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Athletes with lumbar disc herniations may benefit from epidural steroid injections

The use of epidural steroid injections may be a more efficient treatment option for lumbar disc herniations, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in San Francisco.

13 Feb 2012

Bupivacaine may effectively manage pain after total knee replacement

Researchers at the Rothman Institute at Jefferson have shown that local anesthesia delivered through a catheter in the joint, intraarticularly, may be more beneficial than traditional opioids such as morphine and Oxycontin for pain management following total knee replacement surgery.

10 Feb 2012

Patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis do not benefit from epidural steroid injections

Researchers at the Rothman Institute at Jefferson examined data on patients being treated for lumbar stenosis and the degenerative spine condition spondylolisthesis and found that patients who received epidural steroid injections (ESI) had a higher rate of crossover to surgery and fared worse in physical health and bodily pain versus those who did not receive ESI, dispelling their pre-study hypothesis.

8 Feb 2012

General anesthesia may lower recurrence risk in patients with HCC

For patients undergoing a minimally invasive treatment for liver cancer, the risk of recurrent cancer appears lower with general anesthesia compared to regional (epidural) anesthesia, reports a study in the February issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

1 Feb 2012

FDA grants 510(k) clearance for Medtronic's Aquamantys SBS 5.0 Sheathed Bipolar Sealer

Medtronic, Inc. announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Aquamantys® SBS 5.0 Sheathed Bipolar Sealer, a new addition to the spine portfolio of the company's Advanced Energy business.

From Medtronic 23 Jan 2012

Research roundup: Insurance coverage in the Great Recession; PCIP vs. CHIP

The researchers how physicians examined claims of lower back back pain and note that part of the "rising economic cost of this epidemic is the burgeoning use of indiscriminate imaging," specifically MRIs. Researchers divided patients into two groups and "the treating physician in group 1 patients was blinded to the MRI results, while the physician for group 2 patients decided on treatment after reviewing the MRI findings."

17 Dec 2011

FETO improves infant survival rate in severe cases of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

A new study published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology reveals that fetal tracheal occlusion (FETO) improves infant survival rate in severe cases of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

14 Dec 2011

Indiscriminate expensive imaging has little clinical benefit in patients requiring epidural steroid injections

Johns Hopkins-led research suggests that routine MRI imaging does nothing to improve the treatment of patients who need injections of steroids into their spinal columns to relieve pain. Moreover, MRI plays only a small role in a doctor's decision to give these epidural steroid injections (ESIs), the most common procedure performed at pain clinics in the United States.

14 Dec 2011

First time mothers may put themselves and baby at risk by choosing home-birth: Report

A new report suggests that first time mothers who opt for a home birth are almost three times more likely to have a baby who dies or suffers brain damage. It also found that traditional maternity units in hospital are the safest place for women to have their first child.

28 Nov 2011

Women with low risk pregnancies should be able to choose where they give birth

Women with low risk pregnancies should be able to choose where they give birth, concludes a study published on bmj.com today. Although it shows that first-time mums who opt for a home birth are at a higher risk of adverse outcomes, the overall risk is low in all birth settings.

24 Nov 2011

Less invasive anesthetic techniques may limit postoperative complications in EVAR patients

A new study indicates that using less invasive spinal, epidural and local/monitored anesthesia care (MAC) is better than general anesthesia for elective endovascular repair of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (EVAR).

24 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

New AAOS guideline recommends how to reduce DVT, PE after joint replacement surgery

An updated clinical practice guideline released last week by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directors recommends how to reduce the likelihood of blood clots after hip or knee replacement surgery, procedures that more than 800,000 Americans undergo each year. The new guideline suggests use of preventive treatments and advises against routinely screening patients after surgery using ultrasound imaging.

1 Oct 2011

Preterm babies may be experiencing pain during procedures: Study

Preterm may begin to feel pain around a woman's 35th week of pregnancy, about two to four weeks before delivery, according to a new study from University College London. Using EEG, researchers recorded the babies' brain activity in response to pain, comparing their pain responses from a touch and prick on the heels. The findings were published in the journal Current Biology.

9 Sep 2011

Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee recommends FDA approval of J&JPRD's rivaroxaban

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee recommended approval of rivaroxaban, a novel, once-daily, oral anticoagulant, for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

9 Sep 2011

ICS, Quintiles enter agreement with Pacira to support launch of EXPAREL

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has entered into agreements with Quintiles Commercial US, Inc. and Integrated Commercialization Services, Inc. (ICS) to support the anticipated launch of EXPAREL, should it be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later this year.

6 Sep 2011

Pacira second quarter total revenues increase to $3.6 million

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2011, provided an update on the execution of its pre-commercial and launch strategies for EXPAREL, and updated its 2011 financial guidance.

11 Aug 2011