[30 years of neuroleptanalgesia--the current status]

This paper describes the development of neuroleptanalgesia (NLA) during the last 30 years and discusses its suitable clinical use. NLA was introduced into anaesthesiology 30 years ago and takes up a strong position among today's possibilities to reach intraoperative analgesia. The development of a standard technique was important and necessary for spreading this form of general anaesthesia. Meanwhile a great number of methodic variations have been suggested, all of which, however, have to be compared very critically with the standard technique. Without a doubt, today and in the future sufficient analgesia must remain the central point of NLA if its advantages over traditional methods of general anaesthesia are to become evident.