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

New convection-enhanced MEDs could offer faster, more effective treatment for T1D patients

More than 40 million people worldwide are affected with type 1 diabetes (T1D) mellitus, an autoimmune disease in which insulin producing β-cells in the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system.

6 Sep 2021

Researchers find new reward circuitry beyond dopamine

The key to overcoming addictions and psychiatric disorders lives deep inside the netherworld of our brains and the circuitry that causes us to feel good.

1 Sep 2021

Growing use of mechanical circulatory support causes moral distress among clinicians

The growing use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) may contribute to high levels of moral distress for clinicians who regularly care for critically ill patients receiving the aggressive but life-sustaining therapy, according to a study in American Journal of Critical Care.

1 Sep 2021

Stiffening of heart’s blood vessels associated with lack of enzyme that fosters cell ‘chatter’

In a study in mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have found that the smooth muscle cells lining the walls of blood vessels can lose their elasticity and lead to vascular stiffening, a condition that can precede heart disease and stroke.

26 Aug 2021

Virtual reality can reduce pain and anxiety in children undergoing IV catheter placement

It isn't a matter of one needle puncture. Many children coming through the doors of Children's Hospital Los Angeles are seen for chronic conditions and often require frequent visits. Painful procedures-;like a blood draw or catheter placement-;can cause anxiety and fear in patients.

25 Aug 2021

Do aerosol boxes prevent airborne spread of SARS-CoV-2?

An interesting new study describes a novel aerosol box design that has been produced and tested to prevent airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

24 Aug 2021

Researchers receive $6.2 million grant to launch a center for perioperative mental health

Clinicians and researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a four-year, $6.2 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to launch a center designed to help improve mental health in surgery patients, particularly older surgery patients.

19 Aug 2021

Children and young adults are frequently exposed to unsafe opioid prescriptions, study suggests

Children and young adults who have pain from surgery, dental care and other conditions are often prescribed opioids.

19 Aug 2021

New study receives $33 million PCORI funding to compare anesthetic medications

More than 50,000 surgical patients undergo general anesthesia every day in the United States, but clinicians and scientists lack evidence indicating which types of anesthesia drugs result in the best outcomes for patients.

9 Aug 2021

Lower UVB exposure correlated with higher risk of colorectal cancer

University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers have identified a possible link between inadequate exposure to ultraviolet-B (UVB) light from the sun and an increased risk of colorectal cancer, especially as people age.

6 Jul 2021

New practice guideline includes recommendations for reducing blood loss during heart surgery

Four leading medical specialty societies released a new clinical practice guideline today that includes recommendations for reducing blood loss during heart surgery and improving patient outcomes.

1 Jul 2021

Alternative model of Alzheimer's emphasizes different set of mechanisms that lead to neurodegeneration

In the context of recent debate over the FDA's approval of aducanumab, it's refreshing to learn about a model of Alzheimer's neurodegeneration that doesn't start with the pathogenic proteins amyloid or Tau.

29 Jun 2021

Many people with fibromyalgia substitute CBD for opioids and pain medications, finds study

Fibromyalgia is one of many chronic pain conditions that remains stubbornly difficult to treat.

24 Jun 2021

Study: Subconscious changes in day-to-day movements can predict Alzheimer’s disease

As people go about their daily activities, complex fluctuations in their movement occur without conscious thought. These fluctuations -- known as fractal motor activity regulation (FMAR) -- and their changes are not readily detectable to the naked eye, but FMAR patterns can be recorded using a wristwatch-like device known as an actigraph.

23 Jun 2021

Convalescent plasma can improve chances of survival among blood cancer patients with COVID-19

A large, retrospective, multicenter study involving Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients can dramatically improve likelihood of survival among blood cancer patients hospitalized with the virus.

18 Jun 2021

New computational technique greatly increases the resolution of atomic force microscopy

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine have developed a computational technique that greatly increases the resolution of atomic force microscopy, a specialized type of microscope that "feels" the atoms at a surface.

17 Jun 2021

Clinical trial shows induced hypothermia after cardiac arrest does not improve survival

Since 2005, the guidelines for the care of unconscious cardiac arrest patients have been to cool the body temperature down to 33 degrees Celsius. A large, randomized clinical trial led by Lund University and Region Skåne in Sweden has shown that this treatment does not improve survival. The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

16 Jun 2021

Researchers identify specific cells and proteins that control the sneeze reflex

A tickle in the nose can help trigger a sneeze, expelling irritants and disease-causing pathogens. But the cellular pathways that control the sneeze reflex go far beyond the sinuses and have been poorly understood.

16 Jun 2021

Treatment-resistant depression relieved by laughing gas

Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Chicago have found that a single, one-hour treatment involving the inhalation of a mixture of oxygen and the anesthetic drug nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, can improve symptoms of depression in people resistant to treatment.

15 Jun 2021

Incidental rudeness can be deadly in certain situations, suggests study

Have you ever been cut off in traffic by another driver, leaving you still seething miles later? Or been interrupted by a colleague in a meeting, and found yourself replaying the event in your head even after you've left work for the day? Minor rude events like this happen frequently, and you may be surprised by the magnitude of the effects they have on our decision-making and functioning.

11 Jun 2021