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

Tips to improve obese children's surgical outcomes and health

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is taking action to educate parents about the increased risk of complications faced by obese children undergoing anesthesia. The number of obese children has doubled in the past two decades and tripled among adolescents and the ASA encourages parents to help improve both the surgical outcomes and long-term health of America's youth.

20 Nov 2010

FDA clears Multi-Lead Trialing Cable for SCS therapy

Medtronic Inc., the leader in spinal cord stimulation for more than 25 years, today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance and the global launch of the Multi-Lead Trialing Cable for use in the patient screening test for Medtronic spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy.

19 Nov 2010

Cigarette smoke, automobile exhaust and french fries increase risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

There is growing evidence that exposure to a group of chemicals known as type-2 alkenes -- which are found in the smoke inhaled from cigarettes, the exhaust of automobiles and even in French fries - can increase the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease and other neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease.

18 Nov 2010

National Medical Center specialist wins best abstract for Outstanding Research Award in Pediatric Cardiology

David Wessel, MD, senior vice president for Hospital-Based Specialties at Children's National Medical Center, won the best abstract for Outstanding Research Award in Pediatric Cardiology by the American Heart Association's Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young.

17 Nov 2010

FDA grants SEDASYS System appeal

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (EES) today announced that the Commissioner's Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the appeal of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health's (CDRH) denial of the SEDASYS System Premarket Approval Application (PMA). As a result, a new Independent Advisory Panel will be appointed to reconsider the SEDASYS System clinical trial data and application.

11 Nov 2010

Younger patients unable to cope with pain and emotional issues of cancer

Younger adult cancer patients have the most difficulty coping with the pain and emotional issues of cancer, in spite of their potentially better survival odds, according to a University of Michigan Health System study.

10 Nov 2010

Study evaluates therapeutic hypothermia in children after cardiac arrest

When the heart is stopped and restarted, the patient's life may be saved but the brain is often permanently damaged. Therapeutic hypothermia, a treatment in which the patient's body temperature is lowered and maintained several degrees below normal for a period of time, has been shown to mitigate these harmful effects and improve survival in adults.

10 Nov 2010

New techniques to stop ventricular arrhythmias in high-risk patients

New techniques now being used at UCLA allow doctors to more precisely target certain areas of the heart to stop ventricular arrhythmias — serious abnormal rhythms in the heart's lower chambers — in high-risk patients.

9 Nov 2010

Valley Anesthesiology Consultants' mobile services division receives AAAHC accreditation

VAC Mobile Services, a division of Valley Anesthesiology Consultants, has achieved accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Valley is one of only 10 office-based anesthesia groups nationwide to receive AAAHC accreditation, and the only office-based anesthesia organization in Arizona currently accredited by AAAHC.

9 Nov 2010

New noninvasive technique to detect methemoglobin level

Potentially harmful levels of methemoglobin which can build up in patients receiving certain anesthetics are detectable using a new, noninvasive monitoring technique called pulse CO-oximetry, reports a study in the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

4 Nov 2010

New noninvasive technique provides low-level electrical stimulation to reduce pain

A simple, noninvasive technique providing low-level electrical stimulation of the brain produces significant pain-reducing effects in humans, reports the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

4 Nov 2010

Single injection of morphine to fight persistent pain reduces testosterone level: Research

A single injection of morphine to fight persistent pain in male rats is able to strongly reduce the hormone testosterone in the brain and plasma, according to a new paper published in Molecular Pain.

4 Nov 2010

MEDNAX third quarter GAAP net income increases to $61.3 million

MEDNAX, Inc. today reported GAAP earnings per share of $1.29 for the three months ended September 30, 2010, or $1.06 per share, non-GAAP, when excluding the impact of a favorable resolution of certain tax matters.

2 Nov 2010

FDA selects Rochester to lead initiative to identify improved pain treatments

Pain is the most common symptom leading patients to see a physician in the United States, yet the most widely prescribed medications - opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) - have major drawbacks, including the potential for misuse and abuse and adverse effects that limit long-term use. While scientists have made great strides in understanding the physical and chemical processes that occur when people feel pain, new treatments with improved safety and effectiveness are still needed for the more than 76 million Americans with acute and chronic pain.

2 Nov 2010

Arthritis drugs also prevent post-operative cognitive decline: Study

Anti-inflammatory drugs currently used to treat diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis may also help prevent cognitive problems after surgery, according to a new study by researchers at Imperial College London and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

2 Nov 2010

American Anesthesiology acquires Greensboro Anesthesia Physicians

American Anesthesiology, a subsidiary of MEDNAX, Inc., today announced the acquisition of Greensboro Anesthesia Physicians, P.C., a physician group practice that provides patient services at three hospitals within the Moses Cone Health System and two surgery centers in the Greensboro, NC, metropolitan area.

1 Nov 2010

GEB device effective for nasotracheal intubation

An alternative anesthetic technique can be employed when conventional nasal intubation methods do not work.. The method involves a gum elastic bougie (GEB) device, which is useful for difficult airway management but seldom has been used for nasotracheal intubation.

28 Oct 2010

New GlideScope Direct intubation trainer to facilitate instruction for classic direct laryngoscopy

Verathon Inc. is pleased to introduce the GlideScope Direct intubation trainer, designed to facilitate instruction of classic direct laryngoscopy.

28 Oct 2010

Blocking receptor contributing to memory deficits may prevent memory loss after anesthesia

Memory loss after anesthesia is a common adverse event upon awakening from surgery. Unfortunately the cause of such memory loss is unknown and there are no known treatments or prevention strategies. A study published in the November 2010 issue of Anesthesiology indicates that this memory loss could be prevented by blocking a receptor thought to contribute to memory deficits. Such a treatment may be able to solve the feeling of mental confusion that surgical patients so often feel shortly after coming out of anesthesia.

27 Oct 2010

New Risk Stratification Index allows important clinical outcomes

Research published in the November issue of Anesthesiology describes development of a new Risk Stratification Index (RSI) that allows important clinical outcomes such as length-of-stay and mortality for surgical patients to be accurately compared among hospitals using only publically available billing data. The new risk stratification system is more accurate than existing outcomes measurements such as the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and the investigators have made it freely available.

26 Oct 2010