Quantitative Anaesthesia

Quantitative anaesthesia - exact registration of the degree of anaesthesia - has long been the anaesthetist's dream. Such pre cision could decrease the risk for the patient. Can -this dream now be realized in the foreseeable future? And can the quantifi cation be technically verified? This workshop was organized for these questions to be discussed by a group of experts. Schleswig-Holstein was a logical location for such a gathering. Medical and associated technical advances have socioeconomic consequences: in Schleswig-Holstein there are nowadays more jobs in medical technology than in the traditional shipbuilding industry. The encouragement of medical research and related technical innovation is thus a central component of public poli cy. One result of this emphasis was the recent setting up of a study group on medical technology, one of the aims of which is to provide a forum in Schleswig-Holstein for meetings such as this. The intention is to consolidate Schleswig-Holstein's reputation as a centre for both medical-technical development and scien tific discussion. The organizers of this scientific workshop thank the Schleswig Holstein Ministry of Economics and Transport and Dragerwerk AG for their support.

List of Contents.- Summary.- What Does Quantitative Anaesthesia Mean?.- Oxygen Consumption During Anaesthesia.- Uptake and Distribution of Volatile Anaesthetic Substances.- Quantitative Anaesthesia in the High-Flow System.- Quantitative Anaesthesia in the Low-Flow System.- Quantitative Anaesthesia in Closed Circuit.- Clinical Requirements of Quantitative Monitoring: Low Flow and Closed Circuit.- Fresh Gas Flow Rate and I:E Ratio Affect Tidal Volume in Anaesthesia Ventilators.- Limitations of Present Dosing Systems for Gases and Volatile Anaesthetics.- Technical Realisation of Quantitative Metering and Ventilation.- Quantitative Anaesthesia with the Help of Closed-Loop Control.- Quantitative Anaesthesia Management and Optimization of Machine-User Interface.- Regulation of the Depth of Anaesthesia: The Ultimate Goal of Quantitative Anaesthesia.