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

In tiny doses, an addiction medication moonlights as treatment for chronic pain

Lori Pinkley, a 50-year-old from Kansas City, Mo., has struggled with puzzling chronic pain since she was 15.

26 Sep 2019

Large-scale enhanced recovery program after bariatric surgery improves patient outcomes

A large-scale implementation of a protocol to improve recovery of patients after weight-loss operations was found to reduce rates of extended hospitalization by almost half at 36 participating accredited bariatric surgery centers nationwide, according to a study published online ahead of print in the current issue of the journal Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases.

24 Sep 2019

Flavoring ingredient in e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco exceeds thresholds of concern

A potential carcinogen that has been banned as a food additive is present in concerningly high levels in electronic cigarette liquids and smokeless tobacco products, according to a new study from Duke Health.

16 Sep 2019

University of Illinois at Chicago opens three health care simulation centers

This fall, the University of Illinois at Chicago celebrates the opening of three health care simulation centers.

15 Sep 2019

Scientists find receptor protein in the brain that promotes stress resilience

Scientists have discovered that a receptor on the surface of brain cells plays a key role in regulating how both animals and people respond to stress.

4 Sep 2019

Perioperative use of chewing gum by surgical patients

Many anesthesiologists forbid patients from chewing gum in the immediate hours before surgery for fear that it would increase the risk that the patient's stomach contents might end up dumped (aspirated) into the patient's lungs, with potentially deadly consequences (aspiration pneumonitis).

30 Aug 2019

Survey reveals escalating interest to use marijuana or cannabinoids for managing pain

Millennials lead the escalating interest in marijuana and cannabinoid compounds for managing pain – with older generations not far behind – and yet most are unaware of potential risks.

26 Aug 2019

Anxiety, depression associated with increased opioid use following surgery

Surgeons wielding their life-saving scalpels, laparoscopic tools, or other implements to repair or remove what ails their patients understand all too well that pain is an unavoidable part of the healing process. Yet the current opioid crisis has made the standard prescribing practices for these highly effective analgesics fraught with risk.

22 Aug 2019

Researchers refine guidelines for treating children with brain trauma

When a child suffers a head trauma, medical professionals are in high gear to prevent further damage to a developing brain. Measuring and regulating the child's level of carbon dioxide is critical to ensuring the brain is getting enough blood oxygen to prevent a secondary brain injury.

18 Aug 2019

Researchers discover mechanism behind how intense light can protect against heart attacks

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that intense light amplifies a specific gene that bolsters blood vessels and offers protection against heart attacks.

8 Aug 2019

Scientists can now control neural circuits using smartphone

A team of scientists in Korea and the United States have invented a device that can control neural circuits using a tiny brain implant controlled by a smartphone.

5 Aug 2019

If you smoke pot, your anesthesiologist needs to know

When Colorado legalized marijuana, it became a pioneer in creating new policies to deal with the drug.

2 Aug 2019

New machine-learning models could improve prediction of surgical-case duration

Operating rooms are a precious resource. They may account for 50 percent of a hospital's revenues and cost as much as $80 a minute. But figuring out how much time to allot for a surgery is a challenge every hospital faces.

22 Jul 2019

Music found to be effective in reducing anxiety prior to anesthesia

Music is a viable alternative to sedative medications in reducing patient anxiety prior to an anesthesia procedure, according to a Penn Medicine study published today in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

21 Jul 2019

New technique reduces postoperative deficit of oxygen in the blood in patients with morbid obesity

This is a randomized controlled trial with the aim of decreasing the prevalence of postoperative hypoxemia (deficiency of blood oxygenation) with the early application of oxygen therapy.

18 Jul 2019

ASA applauds Committee efforts to amend surprise medical bill legislation

The American Society of Anesthesiologists applauds efforts by Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-CA) and Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN) to amend surprise medical bill legislation as it passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

17 Jul 2019

ASA strongly opposes the surprise medical bill passed by House Energy and Commerce

Today, the American Society of Anesthesiologists announced strong opposition to the surprise medical bill introduced Tuesday, July 9 and passed today by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, the "Pallone-Walden" bill, or H.R. 3630 the "No Surprises Act."

15 Jul 2019

Experts release scientific statement on predicting survival for cardiac arrest survivors

If a loved one has a heart attack that stops the heart, ends up in a coma, and the treating physician approaches you about taking the person off life support, would you trust that the physician knows when to make the call or how to judge that the person won’t recover? It turns out that the science is rather shaky on when to decide the likelihood of recovery from a coma after the heart stops.

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 12 Jul 2019

A short bout of exercise improves brain function, study reveals

Most people know that regular exercise is good for your health. New research shows it may make you smarter, too.

3 Jul 2019

Physicians show strong support for house effort to protect patients from surprise medical bills

Out of the Middle, a coalition of leading health care providers, applauds today's introduction of the bipartisan Protecting People from Surprise Medical Bills Act.

29 Jun 2019