Epidural News and Research

RSS

Lax oversight leaves surgery center regulators and patients in the dark

The first man died in April 2014. Another died later that month. Then on July 18 of that year, a woman was rushed to a hospital where she was told she was lucky to be alive.

9 Aug 2018

New UCI center seeks to empower patients, providers through use of AI in healthcare

Physicians at the University of California, Irvine and UCI Health System have launched the UCI Center for Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostic Medicine, which seeks to advance patient care, improve health outcomes and lower costs by leveraging machine learning technology in all areas of healthcare.

27 Jul 2018

New QUT study sheds light on factors promoting and inhibiting 'normal' birth

Research led by QUT Associate Professor Yvette Miller, from the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, asked almost 6000 women about their birthing experiences in Queensland, Australia.

24 Jul 2018

Study shows AVATS procedure as safe, effective alternative for patients deemed 'inoperable'

A new study demonstrates that awake video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery – a minimally invasive procedure that is done under local anesthesia and sedation – is a safe and effective alternative for patients with poor lung function and lung cancer who would normally be precluded from having surgery due to its risks.

23 May 2018

Survey: Childbirth hurts but pain relief options make it manageable

Few things are more daunting for first-time moms than the prospect of childbirth. They wonder: Will my baby be OK? What will labor and delivery be like? How painful will it be, and can I handle it? Moms who have been there offer the low-down on labor and delivery and their message is comforting.

8 May 2018

Woman should not be compelled by law to take pregnancy-related risks

Laws should not force women to risk death and injury by having a baby, according to a QUT legal academic who has says abortion can be decriminalized without society and governments making a moral judgment.

3 May 2018

Epidural stimulation can safely, effectively normalize blood pressure in patients with SCI

Patients with severe spinal cord injury (SCI) often experience chronically low blood pressure that negatively affects their health, their quality of life and their ability to engage in rehabilitative therapy.

19 Mar 2018

As surgery centers boom, patients are paying with their lives

The surgery went fine. Her doctors left for the day. Four hours later, Paulina Tam started gasping for air.

6 Mar 2018

Study shows no increase in complications with 'ad lib' oral intake during labor

At most US maternity units, women in labor are put on nil per os status--they're not allowed to eat or drink anything, except ice chips. But new nursing research questions that policy, showing no increase in risks for women who are allowed to eat and drink during labor.

24 Feb 2018

Experimental treatment improves invisible symptoms of a man with spinal cord injury

An experimental treatment that sends electrical currents through the spinal cord has improved "invisible" yet debilitating side effects for a B.C. man with a spinal cord injury.

19 Feb 2018

Important facts to know about Lyme disease and anesthesia

An article in the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists's AANA Journal, "Lyme Disease and Anesthesia Considerations," discusses possible effects of anesthesia on Lyme disease patients undergoing surgery.

8 Jan 2018

New optical ultrasound needle could help visualize heart tissue during keyhole procedures

Heart tissue can be imaged in real-time during keyhole procedures using a new optical ultrasound needle developed by researchers at UCL and Queen Mary University of London.

1 Dec 2017

Epidural pain relief with fentanyl during childbirth does not affect early breastfeeding success

Including the opioid fentanyl in the solution used to maintain an epidural during childbirth does not appear to affect the success of breastfeeding six weeks after delivery, according to a study published in Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Previous research has suggested fentanyl might be associated with early termination of breastfeeding.

8 Nov 2017

Type of needle used in anesthesia not linked to post-dural puncture headache, study shows

The type of needle used in certain kinds of anesthesia is not linked to post-dural puncture headache (PDPH), a serious and potentially life-threatening complication, according to a recent study.

28 Oct 2017

Women who deliver in winter or spring have lower risk of postpartum depression

Women who give birth in winter or spring are less likely than women who deliver in the fall or summer to suffer from postpartum depression (PPD), suggests a study being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2017 annual meeting.

23 Oct 2017

Study: Patients most likely to overestimate pain following surgery

Patients significantly overestimate the anticipated amount of pain they'll experience following surgery, which researchers say can cause unnecessary anxiety in patients, according to a study being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2017 annual meeting.

23 Oct 2017

Giving birth is hard enough. Try it in the middle of a wildfire.

Days before there was any sign of fire, Nicole and Ben Veum of Santa Rosa, Calif., had been waiting and waiting for their baby to arrive. Nicole's due date came and went. Her doctor called her into the hospital — Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital — to induce labor. That was Friday.

11 Oct 2017

Epidural analgesics have no effect on the duration of the second stage of labor, study reveals

A study, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, indicated that epidural analgesia had no impact on the duration of the second stage of labor, fetal position during birth, prevalence of episiotomy, normal vaginal delivery rate, or any other fetal well-being measures investigated by researchers.

11 Oct 2017

Epidural medication has no effect on duration of labor, study shows

Epidural analgesia – a mix of anesthetics and narcotics delivered by catheter placed close to the nerves of the spine – is the most effective method of labor pain relief. In widespread use since the 1970s, epidurals have long been thought to slow the second stage of labor – defined as beginning when the cervix is completely dilated and ending when the baby is delivered.

10 Oct 2017

Medtronic launch spinal chord stimulation platform for chronic pain management following FDA approval

Medtronic plc announced FDA approval and U.S. launch of the Intellis(TM) platform for the management of certain types of chronic intractable pain. The Intellis platform was designed to overcome limitations with current spinal cord stimulation (SCS) systems, such as battery performance, and can power the EvolveSM workflow*, which standardizes guidance and balances high-dose (HD) and low-dose (LD) therapy settings.

From Medtronic 19 Sep 2017