Anesthesiology News and Research

RSS

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

Researchers develop spider silk microcapsules that can deliver vaccine directly to immune cells

To fight cancer, researchers increasingly use vaccines that stimulate the immune system to identify and destroy tumor cells.

12 Jun 2018

Scientists develop algorithm to predict hypotension during surgery

Scientists have developed an algorithm that predicts potentially dangerous low blood pressure, or hypotension, that can occur during surgery.

11 Jun 2018

New grant provides $300,000 in funding to create young patient safety researchers

The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation and Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research, charitable arms of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, today announced a call for applications for their new perioperative patient safety Mentored Research Training Grant.

7 Jun 2018

New study shows how alcohol contributes to development of Alzheimer's disease

Research from the University of Illinois at Chicago has found that some of the genes affected by alcohol and inflammation are also implicated in processes that clear amyloid beta -- the protein that forms globs of plaques in the brain and which contributes to neuronal damage and the cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer's disease.

5 Jun 2018

Patients taking aspirin before and after CABG surgery show reduced mortality risk

New research presented at this year's Euroanaesthesia congress in Copenhagen, Denmark shows that in patients undergoing a coronary artery bypass graft surgery, taking aspirin before and after surgery is associated with an 18% to 34% reduced mortality risk after 4 years.

4 Jun 2018

Single spinal injection reverses chemotherapy-induced pain for months in mice

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found a new way to block a root cause of pain. The key is a naturally occurring protein called apolipoprotein A-I binding protein (AIBP). AIBP binds to toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a protein that sits on the surface of cells like an antenna, searching for signs of infection or tissue damage.

29 May 2018

UCI Center on Stress & Health receives NIH funding to develop digital health interventions

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine's Center on Stress & Health have received $6.3 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health to develop and test digital health interventions for stress and pain in children facing surgical procedures and those battling cancer.

26 May 2018

Study: Poor older adults with Medicaid insurance more likely to die after hospital discharge

A first-of-its-kind study has found that seniors who are insured by Medicaid are less likely to survive in a nursing home after an ICU stay than seniors covered by Medicare and commercial insurance. The study was presented at the 2018 American Thoracic Society International Conference.

24 May 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

UCLA researchers identify receptor that plays key role in repairing damage caused by heart conditions

Studies have shown that a simple treatment called lipid emulsion therapy -; fatty acids administered intravenously -; can heal damage to the heart after a heart attack or cardiac arrest. But researchers haven't understood exactly how the treatment works or whether there are more effective ways to repair the heart.

14 May 2018

Scientists successfully graft neural precursor cells into spinal cords of syngeneic pigs with no immunosuppression

A major hurdle to using neural stem cells derived from genetically different donors to replace damaged or destroyed tissues, such as in a spinal cord injury, has been the persistent rejection of the introduced material, necessitating the use of complex drugs and techniques to suppress the host's immune response.

10 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

New online assessment tool can guide doctors to find the best pain treatment plan

People in chronic pain are some of the most difficult patients to treat. They have complex circumstances that medicine can't always remedy. Pain can be amplified, by depression and anxiety, genetics and quality of life. Genetics can also play a role in how people experience pain.

4 May 2018

Researchers discover how a light touch can lead to unbearable itching

For some people, particularly those who are elderly, even a light touch of the skin or contact with clothing can lead to unbearable itching.

4 May 2018

Undergraduate students design walker to overcome challenges of pediatric ICU patients

Critically ill children in pediatric intensive care units once were often heavily sedated and discouraged from any activities, including walking, to facilitate speedy recovery.

2 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

AYOXXA to develop multiplex immunoassay to support treatment of sepsis patients

AYOXXA Biosystems GmbH, an international biotechnology company, will develop a multiplex assay to support the treatment of sepsis patients as part of the project "SepsisData.Net.NRW - Digitized Pattern Recognition for Personalized Treatment of Sepsis Patients". The development will be based on the Company’s innovative bead-based protein analysis platform LUNARIS™.

20 Apr 2018

Researchers use optogenetics to treat chronic pain

The finger prick from a thorn generates an immediate sensory response. In that instant, neurons at the injury site fire an electrical signal along a nerve fiber to the central nervous system. Our brain notes to avoid further encounters with thorns and the painful insult subsides.

18 Apr 2018

Direct electrical current can be delivered to nerves for blocking pain signals

Using computer models and laboratory rats, Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated that "direct electrical current" can be delivered to nerves preferentially, blocking pain signals while leaving other sensations undisturbed.