There was no significant difference between the Airtraq and the Macintosh laryngoscopes regarding the time needed to insert a double-lumen tube during elective thoracic surgery. Only subtle enhancement of visualisation and a higher incidence of hoarseness were observed in the Airtraq group. The Airtraq device did not result in superior patient safety in this setting.
The spinal anaesthesia, epidural anaesthesia or combinations of these techniques (combined spinal epidural anaesthesia) so far remain the gold standard to facilitate caesarean section. For some reasons such as refusal by the patients, medical reasons or emergency caesarean section, a general anaesthesia can be necessary. In patients with preeclampsia hypertension during endotracheal intubation has to be avoided. Here the application of an opioid is possible or even necessary to lessen increases of the heart rate and blood pressure. To lessen cardiovascular response, short acting Remifentanil has advantages, e.g. the fast clearance rate in newborns. However, the risk for the newborn from respiratory depression has to be considered and experienced staff to care for the newborn should be present after childbirth. Therefore, an interdisciplinary approach seems to be vital to cope with adverse effects that may arise due to the more frequent use of opioids in conjunction with general anaesthesia for caesarean section.
Difficulties in tracheal intubation are the major causes of anaesthesia related morbidity and mortality. Novel videolaryngoscopes facilitate endotracheal intubation by indirect visualisation of glottic structures through optical systems. In this review, differences and the advantages and disadvantages of videolaryngoscopes are discussed.
It is the responsibility of all anaesthesiologists to inform their patients about the risk and benefits of available treatment options. It is also our duty to obtain the patient's informed consent. But how much information do patients want about risks, and how should this topic be approached during the preoperative consultation? In this article we will discuss risk perception in general and options to describe potential medical risks.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.