Ruptured poly-implant protheses breast implant after aesthetic breast augmentation: diagnosis, case management, and histologic evaluation.

Since the scandal of the poly-implant protheses (PIP) breast implants, all patients with PIP are advised to have their implants removed. With approximately 400,000 PIP implants sold worldwide breast, surgeons will be confronted with these patients. Histologic examination in the reported case showed silicone infiltration into fatty tissue and breast tissue without signs of malignancy. A general histologic analysis for the rare event of an anaplastic large T cell lymphoma is not advised. The malignant potential of PIP implants currently is uncertain, and further investigation is required. Level of Evidence V This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

[The Göttingen manual for OR managers]. / Göttinger Leitfaden für OP-Manager.

Economic pressures are forcing German hospitals to take measures to secure the cost effectiveness of medical care. Surgical facilities are particularly affected as a high-cost segment. As a consequence hospital operators and administrators have begun to hire surgical facility (OR) managers whose task it is to implement efficiency-oriented steps and reorganization measures aimed at increasing productivity and profitability of the surgical services. The OR manager is confronted with high expectations in a complex environment full of potential conflicts. With this in mind, the following article defines and comments on the most important aspects of OR managerial duties and responsibilities. The authors are experienced in OR management and are able to give the reader not only the theoretical fundamentals but also recommendations and guidelines which are particularly valuable to those contemplating a career as OR manager.

The neural basis of reversal learning: An updated perspective.

Reversal learning paradigms are among the most widely used tests of cognitive flexibility and have been used as assays, across species, for altered cognitive processes in a host of neuropsychiatric conditions. Based on recent studies in humans, non-human primates, and rodents, the notion that reversal learning tasks primarily measure response inhibition, has been revised. In this review, we describe how cognitive flexibility is measured by reversal learning and discuss new definitions of the construct validity of the task that are serving as a heuristic to guide future research in this field. We also provide an update on the available evidence implicating certain cortical and subcortical brain regions in the mediation of reversal learning, and an overview of the principal neurotransmitter systems involved.

The therapeutic effect of C1-inhibitor on gut-derived bacterial translocation after thermal injury.

To test the effects of C1-esterase inhibitor in scald burns on bacterial translocation and intestinal damage, standardized deep partial-thickness burns were inflicted on domestic pigs, scalding 30% of the skin surface for 25 s with 75 degrees C hot water. The animals (n = 17; weight 25-35 kg) were divided into three groups: I) the control group (n = 5) without scald burn; II) the group (n = 6) with scald burn; and III) the group with C1-inhibitor (n = 6): scald burn and treatment with C1-inhibitor (C1-INH; BERINERT, Behring, Marburg, Germany). Parameters measured and compared in this model were activity of complement system, hemodynamics, body weight, pathological organ alterations including intestinal lesions, bacterial translocation, and skin damage. C1-INH administration significantly decreased the plasma levels of the specific soluble membrane attack complex (SC5b-9), bacterial translocation, and the degree of intestinal ischemia in the postburn period compared with untreated animals. Moreover, animals treated with C1-INH exhibited a minor degree of organ alterations including damage of the skin and development of edema. The favorable effects of C1-INH may be explained by the protection of the intestinal and dermal microcirculation in the acute phase of thermal injury.

