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

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.

18 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

NSAIDs alone or with acetaminophen better than opioids at easing dental pain

Opioids are not among the most effective-or longest lasting- options available for relief from acute dental pain, a new examination of the results from more than 460 published studies has found.

17 Apr 2018

Targeting opioid receptor offers relief for chronic itching

A common side effect of opioids is intense itching -- a problem for some patients who need the drugs for pain relief and for others fighting addiction.

17 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

What we know and don’t know about memory loss after surgery

Two years ago, Dr. Daniel Cole's 85-year-old father had heart bypass surgery. He hasn't been quite the same since.

12 Apr 2018

Johns Hopkins researchers make great strides in understanding biology behind pulmonary hypertension

Working with cells that line the innermost layer of the blood vessels, Johns Hopkins investigators say they have made a leap forward in understanding the underlying biology behind pulmonary hypertension, a dangerous type of high blood pressure in lungs that ultimately leads to right heart failure and death.

27 Mar 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

Novel use for drug shows promise as effective treatment for postoperative nausea and vomiting

An innovative use for a known drug is showing promise as an effective treatment for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting, suggests a study published today in the Online First edition of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

14 Mar 2018

Scientists develop rapid test that could revolutionize diagnostics of infectious diseases

Scientists of the Leibniz-Institute of Photonic Technologies, Center for Sepsis Control and Care at the University Hospital Jena and Friedrich Schiller University work at a faster and cheaper alternative for hitherto time consuming pathogen diagnostics.

14 Mar 2018

Six tips for seniors to help limit confusion after surgery

The longer you live the more likely you will develop a medical condition that requires surgery or a procedure. In fact, half of all people 65 and older will have at least one surgical procedure in their lifetime.

13 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

New military vehicle shock absorbing device may protect troops from blast-induced TBI

Researchers from theUniversity of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering have developed a new military vehicle shock absorbing device that may protect troops from traumatic brain injury (TBI) after a land mine blast.

27 Feb 2018

Study finds brain network weakening in many older adults after knee replacement surgery

A new University of Florida study finds that 23 percent of adults age 60 and older who underwent a total knee replacement experienced a decline in activity in at least one region of the brain responsible for specific cognitive functions.

6 Feb 2018

Research highlights benefits from enhanced recovery after surgery program

Colorectal and bariatric surgery patients benefited from an enhanced recovery after surgery program, leaving the hospital sooner and requiring fewer opioids to control pain, according to new research presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists PRACTICE MANAGEMENT 2018 meeting.

27 Jan 2018

American Pain Society's 2018 conference aims to deepen understanding of pain mechanisms

The American Pain Society, www.americanpainsociety.org, has changed the format for its 2018 conference to a Scientific Summit titled "Understanding Pain Mechanisms." The event is March 4-6 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.

25 Jan 2018

Novel decision support systems may offer improvements to quality of surgical care

Physician anesthesiologists are constantly striving to improve the quality of surgical care and postoperative outcomes for patients. Integrating the various sources of patient medical data they are faced with during surgery into a single dashboard view to help guide decisions during anesthesia may be one way to improve intraoperative care.

24 Jan 2018

Powerful anti-oxidant can stop progression of fatty liver disease in young mice

As obesity continues to rise in the U.S., non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a major public health issue, increasingly leading to cancer and liver transplants.

22 Jan 2018

New clinical practice guideline provides recommendations for use of anticoagulants during heart surgery

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, and the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology released a new clinical practice guideline that includes major recommendations for the use of blood thinning medication (anticoagulants) during heart surgery.