Epidural News and Research

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Robotically assisted minimally invasive bladder reconstructive surgery on children performed

For the first time, a surgical robot has been used to perform minimally invasive reconstructive surgery on five children whose bladder was dysfunctional because they were born with spina bifida [incomplete formation of the spine or spinal cord].

18 Oct 2009

New neurosurgical procedure may prove helpful for patients with treatment-resistant depression

A new neurosurgical procedure may prove helpful for patients with treatment-resistant depression. Bilateral epidural prefrontal cortical stimulation (EpCS) was found generally safe and provided significant improvement of depressive symptoms in a small group of patients, according to lead researcher Ziad Nahas, M.D. at the Medical University of South Carolina. The data are reported in the on-line issue of Biological Psychiatry.

14 Oct 2009

Acupuncture can help prevent caesarean delivery

Debra Betts, an international expert, educator and author of the Essential Acupuncture for Pregnancy and Childbirth will be presenting a workshop for dulas, midwives and acupuncturists in Vancouver, October 13th and 14th.

13 Oct 2009

B. Braun Medical announces agreement with HealthTrust to provide pain management products

B. Braun Medical Inc. (B. Braun) has announced an expanded agreement with HealthTrust Purchasing Group (HealthTrust) to provide pain management products to HealthTrust's membership.

From B. Braun Melsungen AG 12 Oct 2009

Complications of otitis media: Evolving trends in children

The introduction of pneumococcal vaccines for treating otitis media in children has not prevented complications from occurring, according to new research presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in San Diego, CA. In fact, the research suggests that the focus has changed on what complications may arise.

8 Oct 2009

Medline to distribute anesthesia medical devices and single-use products in U.S. and Canada

Medline Industries, Inc., the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare supplies, announced today the signing of an exclusive agreement with te me na SAS to distribute Polymedic® brand regional anesthesia medical devices and single-use products in the U.S. and Canada.

7 Oct 2009

NeuroTherm receives US patent for RF generator

NeuroTherm is pleased to be recognized by the United States Patent Office as the first company worldwide to develop and release a multiple output radiofrequency generator used in the treatment of chronic pain, ref. US Patent No. 7,574,257.

23 Sep 2009

Northeast Pennsylvania healthcare facilities collaborate to eliminate laboratory errors

Healthcare facilities in northeast Pennsylvania have come together to reduce and eliminate laboratory errors due to specimen mislabeling. Pocono Medical Center helped to spearhead the effort when they noticed they were reporting a large number of mislabeled lab specimens at their facility that coincided with data delivered in a presentation by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority.

17 Sep 2009

Anesthesia not harmful for babies during birth process

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that children exposed to anesthesia during Cesarean section are not at any higher risk for learning disabilities later in life than children not delivered by C-section. These findings are reported in the current issue of the journal Anesthesiology.

28 Jul 2009

Adding a drug called neostigmine to epidural analgesia reduces dose needed during labor

Adding a drug called neostigmine to epidural analgesia during labor can reduce the amount of anesthetic drug required, while avoiding potential complications caused by morphine-like "opioid" drugs, according to a study in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

27 Jul 2009

Expert suggests women should grin and bear the pain of childbirth

An expert in midwifery who has suggested that women should grin and bear the pain of childbirth has come in for a fair amount of flak.

15 Jul 2009

A good midwife makes giving birth at home as safe as in hospital

Researchers in the Netherlands say giving birth at home with a midwife is as safe as doing so in hospital.

16 Apr 2009

Maternal positions and mobility during first stage of labor

Women who walk, sit, kneel or otherwise avoid lying in bed during early labor can shorten the first stage of labor by about an hour, according to a new Cochrane evidence review.

14 Apr 2009

Study shows no standardized approach to epidural steroid injections for back pain

Today at the American Academy of Pain Medicine's 25th Annual Meeting, researchers from University of California at San Diego report that no standardized practices exist for administering an epidural steroid injection for back pain. Researchers looked at many factors including: which steroids were given, the amount of steroid used, and whether or not a local anesthetic was mixed with the steroid.

29 Jan 2009

Epidurals and spinal anesthetics safer than previously reported

The largest ever prospective study [1,2] into the major complications [3] of epidurals and spinal anaesthetics published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia today (Monday 12 January 2009) concludes that previous studies have over-estimated the risks of severe complications of these procedures.

12 Jan 2009

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals reports positive results in trial of sublingual Sufentanil NanoTabs in treating post-op pain

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced positive results from a Phase 2 clinical study evaluating the safety and efficacy of its lead product candidate, ARX-01, for the treatment of moderate-to-severe inpatient acute pain following knee replacement surgery.

10 Dec 2008

Avoid stress and exercise lots during pregnancy

New Australian research has found that even minor, everyday stress during pregnancy possibly affects a developing foetus.

2 Dec 2008

Neurological health risk in children with blunt head injuries: fashion hair beads

An intriguing article published in the December 2008 online issue of Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics may come as quite a surprise to parents, especially those with little girls.

21 Nov 2008

World's first pediatric robotic bladder reconstruction performed

A 10-year-old Chicago girl born with an abnormally small bladder that made her incontinent has become the first patient to benefit from a new robotic-assisted bladder-reconstruction method developed by surgeons at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

20 Nov 2008

Many pregnant women do not feel well informed by their gynaecologist

A survey carried out among 250 pregnant women showed that 24% of them do not feel adequately informed by their gynaecologist, and almost half do not take part in any prenatal course. The study, prepared by the Head of the Obstetrics Department at the Hospital Clinico San Carlos in Madrid, Miguel Angel Herraiz, also showed that 80% of those surveyed prefer a "medicalised" birth, with epidural anaesthesia, to a natural birth.

17 Jul 2008