SPECIFIC FEATURES OF ANESTHESIA IN PATIENTS WITH MYASTHENIA GRAVIS.

INTRODUCTION: Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease caused by antibodies leading to the destruction of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on the neuromuscular junction. It is characterized by muscle weakness that gets aggravated with physical activity and improves at rest. Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America made the clinical classification of Myasthenia gravis which is still in use today. "Tensilon test" is still the gold standard for the diagnosis of Myasthenia gravis. In addition to this test repeated muscular stimulation can be used as well as the analysis of specific autoantibodies. Treatment of Myasthenia Gravis. In conservative treatment of Mysthenia gravis anticholinesterases, immunosuppressants and plasmapheresis can be used. If conservative treatment does not lead to the desired remission, surgical treatment is indicated. The most accepted indication for thymectomy is the presence of thymoma with generalized form of Myasthenia gravis in adults. How to Distinguish Myasthenic From Cholinergic Crisis.'The following is important to make a difference between these two crises: knowledge of the events that preceded the crisis, the size of pupils as well as the presence of muscarinic signs and tensilon test. Specific Features of Anesthesia in Patients with Myasthienia Gravis. Mechanism of the disease development is the reason'for the increased sensitivity or resistance of these patients to certain types of drugs used in anesthesia. Protocol of Perioperative Anesthesia in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis. Based on 35 years of experience in the surgical treatment of patients with Myasthenia gravis anesthesiologists at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina. made the protocol of anesthesia and perioperative treatment for these patients. CONCLUSION: Anesthesiologists may have to deal with a patient with myasthenia gravis in different types of surgical interventions. The protocol for anesthesia and perioperative management of these patients herewith presented may greatly help them in their clinical practice.

A case of recurrent arrhythmia in an acute pancreatitis patient--pathophysiological explanation using shortage of 'repolarization reserve'.

We report a case of a patient with acute pancreatitis who developed serious heart rhythm abnormalities on three occasions, two of which were associated with administration of the first generation antihistamine chloropyramine, and the third one with hypomagnesemia and hypokalemia. Dysrhythmic events consisted of bigeminy, multifocal ventricular extrasystoles and torsades de pointes-like ventricular tachycardia. Electrocardiographic changes in acute pancreatitis in the absence of previous heart disease can occur in more than half of the cases. Antihistamines are medications that are known to produce heart rhythm disturbances, especially the second generation drugs astemizole and terfenadine. This is the first report of chloropyramine causing dysrhythmia. It seems that acute pancreatitis patients are especially prone to heart dysrhythmia caused by different factors such as electrolyte disturbances and pronounced vagal tone. Acute pancreatitis may be added to the list of risk factors with altered 'repolarization reserve', predisposing to drug-induced QT interval prolongation and possible torsades de pointes occurrence.