Anesthesiology News and Research

RSS

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

Nuvo Research to acquire ZARS Pharma

Nuvo Research Inc., a pharmaceutical company dedicated to building a portfolio of products primarily for the treatment of pain, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire ZARS Pharma, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

18 Apr 2011

Hospital patients with AUDs are at increased risk of developing HAIs: Study

Hospital patients with alcohol use disorders are at an increased risk of developing healthcare-associated infections, which affect 1.7 million patients annually in the United States. HAIs are infections that patients acquire during their hospitalization and that were not present at the time of admission to the hospital.

16 Apr 2011

Study finds difference in intensive care services in the U.K. and U.S.

Patients who receive intensive care services are very different in the United States than in the United Kingdom, according to a new study that compared admission and mortality statistics from ICUs in each country.

15 Apr 2011

PharMEDium joins ASA as a valued corporate supporter

PharMEDium Healthcare Corporation has become an Industry Supporter of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, as a part of a new Corporate Supporter program available to pharmaceutical, medical device and practice management companies.

12 Apr 2011

Current 'metrics' don't paint clear picture of health care quality

With a push to make hospitals and doctors more accountable for health care quality, more attention must be paid to the accuracy and reliability of measures used to evaluate caregivers, says a prominent Johns Hopkins patient safety expert.

8 Apr 2011

New publication on therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management

The successful use and evaluation of therapeutic hypothermia to improve survival and reduce the risk of neurological consequences following an out-of-hospital heart attack are explored in the premier issue of Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, a new quarterly peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

8 Apr 2011

Johns Hopkins patient safety expert: Unreliable "outcomes" measures hamper efforts to assure better, safer care

8 Apr 2011

Two reports show drastic increase in opioid prescriptions in America

Two reports by addiction researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the National Institute on Drug Abuse show a drastic shift in prescribing patterns impacting the magnitude of opioid substance abuse in America.

6 Apr 2011

TeamHealth forms strategic partnership with DCH Regional Medical Center to expand in Alabama

TeamHealth recently expanded its presence in Alabama through a strategic collaboration with DCH Regional Medical Center and the physicians of North River Emergency Physicians, the physician group that currently serves the emergency department of DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

1 Apr 2011

MEDNAX acquires three physician group practices in San Antonio, TX and Miami, FL

MEDNAX, Inc., today announced the acquisition of three separate physician group practices based in San Antonio, TX and Miami, FL, as well as the expansion of new services in Topeka, KS.

1 Apr 2011

SpHb sensor can monitor blood hemoglobin levels during spine surgery

A spectrophotometric hemoglobin sensor may become a useful new approach to noninvasive monitoring of blood hemoglobin levels during surgery, reports a study in the April issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

29 Mar 2011

Challenges of high-risk surgery

A small group of "high-risk" patients account for a disproportionately high number of surgery-related deaths, complications, and costs. The April issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), commences a special series on high-risk surgery—focusing on new and emerging strategies for identifying and managing patients at high risk.

28 Mar 2011

Research examines BNP’s role in predicting cardiac events after CABG surgery

More than 250,000 patients undergo coronary artery bypass graft surgery each year in the United States. New research in the April issue of Anesthesiology examines whether the hormone plasma B-type natriuretic peptide helps indicate which patients are at risk of adverse cardiac events after CABG surgery.

24 Mar 2011

Study reveals genetic marker for surviving sepsis

New research in the April issue of Anesthesiology shows for the first time a genetic marker in patients who have a greater likelihood of surviving sepsis.

24 Mar 2011

First full face transplant in the U.S. on its way to success

In a first of its kind, Dallas Wiens, a 25 year old construction worker who had suffered severe burns to his head two and a half years ago and lost his face, was given a new face by transplant. Until now he had a face void of features, except for a lipless mouth and a goatee beard. Even his eye sockets were smoothed over with skin taken from other parts of his body. This was after 22 surgical procedures.

21 Mar 2011

Intensive weekends: Higher death rates at ICUs over weekends

The study spanned over eight-years and 245,000 admissions to 41 intensive care units throughout Australia to come to this conclusion. It is published in The Medical Journal of Australia. It also showed that this pattern persisted even after accounting for severity of illness.

21 Mar 2011

BMC anesthesiologist receives Letter of Commendation from WHO for pulse oximetry video

Rafael Ortega, MD, an anesthesiologist at Boston Medical Center and vice-chairman of academic affairs at Boston University School of Medicine, received a Letter of Commendation from the World Health Organization for producing a training video on pulse oximetry.

10 Mar 2011

'Cross-talk' between two major biological pathways may hold a clue for chronic pain treatment

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have discovered a "cross-talk" between two major biological pathways that involve pain-research that may pave the way to new approaches to understanding and controlling chronic pain.

9 Mar 2011

Healthcare communications, patient engagement improve safety, reduce errors

Improving healthcare communications and engaging patients is critical to improving safety and reducing error. That's why in celebration of The National Patient Safety Foundation's Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 6-12, patient safety thought leaders will be podcasting at the Engaging the Patient blog about how to improve patient safety and empower patients to become more actively involved in their care.

5 Mar 2011

Health care needs to look to aviation industry to improve safety

In a commentary published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a leading patient safety expert argues that failure to integrate new electronic equipment in modern hospital operating rooms and intensive care units results in diagnostic mistakes, failures to identify deteriorating patients, communication errors and inefficient work.

2 Mar 2011