Oral dolasetron mesylate for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting: a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The Oral Dolasetron PONV Prevention Study Group.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To examine the safety and effectiveness of a range of single oral doses of dolasetron mesylate for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: 32 hospitals. PATIENTS: 789 female ASA physical status I, II, and III patients, ages 18 to 60 years, weighing between 45 and 100 kg, scheduled for major gynecologic surgery (including abdominal hysterectomy, gynecologic laparotomy, or vaginal hysterectomy) with general anesthesia. INTERVENTIONS: 25, 50, 100, or 200 mg oral doses of dolasetron mesylate or placebo were administered 1 to 2 hours before induction of anesthesia. Efficacy was assessed for 24 hours postrecovery by measuring complete response (no emetic episodes, no rescue medication), total response (complete response with no nausea), time to first emetic episode or rescue, and patient visual analog scale evaluations of nausea severity and satisfaction with antiemetic therapy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Complete response rates for the 50, 100, and 200 mg dose groups were statistically greater than placebo (p < or = 0.018). Likewise, total response rates were statistically greater in the 50, 100, and 200 mg dose groups than in the placebo group (p = 0.012). Percentage of patients with no nausea and patient satisfaction scores were significantly higher for each dolasetron dose group than placebo (p < or = 0.047 and p < or = 0.004, respectively). Efficacy peaked at the 50 mg dose. The incidence of adverse events was similar in the placebo (30.1%) and dolasetron groups (29.4%). Headache was the most frequent treatment-related adverse event, with 2% to 5% incidence across groups. Incidence of adverse events did not increase with increasing dolasetron doses. Dose-related decreases in blood pressure at acute time points were not clinically significant. CONCLUSION: Single oral doses of dolasetron, administered 1 to 2 hours before induction of anesthesia, are safe and effective for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting in this patient sample. Maximal antiemetic response was seen with the 50 mg oral dolasetron dose.

Rutkow PerFix-plug repair for primary and recurrent inguinal hernias--a prospective study.

Surgery of the groin hernia has become more a question of the applied tension-free, mesh technique. Whereas studies on laparascopic versus open tension-free hernia repair or open-mesh versus open-nonmesh repair have been performed sufficiently, data regarding the open tension-free plug-and-patch technique are rather poor. During the period from January 2001 to October 2003, we followed and filed 766 hernia repairs in the plug-and-patch technique of Rutkow. Follow up was during the hospital stay, 4 weeks, and minimally 12 months after operation. The main follow-up variables were complications, recurrence rate, and pain. The mean operating time was 37.8 +/- 15.85 (12-135) minutes. In 141 (19.3%) patients (n=730), the ilioinguinal nerve was resected. The 1 intraoperative complication that occurred was a severed small intestine. Length of hospital stay was 2.09 +/- 1.35 (0-17) days, work leave lasted for 15.3 +/- 12.42 (0-60) days, and return to normal daily activities was possible within 6.54 +/- 6.86 (0-35) days. Twenty-two (2.9%) patients (n=766) developed a postoperative hematoma as the most common complication, and a reoperation was required 17 (2.2%) times during the hospital stay. Early complications included hematoma (3.7%), seroma (3.5%), infection (0.2%), necrosis of 1 testicle (0.2%), persisting scrotal swelling (1.5%), persisting pain (0.9%), and hypoesthesia (2.4%). Within 4 weeks, 4 (0.9%) patients were reoperated for 1 seroma, hematoma, infection, and testicle necrosis. After 605.4 +/- 154.5 (365-1018) days, the following 19 (5.7%) patient complaints were noted: persisting pain (2.1%), hypoesthesia (1.8%), foreign-body feeling (0.6%), scrotal swelling (0.6%), and 1 (0.3%) mesh dislocation. Six (1.8%) reoperations have been performed. The overall recurrence rate was 1.8% (n=6), for primary 1.5% (n=4), and 3.3% (n=2) for recurrent hernias; 96.3% of the patients would agree to undergo the same operation a second time. Tension-free repair of the inguinal hernia by the plug-and-patch technique is a quick and secure method that simplifies hernia surgery without compromising the high-quality standards such as a low recurrence rate and low pain load of the patient. Patients had a fast recovery with a subsequent short work leave. The method is a simple, effective, and economical operation, suitable as a standard performed in local anesthesia on an out-patient basis.

Depression and support systems in male army HIV+ patients.

Psychiatric interviews were conducted with 55 male Army HIV+ patients. These soldiers were diagnosed in an early stage of HIV, and were not clinically demented. Sixty-four percent were given diagnoses of a depressive disorder by a psychiatrist, while 42% self-reported depression. Fifty-five percent had a history of suicidal thoughts since their diagnosis of HIV, but only one soldier was actively suicidal. Half said that they followed a more healthy lifestyle since their diagnoses. Factors associated with a high rate of depression included being divorced, of Hispanic origin, having other medical problems, or a history of mental illness. Not telling friends and family, or feeling a lack of support from them or the military, was also significantly correlated with depression.

