Anesthesiology News and Research

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The branch of medicine that is focused on the relief of pain in the perioperative period (i.e. before, during or after a surgical procedure) is known as anesthesiology. The medicaments administered are termed anesthesia and the doctor who is trained in this specialty is referred to as an anesthesiologist

Researchers reveal what cells respond to anesthesia in C. elegans

Physicians use inhalation anesthetics in a way that is incredibly safe for patients, but very little is known about the intricacies of how these drugs actually work in children and adults. Now, researchers have uncovered what cells respond to anesthesia in an organism known as the C. elegans, according to a new study from the Seattle Children's Research Institute. C. elegans is a transparent roundworm used often in research.

23 Dec 2011

Botox can have unsuspected 'systemic' effects on muscles

Botulinum neurotoxin type A—better known as Botox—has previously unsuspected 'systemic' effects on muscles other than the ones it's injected into, reports a study in the January issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

23 Dec 2011

ASCs need to develop policies for management of malignant hyperthermia

As the number of surgical procedures performed outside hospitals continues to increase, ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) need to develop policies for managing malignant hyperthermia—a rare but serious reaction to anesthetics, according to an expert panel report in the January issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

23 Dec 2011

Study analyzes how often patients receive preoperative medical consultation

Researchers in Toronto, Canada found that whether a patient received a preoperative medical consultation was not tied to his/her health or the risk of the operation, rather which hospital he/she was having surgery was a large determining factor.

22 Dec 2011

Study identifies six risk factors associated with blindness after spine surgery

A study published in the January 2012 issue of Anesthesiology identified six risk factors associated with blindness or partial blindness that can occur after major spine surgery: 1) male sex, 2) obesity, 3) use of a surgical frame that places the head lower than the heart, 4) length of the surgery, 5) amount of blood loss and 6) use of certain fluids that replace lost blood.

22 Dec 2011

Immunosuppressant combination improves survival of human spinal stem cells in ALS rat model

A team of researchers grafting human spinal stem cells into rats modeled with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," a degenerative, lethal, neuromuscular disease, have tested four different immunosuppressive protocols aimed at determining which regimen improved long-term therapeutic effects.

20 Dec 2011

American Anesthesiology acquires Burlington Anesthesia Associates

American Anesthesiology, a division of MEDNAX, Inc., today announced the acquisition of Burlington Anesthesia Associates, a physician group practice that provides anesthesia services in Mt. Holly, NJ.

19 Dec 2011

Indiscriminate expensive imaging has little clinical benefit in patients requiring epidural steroid injections

Johns Hopkins-led research suggests that routine MRI imaging does nothing to improve the treatment of patients who need injections of steroids into their spinal columns to relieve pain. Moreover, MRI plays only a small role in a doctor's decision to give these epidural steroid injections (ESIs), the most common procedure performed at pain clinics in the United States.

14 Dec 2011

ETView files VIVASIGHT DL 510(k) Pre-Marketing Notification Application with FDA

ETView (TASE: ETVW) today announced that the company has successfully completed filing of a Pre-Marketing Notification Application (510(k)) with the US Food and Drug Administration.

12 Dec 2011

FDA approves Boston Scientific's Infinion 16 Lead for chronic pain management

Boston Scientific Corporation announces U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the Infinion 16 Percutaneous Lead for its Precision Plus Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) System, the first rechargeable SCS device for chronic pain management.

9 Dec 2011

Race, ethnicity, and insurance status influence follow-up care

According to the results of a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, African-Americans, Hispanics and uninsured patients use fewer post-hospitalization services after traumatic injury, including home health care, skilled nursing care, and rehabilitation.

8 Dec 2011

Aspirin decreases risk of major complications from cardiac surgery

Aspirin taken within five days of cardiac surgery is associated with a significant decrease in the risk of major postoperative complications, including renal failure, a lengthy intensive care unit stay and even early death (30-day mortality), according to a study by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University and UC Davis Medical Center set to appear in the journal Annals of Surgery.

6 Dec 2011

Factors associated with increased risk of in-hospital falls after total hip or knee replacement surgery

Investigators from Hospital for Special Surgery have identified factors that are associated with an increased risk of in-hospital falls after total hip or knee replacement surgery.

5 Dec 2011

BUSM, BMC anesthesiologists win APSF's Ellison C. Pierce Award

For the second consecutive year, anesthesiologists from Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have received the prestigious Ellison C. Pierce Award for the Best Scientific Exhibit in Patient Safety from the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.

1 Dec 2011

No variation in mortality by timing of operation

The timing of surgical procedures—afternoon versus morning or Friday versus Monday—doesn't affect the risk of death after surgery, concludes a study in the December issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

24 Nov 2011

Anesthesia drug shortages can have devastating impact on patient care

The United States is facing ongoing shortages of several critical anesthesia medications—shortages with potentially serious effects on patient care and safety, according to a special article in the December issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

24 Nov 2011

Anesthesia & Analgesia introduces new electronic edition

The editors of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), are pleased to announce the launch of their new Anesthesia & Analgesia for the iPad app.

24 Nov 2011

Researchers explore how design of chronic and acute pain trials might be improved

For chronic pain sufferers, a day can feel like a year and a year can feel like an eternity. With very few truly new therapies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this condition since 2005, the outlook is far from bright.

15 Nov 2011

First large scale trial of acupuncture for prevention of xerostomia

When given alongside radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, acupuncture has shown for the first time to reduce the debilitating side effect of xerostomia, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center.

11 Nov 2011

Maryland anesthesiologist named 2011 Researcher of the Year

Often on the mind of Gary Fiskum, PhD, are the more than 250,000 people in the U.S. who get resuscitated from cardiac arrest each year, the 6 million living with traumatic brain injuries, and the wounded warriors whose brain whose brains sustain enormous G-forces from roadside bombs in the war zone.

9 Nov 2011