Over the years, interventional radiology has developed many effective and less invasive procedures. As the number and types of interven tions increase, radiologists are becoming more and more involved in clinical patient care. This includes pre-interventional patient workup, sophisticated medical therapy and monitoring during interventions, regular inpatient rounds and complete follow-up management. Therefore interventional radiologists are faced with a broad spectrum of clinical and pharmacological questions. Adjunctive medical therapy should increase the patient's comfort, should improve the success rates, and should further reduce the risks of the procedures. In order to fulfill our responsibility to the patients, a profound knowledge of certain drugs is indispensable. This in cludes, for example, sedatives, analgesics, cardiovascular drugs and agents to prevent infections, thromboembolic complications or restenoses. Moreover, a good monitoring system during complex procedures will increase the safety of radiological interventions. These topics and several more have been presented and discussed during an international symposium in Basel, Switzerland, in January 1992. It is the benefit of the authors, that all these results could be published shortly after the event. Connected with our thanks to all the co-workers the editors hope to find this publication assisting an increasing number of safe interventions.

For the first time four crucial aspects of gastrointestinal endoscopy are combined in a single text. Drugs for sedation and monitoring of the patient are addressed with particular reference to safety issues and comfort and acceptability for the patient. Resource management and health economic techniques are applied to endoscopy to determine quality and outcome. Problems of negligence and informed consent form the basis of a medico-legal examination of endoscopic practices.

Dieses Kompendium ist ein aktueller Beitrag zur Aerosoltherapie und gibt einen kurzen Aoeberblick A1/4ber die Anatomie der Lunge, die zur Therapie eingesetzten Aerosole und deren Produktionsverfahren. Der Schwerpunkt liegt aber auf der mAglichen Nutzung eines Morphinaerosols zur SchmerzbekAmpfung. Die dargestellten klinischen Erfahrungen weisen nur auf den additiven Stellenwert dieser Methode im Rahmen der Schmerzbehandlung hin. Die tierexperimentellen Untersuchungsergebnisse ermAglichen dagegen hinsichtlich der Pharmakokinetik bei der Resorption durch Inhalation und hinsichtlich der Lungenprotektion bei Langzeitbeatmung neue AnsAtze.