The Prescription of the Morning-After Pill in a Berlin Emergency Department Over a Four-Year Period - User Profiles and Reasons for Use.

Questions: There are no current health care studies from Germany regarding the "morning-after pill". This paper will use routine data to analyse details regarding the users' profiles, reasons for using it and the utilisation of hospital outpatient facilities. Patient Collective and Methods: Retrospective analysis of all triage sheets in the emergency department of the Virchow Hospital Campus/Charité University Hospital, Berlin, over a four-year period from 2007 to 2010 that were coded with the ICD diagnosis Z30 (= contraception advice) and statistical processing of the associated administrative data. Results: 860 triage sheets were included in the analysis. The emergency department is used most frequently for the prescription of the "morning-after pill" at the weekend. The average age of the users was 25.1 years. The most common reason cited for needing emergency contraception was unprotected sexual intercourse, with the second-most common being "condom failure". Around half of the women attended the department within 12 hours of having unprotected sex. Less than 2 % (n = 14) of all women decided against a prescription of emergency contraceptive after counselling. Conclusions: The user profile and reasons for using emergency oral contraception correlate largely with the information contained in international literature. Although the "morning-after pill" is probably prescribed mainly in general practices in Germany, and despite the availability of new drugs with a permitted post-exposure interval of up to 120 hours after unprotected sex, there appears to still be a high demand for counselling and prescriptions of the "morning-after pill" in the context of the emergency department.

[Another case of "Lazarus phenomenon" during surgery? Spontaneous return of circulation in a patient with a pacemaker]. / Intraoperatives "Lazarus-Phänomen"? Spontane Kreislaufstabilisierung bei einem Patienten mit Herzschrittmacher.

A case is presented of spontaneous return of circulation after cardiac arrest in a patient with a pacemaker without intraoperative resuscitation. In the literature this kind of situation is called the Lazarus phenomenon. Cardiac arrest of the patient occurred during surgery and because of the poor prognosis no cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated. After 6 min of apnoea and cessation of circulation, the circulation restarted spontaneously and surgery was continued. Afterwards the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit but died 2 days later without regaining consciousness. The pathophysiological mechanisms for the Lazarus phenomenon are poorly understood but several mechanisms and multifactorial events are discussed in the literature.

[Teaching and simulation. Methods, demands, evaluation and visions]. / Lehre und Simulation. Methoden, Anforderungen, Evaluation und Visionen.

Since 1st October 2003 the new German "Approbationsordnung für Arzte" (Medical Licensing Regulations) requires an increasing amount of small group teaching sessions and encourages a multidisciplinary and more practical approach to the related topics. In 2004 the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine has provided almost all anaesthesia faculties of German Universities with equipment for full-scale simulation. This article describes methods for a simulation-based medical education training program. Basic requirements for a successful training program using full scale simulators are the provision of an adequate logistical and material infrastructure, teacher attendance of train-the-trainer courses, implementation in the medical curriculum and an instructor-student ratio of 1:3, equivalent to that for bedside teaching. If these requirements were fulfilled, medical students scored the simulation scenarios "induction of anaesthesia", "acute pulmonary embolism", "acute management of a multiple trauma patient" and "postoperative hypotension" as 1.5, 1.6, 1.5 and 1.5, respectively, on a scale of 1-6. These scores were better than those given for other segments of the curriculum.

