Anesthetics News and Research

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Finnish researchers gain new insights on brain activity during general anesthesia

Finnish researchers have gained new information on brain activity during general anesthesia by recording changes in the electrical activity of the brain.

3 Jul 2018

UT Southwestern study reveals structural information for major brain receptor

UT Southwestern researchers today published the first atomic structure of a brain receptor bound to a drug used to reverse anesthesia and to treat sedative overdoses.

28 Jun 2018

Local anesthetic drug not linked to reduction in opioid use, complications after knee surgery

Contrary to what some studies may suggest, the local anesthetic drug, liposomal bupivacaine, did not reduce in-hospital opioid prescriptions or opioid-related complications in patients who received the drug during total knee replacement surgery as part of a multimodal approach to manage postsurgical pain, finds a new study published in the Online First edition of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

22 May 2018

ASA survey: Drug shortages impact care for patients undergoing anesthesia

A national drug shortage crisis is potentially affecting the care received every day for thousands of patients undergoing anesthesia.

25 Apr 2018

Mayo Clinic study provides valuable information about impact of pediatric anesthesia

A Mayo Clinic study of children who received one or more exposures to anesthesia before the age of 3 has provided valuable information about the potential neurological and behavioral impact of general anesthesia on very young children, according to the International Anesthesia Research Society and the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia.

20 Apr 2018

Study finds no evidence of lower intelligence in young children who had anesthesia

A Mayo Clinic study finds no evidence that children given anesthesia before their third birthdays have lower IQs than those who did not have it. A more complex picture emerges among people who had anesthesia several times as small children: Although their intelligence is comparable, they score modestly lower on tests measuring fine motor skills, and their parents are more likely to report behavioral and learning problems. The findings are published in Anesthesiology.

18 Apr 2018

Safety violations compound pain of painkiller shortages

Safety violations at a major compounding pharmacy are exacerbating hospital shortages of key painkillers, particularly in California where health officials have taken the "extraordinary" step of prohibiting sales from one of its plants.

16 Apr 2018

The other opioid crisis: Hospital shortages lead to patient pain, medical errors

Even as opioids flood American communities and fuel widespread addiction, hospitals are facing a dangerous shortage of the powerful painkillers needed by patients in acute pain, according to doctors, pharmacists and a coalition of health groups.

16 Mar 2018

New review explores effects of exposing developing brains to general anesthesia

The head of the CU School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology has written a review of scientific studies on the potentially adverse effects of exposing developing brains to general anesthesia.

19 Jan 2018

General anesthesia may be more complex in its workings than we know now

Associate Professor Bruno van Swinderen from Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland with his colleagues have studied the workings of general anesthetics on the brain and found that these agents did more than just put a person to sleep. These findings could pave the way for better and more effective anesthetics they believe. The study was published in the latest issue of the journal Cell Reports.

10 Jan 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

Anesthetics cause similar reaction in plants as they do in animals and humans

A new study published in Annals of Botany shows that plants react to anesthetics similarly to the way animals and humans do, suggesting plants are ideal objects for testing anesthetics actions in future.

11 Dec 2017

Vaping liquid may increase risk for complications during and after surgery

Despite being perceived as a 'healthier' alternative to tobacco cigarettes, vaping liquid contains nicotine, which may significantly increase the risk for complications related to surgery and anesthesia, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

16 Nov 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

Lavender aromatherapy reduces preoperative anxiety in surgery patients, study finds

Lavender aromatherapy reduced preoperative anxiety in a study of ambulatory surgery patients undergoing procedures in general otolaryngology. The effect observed in the Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology study was modest, however.

8 Nov 2017

Top nursing organizations urge to improve veteran access to anesthesia care

Twenty-two nursing organizations, including the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin on October 24, 2017, expressing their concerns about surgical cancellations and postponements for veterans due to a lack of access to anesthesia services at the Denver VA Medical Center.

28 Oct 2017

MTSA expands efforts to fight against national opioid epidemic

Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia announced it is expanding efforts to educate Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists on treatment options that reduce or eliminate the need for opioids during and after surgery.

13 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

Scientists manipulate living cells to produce fluorinated bioplastics

Natural organic compounds that contain fluorine are rare because living organisms—with a few exceptions—do not produce them.

4 Oct 2017