behaviors. Most teenagers still believe that tans are attractive and teenage girls continue to use tanning salons and tan naturally. We need to address the connection between sun tanning in youth and skin cancers years later. Legislation to limit access of tanning salons to teenagers needs to be enacted.     

The German emergency and disaster medicine and management systemdhistory and present

As well for optimized emergency management in individual cases as for optimized mass medicine in disaster management, the principle of the medical doctors approaching the patient directly and timely, even close to the site of the incident, is a long-standing marker for quality of care and patient survival in Germany. Professional rescue and emergency forces, including medical services, are the “Golden Standard” of emergency management systems. Regulative laws, proper organization of resources, equipment, training and adequate delivery of medical measures are key factors in systematic approaches to manage emergencies and disasters alike and thus save lives. During disasters command, communication, coordination and cooperation are essential to cope with extreme situations, even more so in a globalized world. In this article, we describe the major historical milestones, the current state of the German system in emergency and disaster management and its integration into the broader European approach.     

Similarities and differences between female and male sexual functions and dysfunctions

Men and women have 23 pairs of chromosomes. They share 22 of them. In physiologic conditions they differ systematically in only one pair, the sexual one. Females (normally) have what is called an “XX” on the 23rd pair of chromosomes, whereas males have an “XY” pair. The striking sexual differences –anatomic, functional, reproductive, psychological and sociocultural - between men and women depends on or derive from the difference in one critical chromosome out of 46, which contains on average 2% of all the genetic code. Biochemical, neuroendocrine, hormonal, vascular, nervous, and metabolic similarities that both sexes share, based on the common 45 chromosomes and related biologically determined similarities contributing to the secret sexual symmetry between genders, is reviewed. Furthermore the role of the genetically determined brain and somatic gender dymorphism, contributing to gender sexual differences is analyzed. Neuroplasticity and psychoplasticity are praised as basic mechanisms that bridge together and re-shape the individual biological and psychological world through the continuous interaction with the environment. Enhancement of sexual differences in behaviour, meaning of, and motivation to sex by cultural constructs, by religious and social dynamics, and the continuous interaction of each person with a usually role-polarized society during the whole life span will be finally acknowledged. To contribute to a better understanding of the shared biological sexual similarities between genders and their dialectic and continuous relation with biological and socioculturally related sexual differences is the ultimate goal of this introductory article and the following papers of the series.     

Trends and perspectives in pancreas and simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation

Pancreas transplantation is still the best option to achieve normoglycaemia and insulin independence in patients with type I diabetes. As a result of improvements in surgical techniques, immunosuppression and patient selection, one year survival rates of 95, 83, and 88% for patient, pancreas, and kidney survival, respectively, are reported for patients with simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation. The main goals for the future are to reduce postoperative morbidity, to identify the relevant indications for single pancreas transplantation, to adopt the best surgical technique for individual patients' needs (bladder versus enteric drainage with or without portal venous delivery of insulin), and to develop immunosuppressive strategies with low nephrotoxic and diabetogenic potential.     

Uptake and elimination of isoflurane and halothane by children and adults

The rate of increase of alveolar concentrations (FA/FI) of isoflurane and halothane was studied in children and adults during general anaesthesia and controlled ventilation. After 30 min of body equilibrium, elimination curves of the volatile anaesthetics were determined by measurement of alveolar (FA/FA0; infrared technique) and venous concentrations (gas chromatography). The distribution and elimination half-times (t1/2 alpha, t1/2 beta), clearance (Cl), volume of central and peripheral compartment (V1, Vz) and the volume of distribution at steady state (Vss) were calculated from the intercepts and slopes of a two-compartment model. During the uptake of anaesthetic concentrations of isoflurane and halothane, the FA/FI ratio of each gas was found to rise significantly faster in children than in adults. The reason for the more rapid approach to equilibrium in children seems to be related to physiological differences. Irrespective of age, uptake of isoflurane was more rapid than that of halothane, as it is less soluble. Similarly, isoflurane was eliminated from the lung or blood faster than halothane. Moreover, anaesthetic wash-out in children differed from that in adults. In the paediatric age group t1/2 beta under isoflurane was shorter than in adults, whereas halothane excretion took longer in children. This could be accounted for by the larger volumes of distribution Vz and Vss in the young, due to higher organ affinity of halothane. From our data we conclude that age significantly affects uptake and elimination of volatile anaesthetics and the control of anaesthesia is easiest with isoflurane in paediatric patients.