Severe trauma leads to considerable losses of nitrogen in the first days after the accident. As nutritional efforts cannot reduce these losses sufficiently, an adjunctive therapy using the anabolic steroid nandrolone decanoate (Nd) was applied. In a double-blind study 10 male multiple-traumatized patients each received 50 mg of Nd on day 3 and 25 mg of Nd on day 6 after the trauma, an additional 10 patients received placebo only. Both groups had identical nutritional support. Nitrogen balance, total nitrogen excretion as well as plasma amino acid concentration, and urine amino acid excretion were measured daily. The anabolic agent improved the nitrogen balance mainly by reducing nitrogen excretion. 3-Methylhistidine excretion and renal amino acid losses were decreased. Nandrolone decanoate increased the concentration of total plasma amino acids. The underlying principle seems to be an amino acid-saving mechanism with a renal site of action. It is shown that in the early posttraumatic period nandrolone decanoate improves nitrogen metabolism. Further studies are required to determine whether this offers a clinical benefit to trauma patients.

No abstract

Depending on surgical and anaesthesiological procedures, anaesthesia leads to a reduction of O2 uptake (VO2), CO2 production (VCO2) and resting energy expenditure (REE). A controversial discussion on the degree of metabolic depression has continued in the literature fueled by a lack of studies in patients under standardised conditions. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether O2 consumption and/or CO2 production can be correlated to various depths of anaesthesia and whether VO2 could be a parameter to control narcosis. 12 patients (ASA I-II) scheduled for urological surgery of the lower abdomen, were given total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol and alfentanil. During a 60 minutes period the patients were first anaesthesized with an ED50 and then titrated to a dosage correlating with an ED95. The premedicated but awake patients each showed a REE which was about 10% below the calculated basal metabolism. Steady-state general anaesthesia led to an approximately 30% reduction of VO2, VCO2 an REE. Patients with adequate anaesthesia revealed no changes in oxidative metabolism with increased or decreased depth of anaesthesia. VO2 as a leading parameter proves to be problematic. It is useful as a measure for insufficient depth of general anaesthesia but fails to indicate overshooting anaesthesia depth.

No abstract

The prolonged duration of the SCh effect after pancuronium is probably due to the known inhibition of cholinesterase by pancuronium. The short duration of action after Atracurium and Vecuronium can be explained by the competitive antagonism at the receptor causing an increased amount of unbound SCh. The duration of the SCh effect may be influenced according to clinical needs by the choice of the non-depolarizing muscle relaxant. The significantly reduced duration of complete neuromuscular block after Atracurium or Vecuronium as precurarizing agents may be advantageous in cases where a fast recovery of spontaneous breathing is essential. If a reduction of the SCh blockade has to be avoided, Pancuronium should be selected for prior administration.