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

Study evaluates pain associated with surgical incisions/scars before repeat cesarean procedures

A study presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2011 in Chicago is perhaps the first to evaluate pain associated with surgical incisions or scars before repeat cesarean (CS) procedures, and the data could lead to improved care for a rapidly growing and unique group of patients.

18 Oct 2011

First-time mothers, obese women, and women who have longer labors are at higher risk for pain

According to a study presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2011 in Chicago, first-time mothers, obese women, and women who have longer labors are at higher risk for pain than other laboring women. Such information could be crucial in helping anesthesiologists determine how best to provide pain care with epidurals and other methods.

18 Oct 2011

Tailored postoperative treatment plan for women at high risk for severe pain after cesarean delivery

Nearly one third of children in the U.S. are born by cesarean delivery, a surgery that puts women at risk for persistent pain and postpartum depression. A new study presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2011 investigated whether an increase in pain treatment in patients at high risk for severe pain after surgery reduces these complications after a cesarean delivery.

18 Oct 2011

Inhaled anesthetics do not increase incidence of postoperative delirium

A study presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2011 in Chicago this week offered firm evidence that commonly used inhaled anesthetics such as isoflurane do not increase the incidence of postoperative delirium, which can affect how well some patients recover after surgery.

18 Oct 2011

AQI activates Anesthesia Incident Reporting System to improve patient safety

The Anesthesia Quality Institute (AQI) has activated the first nationwide system to collect individual adverse events from anesthesia, pain management and perioperative care.

15 Oct 2011

Headache are among the top reasons for medical evacuation of soldiers

Headaches, a virtually universal human complaint at one time or another, are among the top reasons for medical evacuation of military personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan, and for ongoing depletion of active-duty ranks in those countries, according to research led by Johns Hopkins specialists. Just one-third of soldiers sent home because of headaches return to duty in either place, the research shows.

14 Oct 2011

Researchers control itch without dulling morphine's pain-killing effects

Itching is one of the most prevalent side effects of powerful, pain-killing drugs like morphine, oxycodone and other opioids. The opiate-associated itch is so common that even women who get epidurals for labor pain often complain of itching. For many years, scientists have scratched their own heads about why drugs that so effectively suppress pain also induce itch.

14 Oct 2011

Anesthesia in very small kids may raise risk of learning disabilities

According to the latest research very young children exposed to general anesthesia during surgical procedures may be at an increased risk for learning problems.

4 Oct 2011

FDA grants 510(k) clearance to Carticept Medical's Navigator Delivery System

Carticept Medical, Inc., a developer of innovative products for the treatment of cartilage injuries and osteoarthritis, today announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration to market its Navigator™ Delivery System (Navigator DS) in the United States.

4 Oct 2011

MEDNAX acquires maternal-fetal medicine physician group practice in St. Louis, MO

MEDNAX, Inc., today announced the acquisition of a maternal-fetal medicine physician group practice based in St. Louis, MO.

3 Oct 2011

General anesthesia linked to learning disabilities in children

Every year millions of babies and toddlers receive general anesthesia for procedures ranging from hernia repair to ear surgery. Now, researchers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester have found a link among children undergoing multiple surgeries requiring general anesthesia before age 2 and learning disabilities later in childhood.

3 Oct 2011

Researchers use fMRI to examine patterns of brain activation in patients with chronic pain

Cognition is known to influence pain perception. As a result, several mind-body and psychological therapies are commonly used to treat chronic pain. A new study from the October issue of Anesthesiology analyzed whether two of the most commonly applied strategies involve different brain systems.

30 Sep 2011

Plausible way to circumvent drug resistance in breast cancer cells

Breast cancer cells that mutate to resist drug treatment survive by establishing tiny pumps on their surface that reject the drugs as they penetrate the cell membrane - making the cancer insensitive to chemotherapy drugs even after repeated use.

29 Sep 2011

SIS becomes an Industry Supporter of ASA

Surgical Information Systems (SIS) has become an Industry Supporter of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), as a part of a Corporate Supporter program available to pharmaceutical, medical device, anesthesia information management system and practice management companies.

29 Sep 2011

Cannabidiol may help prevent paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy

Cannabidiol—a compound derived from marijuana—may be a promising new treatment to prevent the development of painful neuropathy in patients receiving the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel, according to animal experiments reported in the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

26 Sep 2011

No link between duration or depth of general anesthesia and subsequent cancer risk

Helping to allay fears raised by previous studies, a new report finds no link between the duration or depth of general anesthesia and the subsequent risk of developing cancer, according to the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

26 Sep 2011

Methylphenidate drug may induce arousal from general anesthesia

Administration of the commonly used stimulant drug methylphenidate (Ritalin) was able to speed recovery from general anesthesia in an animal study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital.

22 Sep 2011

Noninvasive method can detect sudden infant death syndrome, sleep apnea

University of Utah engineers who built wireless networks that see through walls now are aiming the technology at a new goal: noninvasively measuring the breathing of surgery patients, adults with sleep apnea and babies at risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

19 Sep 2011

Risks of problem drinking on the rise among women

In a review of 31 peer-reviewed and published studies, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health looked generational and gender differences in alcohol consumption, alcohol disorders, and mortality. Findings indicate that people born after World War II are more likely to binge drink and develop alcohol use disorders. Researchers also found that the gender gap in alcoholism and problem drinking is narrowing in many countries.

17 Sep 2011

Study finds no clear advantage of ultrasound guidance for pain relief in nerve block procedures

Using ultrasound to guide the performance of nerve blocks—in which anesthetics are directly targeted to a specific nerve or group of nerves—has contributed to the increased use of regional anesthesia.

17 Sep 2011