What is a Trophic Cascade?

Few concepts in ecology have been so influential as that of the trophic cascade. Since the 1980s, the term has been a central or major theme of more than 2000 scientific articles. Despite this importance and widespread usage, basic questions remain about what constitutes a trophic cascade. Inconsistent usage of language impedes scientific progress and the utility of scientific concepts in management and conservation. Herein, we offer a definition of trophic cascade that is designed to be both widely applicable yet explicit enough to exclude extraneous interactions. We discuss our proposed definition and its implications, and define important related terms, thereby providing a common language for scientists, policy makers, conservationists, and other stakeholders with an interest in trophic cascades.

Emergency use of sugammadex after failure of standard reversal drugs.

Administration of sugammadex, 350 mg IV (4 mg/kg), in the postanesthesia care unit immediately (<60 s) relieved acute respiratory distress due to residual neuromuscular blockade in a 42-yr-old patient with chronic renal failure who had received vecuronium, 10 mg IV, for tracheal intubation, after inadequate reversal of neuromuscular blockade in the operating room with neostigmine, 5 mg IV, and glycopyrrolate, 1 mg IV.