Mechanisms involved in the relaxing effect of midazolam on coronary arteries.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hypotension, especially in elderly and hypovolaemic patients, is frequently associated with intravenous midazolam administration. The mechanisms are not completely understood. This study was designed to investigate the mechanisms involved in the relaxing effect of midazolam on coronary arteries. METHODS: The substance was studied in isolated porcine coronary artery rings precontracted by either potassium chloride or prostaglandin F2alpha. RESULTS: Midazolam caused vasodilatation in a concentration-dependent manner. Relaxation was more pronounced in prostaglandin F2alpha precontracted segments than in those treated with potassium chloride (P < 0.001). Vasodilatation was unaffected by Nomega-nitro-L-arginine, indomethacin and glibenclamide. Tetraethylammonium chloride, an inhibitor of the BK(Ca) K+ channel (a high conductance Ca(2+)-sensitive K+ channel), dose dependently attenuated the vasodilating effect of midazolam (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Hyperpolarization of the smooth muscle cell in the vessel wall, elicited by the activation the BK(Ca) K+ channel, may contribute to the vasorelaxing effect of midazolam.

Ketamine enantiomers differentially relax isolated coronary artery rings.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: It has been shown that racemic ketamine increases coronary blood flow and that this effect is at least in part due to a direct vasorelaxing effect of this substance. This study was designed to determine whether ketamine might stereoselectively relax isolated porcine coronary arteries. METHODS: Using the model of isolated vessels we studied the effects of S(+) ketamine, R(-) ketamine, and racemic ketamine (5-500 microg mL(-1)) on artery strips pre-contracted by either potassium chloride (KCl) or prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha). To elucidate possible mechanisms of action these experiments were repeated in the presence of one of the following compounds: N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), indomethacin, glibenclamide, and tetraethylammonium (TEA) chloride, an inhibitor of the BK(Ca) K+ channel. RESULTS: Both isoforms and racemic ketamine relaxed isolated coronary arteries in a concentration-dependent manner in concentrations beyond those used in clinical practice. S(+) ketamine exerted the strongest vasorelaxing effect, followed by racemic ketamine and R(-) ketamine. Pretreatment with L-NNA, indomethacin, or glibenclamide did not alter the vasodilating properties of ketamine, whereas TEA chloride significantly attenuated the vasorelaxing effects of all the three forms of ketamine. CONCLUSIONS: Ketamine dilates coronary arteries in vitro when administered in high concentrations. There is a stereoselective difference with a stronger vasorelaxing effect of S(+) ketamine compared to racemic and R(-) ketamine. The impact of TEA chloride suggests that the activation of the BK(Ca) channel may contribute to the vasodilating effect of ketamine.

Hemodynamic effects of spontaneous breathing in the post-operative period.

BACKGROUND: During mechanical ventilatory support, spontaneous breathing has been linked to improved hemodynamics. These findings may be explained by a decrease in intrathoracic pressure which may improve venous return to the heart. Such a mechanism should result in a dose-response relation between the amount of spontaneous breathing and an increase in the global end-diastolic volume (GEDV) and cardiac output (Q(t)). METHODS: To test this hypothesis, 15 patients were studied after major elective surgery during weaning from mechanical ventilation using bilevel positive airway pressure (BIPAP). BIPAP allows unrestricted spontaneous breathing during every phase of the respiratory cycle. Thus, ventilatory support was modified by changing the mechanical respiratory rate only, whereas inspiratory airway pressure and PEEP were kept constant. GEDV and Q(t) were measured by transpulmonary thermodilution. RESULTS: GEDV (P = 0.055), stroke volume (P = 0.027) and subsequently also Q(t) (P < 0.001) increased when spontaneous breathing increased. In contrast, no difference was observed for central venous pressure (P = 0.19). CONCLUSION: The beneficial hemodynamic effects of spontaneous breathing during mechanical ventilatory support can partially be explained by improved venous return to the heart which increases stroke volume and Q(t).

[New pathways in undergraduate medical education - first experiences with the cross section speciality emergency and intensive care medicine]. / Neue Wege der studentischen Lehre - Erste Erfahrungen im Querschnittsbereich Notfall- und Intensivmedizin.

