[Medicolegal aspects of tumor boards]. / Medizinrechtliche Aspekte von Tumorboards.

The presentation of tumor patients to tumor boards has widely developed into a medical standard. The necessary compliance to the medical standard can lead to obligatory presentation if the complexity of a case dictates that this cannot be comprehensively covered by a single treating physician. The organization of a tumor board must be so that the structure and specialist competence guarantees an adequate consultative function of the represented specialties. Tumor board members are not automatically promoted to become part of the treating team just by participation and therefore do not have a guarantor position but do have the obligation of care of a consulting physician. Tumor board decisions have a recommendation character, are not binding in the legal sense and do not relieve the treating physician from the obligation to critically scrutinize the recommendations before implementation. On the other hand the treating physician must be able to justify not following the recommendations on the basis of the medical obligation to care. The tumor board must fulfil the same requirements for documentation as any other consultative activity.

Randomized clinical trial of the influence of intraperitoneal local anaesthesia on pain after laparoscopic surgery.

BACKGROUND: There is controversy about the effectiveness of intraperitoneal local anaesthesia (LA) in laparoscopic surgery. The aim of the present randomized clinical trial was to compare the analgesic effect of pre-emptive (preoperative) versus postoperative intraperitoneal LA in two different types of laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: Between July 2004 and January 2005, 133 consecutive patients scheduled to undergo laparoscopic fundoplication or hernia repair were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: placebo solution (50 ml 0.9 per cent saline) or LA (50 ml 0.5 per cent lidocaine) administered immediately after creation of the pneumoperitoneum, or LA (50 ml 0.5 per cent lidocaine) at the end of the operation. Analgesic requirements were analysed, and pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) from 0 to 100 at 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after surgery. RESULTS: The duration of pneumoperitoneum (median 66 versus 46 min respectively; P < 0.001) and overall pain intensity (median VAS score 46.7 versus 6.5; P < 0.001) were higher for laparoscopic fundoplication than for hernia repair. Preoperative application of LA reduced abdominal pain (median 28.6 versus 74.9; P < 0.005), shoulder pain (median 24.3 versus 43.8; P = 0.004) and analgesic consumption (mean(s.d.) 11.1(5.0) versus 18.5(5.4) mg piritramide per 48 h; P = 0.002) after fundoplication, but had no analgesic effects after hernia repair. CONCLUSION: Pre-emptive application of LA reduced postoperative pain and analgesic requirements after laparoscopic fundoplication.

[Assessment of regional and systemic toxicity of isolated hyperthermic extremity perfusion with tumor necrosis factor-alpha and melphalan]. / Erfassung regionaler und systemischer Toxizität der isolierten, hyperthermen Extremitätenperfusion mit Tumor-Nekrose-Faktor alpha und Melphalan.

Following isolated limb perfusion (ILP) with TNF alpha and melphalan the damage to muscle tissue and its systemic consequences in terms of myoglobinemia and myoglobinuria as well as the activation of the cytokine cascade were investigated. We measured the compartmental pressure of the limb during and after perfusion and determined the serum changes of myoglobin, creatine kinase (CK), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1, s-IL-2-receptor, TNF-receptor, and ICAM-1 levels. The compartmental pressure rose significantly during ILP and decreased after reperfusion. Following its course, the decision whether to perform a fasciotomy or not can be more reliably made. Serum myoglobin levels exceeded 200 times normal values and the increase occurred significantly earlier than that of CK, thus enabling judgement of the risk of renal failure (crush kidney syndrome). The elevation of serum IL-1 and IL-6 values correlated with the frequency of cardiopulmonary problems (hyperdynamic shock) and facilitated counter-maneuvers. Our data, although obtained from ILP with TNF alpha, could be used to monitor toxicity also when other drug regimens are administered.

[O2 utilization during hyperthermic extremity perfusion with rhTNF alpha and melphalan]. / O2-Utilisation während und nach hyperthermer Extremitätenperfusion mit rhTNF alpha und Melphalan.

During isolated limb perfusion (ILP) severe metabolic impairment with a subsequent alteration in oxygen consumption can be observed. The mechanisms responsible for this may be extracorporeal circulation, hyperthermia, and application of cytostatic drugs and cytokines. Thirty-three patients underwent ILP with rhTNF alpha and melphalan for melanoma or soft-tissue sarcoma. Cardiopulmonary monitoring consisted of arterial and mixed venous blood-gas analysis and a Swan-Ganz catheter was inserted after induction of general anesthesia prior to any surgical intervention. Arterial (SaO2) and mixed venous (SvO2) oxygen saturation, serum lactate and end-expiratory CO2 concentration were determined peri- and postoperatively for 72 h. Oxygen supply and consumption rates were measured systemically (DO2I, VO2I) and in the extracorporeal circuit ('DO2I, 'VO2I). For statistical analysis we used the t-test. During extracorporal circulation an increase of DO2I and VO2I was observed. A slight increase of lactate values began during the wash-out phase. Immediately after reperfusion. DO2I, VO2I and lactate increased significantly with normalization until the 2nd postoperative day. SaO2 and SvO2 remained unchanged. A significant correlation between regional toxicity and the postoperative maximum of serum lactate values was found. The increase of DO2I and VO2I in the tissues during ILP and after reperfusion was achieved by a significant increase in cardiac output while the oxygen extraction rate was not altered. Elevation of lactate values after reperfusion and the increase in oxygen utilization might be due to oxygen depletion in the perfused limb. This could contribute to the development of lactacidosis or rhabdomyolysis. Therefore, to minimize toxicity it seems to be mandatory to measure adequate tissue oxygen supply during ILP.