[Intensive care in ENT medicine, head and neck surgery (author's transl)].

In intensive medicine we distinguish between intensive care units which have mostly observatory and monitoring functions and intensive therapy units. For the surgical patients of the ear, nose, and throat department the intensive care units are probably of greater significance. The following play an important role: Preoperative work-up including laboratory fluoroscopy and x-rays, pulmonary function tests and blood gas analysis; induction of anesthesia, access to good veins, gastric intubation, urinary bladder catheterization; maintenance of anesthesia and postoperative observation, fluid balance, oral and parenteral feeding, tracheostomy care, bronchial toilet; inhalation therapy. The last receives an extensive discussion.