OBJECTIVE: On October 1 (st) 2003 Emergency Medicine was recognised for the first time as an independent cross section speciality in the new German "Approbationsordnung fuer Aerzte" (Medical Licensing Regulations). These amendments were made not only to increase the amount of small group teaching sessions but also to encourage a multidisciplinary and rather practical approach to the related topics. This article portrays the realisation of these objectives in form of a multidisciplinary module, as it has been established at University of Göttingen Medical School since the summer semester of 2004. We present the new curriculum, calculate the associated personnel resources and demonstrate the results of the structured evaluation given by the participating students. METHODS: We linked the fields of emergency and intensive care medicine by splitting them up into submodules which the students had to run through according to a set rota. 162 students were allocated to 27 small groups. Every student received a total of 38.5 hours of teaching, with the workshops coming to 46.8 %. The workshops comprised of nine sessions, three in Emergency Medicine, four in Intensive Care Medicine and two at human patient simulators. In addition we scheduled a seminar and an accompanying lecture. The final examination was performed as an Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE). RESULTS: The realisation of the new module required a total of 1290 working hours for medical staff and 130 for our student aids. Compared to all other modules of Goettingen University Medical School the module here presented obtained the highest overall evaluation score by the medical students. Lessons with a high amount of practical involvement (i. e. Emergency Medicine and simulator-based workshops) were significantly better evaluated than rather formal teaching techniques, such as the lectures and the seminar. According to the students' self-assessment the simulator-based workshops were seen particularly valuable for the facilitation of knowledge transfer into clinical practice. CONCLUSION: The determined realisation of the new German Medical Licensing Regulations requires considerable time resources. However, its evaluation by the medical students is strikingly positive.

[Anesthesiologic aspects of minimally invasive surgery--preoperative assessment]. / Anästhesiologische Aspekte der minimal invasiven Chirurgie--Präoperative Einschätzung.

Laparoscopic surgery may be associated with increased perioperative morbidity due to respiratory and cardiocirculatory problems. Preoperative assessment requires a diagnostic program including laboratory tests and noninvasive diagnostic studies, and a physical status classification. High-risk patients are those with intracardial right-to-left shunts (increased risk of gas embolism) and patients in shock. Increased intraoperative morbidity is expected in patients with manifest cardiac failure or severely restricted pulmonary function. In patients with moderate pulmonary dysfunction laparoscopic procedures seem to be associated with the benefit of a better postoperative pulmonary function.

[F. W. Sertürner and the discovery of morphine. 200 years of pain therapy with opioids]. / F. W. Sertürner und die Entdeckung des Morphins - 200 Jahre Schmerztherapie mit Opioiden -

Since many centuries mankind has been aware of the poppy (papaver somniferum) and has known its product opium as an analgesic drug. Until the beginning of the 19 (th) century its compounds were not known, making it almost impossible to apply the substance in exact doses. 1803/04, Friedrich Wilhelm Sertürner (1783 - 1841) succeeded in isolating a crystalline substance from opium in the test tube, which he called morphium. In animals and in man he was able to prove that this new compound he had discovered was the principium somniferum of opium. He isolated morphine, the first pure opioid available for calculated pain therapy with one defined compound. Moreover, he laid the foundations of a new class of pharmaceutical drugs, the alcaloids.

[Malposition of a central venous catheter in a patient with severe chest trauma]. / Fehllage eines zentralen Venenkatheters bei einem Patienten mit schwerem Thoraxtrauma.

The placement of a central venous catheter is associated with specific risks including malposition of the catheter. We report the case of a 32 year old man who suffered from a severe thoracic trauma including haematopneumothorax on his left side. In the emergency room a large-bore central venous catheter was placed in the left subclavian vein, after blood had been aspirated successfully. Later, the haemodynamic state of the patient deteriorated, so that cardiopulmonary resuscitation had to be started. While great amounts of blood transfusions were applied via the catheter using a rapid transfusion device, the blood loss over the left sided chest tube increased rapidly. Emergency thoracotomy was performed, revealing that the catheter was not in intravenous position, but in intrapleural malposition. Haematothorax was caused by a laceration of the upper lobe of the left lung with severe bleeding from great vessels. This case shows that successful aspiration of blood does not exclude malposition of a central venous catheter. Correct position of the catheter must be verified using appropriate methods including chest X-ray, intracardiac ECG tracing or display of the central venous pressure curve on a monitor.