One of the greatest achievements of modern medicine is the development of antibiotics against life-threatening infections, but the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram negative bacteria has drastically narrowed down the therapeutic options against them. This limitation has led clinicians to reappraise the clinical application of polymyxins, an old class of cationic, cyclic polypeptide antibiotics. Polymyxins are active against selected gram-negative bacteria, including the Acinetobacter species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella species, and Enterobacter species. In this article, we summarise the chemistry, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of polymyxins and the latest understanding of their action against MDR pathogens.

A Robotic device is a powered, computer controlled manipulator with artificial sensing that can be reprogrammed to move and position tools to carry out a wide range of tasks. Robots and Telemanipulators were first developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for use in space exploration. Today’s medical robotic systems were the brainchild of the United States Department of Defence’s desire to decrease war casualties with the development of ‘telerobotic surgery’. The ‘master-slave’ telemanipulator concept was developed for medical use in the early 1990s where the surgeon’s (master) manual movements were transmitted to end-effector (slave) instruments at a remote site. Since then, the field of surgical robotics has undergone massive transformation and the future is even brighter. As expected, any new technique brings with it risks and the possibility of technical difficulties. The person who bears the brunt of complications or benefit from a new invention is the ‘Patient’. Anaesthesiologists as always must do their part to be the patient’s ‘best man’ in the perioperative period. We should be prepared for screening and selection of patients in a different perspective keeping in mind the steep learning curves of surgeons, long surgical hours, extreme patient positioning and other previously unknown anaesthetic challenges brought about by the surgical robot. In this article we have tried to track the development of surgical robots and consider the unique anaesthetic issues related to robot assisted surgeries.

The first joint replacement surgery was performed in 1919. Since then, joint replacement surgery has undergone tremendous development in terms of surgical technique and anesthetic management. In this era of nuclear family and independent survival, physical mobility is of paramount importance. In recent years, with an increase in life expectancy, advances in geriatric medicine and better insurance coverage, the scenario of joint replacement surgery has changed significantly. Increasing number of young patients are undergoing joint replacement for pathologies like rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. The diverse pathologies and wide range of patient population brings unique challenges for the anesthesiologist. This article deals with anesthetic issues in joint replacement surgery in patients with comorbidities.

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