Sedative News and Research

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A sedative is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement.

Hospitalization may be a marker for cognitive decline or dementia in older patients, says study

Older patients hospitalized for acute care or a critical illness are more likely to experience cognitive decline compared to older adults who are not hospitalized, according to a study in the February 24 issue of JAMA.

24 Feb 2010

Standard checklist for home palliative sedation

Can patients near death safely receive sedation at home, fully respecting their own and their families' wishes? This practice, which is on the rise, is coming under increasing scrutiny and debate by palliative care researchers and practitioners.

19 Feb 2010

New pain management options for patients undergoing knee or hip replacements

Patients undergoing knee or hip replacements recover more quickly when treated with targeted pain-blocking medications that may eliminate the need for general anesthesia during surgery and intravenous narcotics drugs after surgery.

12 Feb 2010

Limiting depth of sedation reduces risk of postoperative delirium in elderly patients

A common complication following surgery in elderly patients is postoperative delirium, a state of confusion that can lead to long-term health problems and cause some elderly patients to complain that they "never felt the same" again after an operation. But a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests that simply limiting the depth of sedation during procedures could safely cut the risk of postoperative delirium by 50 percent.

23 Jan 2010

PIMs usage among elderly patients may increase adverse events and health care costs

A new study provides important evidence that the use of certain potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) among the elderly may increase adverse events and health care costs.

13 Jan 2010

Thirteen percent of poison exposure calls related to painkillers

U.S. poison centers answered more than 4.3 million calls in 2008, including nearly 2.5 million calls about human exposures to poison, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers -- up from 4.2 million calls in 2007.

9 Jan 2010

Study shows increasing number of U.S. adults are taking antidepressants and antipsychotic medications

An increasing number of U.S. adults are being prescribed combinations of antidepressants and antipsychotic medications, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

5 Jan 2010

Research shows morphine dosage can vary greatly in newborns

Dosage recommendations for newborns being cared for in an intensive care unit will in the future most likely be based on more individual characteristics than just body weight.

22 Dec 2009

NovaDel receives Issue Notification from USPTO for oral spray

NovaDel Pharma Inc., today announced that it received an Issue Notification from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a new U.S. Patent, No. 7632517, entitled “Buccal, Polar and Non-polar Spray Containing Zolpidem,” which covers a method of treating insomnia by administering zolpidem to humans utilizing NovaDel’s oral spray technology.

16 Dec 2009

Nonanesthesiologist-administered propofol for GI procedures safe

The worldwide safety experience of endoscopist-administered propofol sedation now exceeds 600,000 patients. The low rate of serious adverse events underscores the safety of nonanesthesiologist-administered propofol (NAAP) for gastrointestinal (GI) procedures, provided that it is administered by a team of individuals who have received training specific to the administration of propofol according to the "Position statement: nonanesthesiologist administration of propofol for GI endoscopy" issued by the four major gastroenterology and hepatology societies.

3 Dec 2009

Pain assessment and management may improve patient outcomes and lead to shorter ICU stays

A large study of more than 1,300 patients has provided evidence that increased attention to pain assessment in mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) may improve patient outcomes and lead to shorter ICU stays.

24 Nov 2009

Older adults who take psychotropic medications more likely to experience falls

Older adults who take several types of psychotropic medications—such as antidepressants or sedatives—appear more likely to experience falls, according to an analysis of previous studies reported in the November 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

24 Nov 2009

Joint project focuses on finding ways to prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's disease

Every two years, 2,000 senior Group Health patients check in with the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study. The joint project between Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington (UW) focuses on finding ways to delay or prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and declines in memory and thinking.

19 Nov 2009

Eisai's LUSEDRA Injection now available for MAC sedation

Eisai Inc. today announced that LUSEDRA(TM) (fospropofol disodium) Injection is now available for use by persons trained in the administration of general anesthesia. LUSEDRA, an aqueous solution, is an intravenous sedative-hypnotic agent indicated for monitored anesthesia care (MAC) sedation in adult patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

16 Nov 2009

USPTO issues Notice of Allowance to NovaDel Pharma

NovaDel Pharma Inc., today announced that it received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for claims under U.S. Patent Application No. 10/671,715, entitled “Buccal, Polar and Non-polar Spray Containing Zolpidem,” which covers a method of treating insomnia by administering zolpidem to humans utilizing NovaMist™ Oral Spray spray technology.

6 Nov 2009

Dexmedetomidine can reduce pain when removing a tube from the airway of critically ill patients

A study presented at this year's American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting demonstrated that the use of the sedative Dexmedetomidine was safe and reduced the amount of time for the extubation process, or the process of removing a tube from the airway of critically ill patients.

26 Oct 2009

Covidien to acquire Aspect Medical Systems

Covidien (NYSE: COV) and Aspect Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASPM) today announced that Covidien has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Aspect, a global market leader in brain monitoring technology.

28 Sep 2009

Mild exercises for the bed-bound patients helps to combat muscle wasting

Critical care experts at Johns Hopkins are reporting initial success in boosting recovery and combating muscle wasting among critically ill, mostly bed-bound patients using any one of a trio of mild physical therapy exercises during their stays in the intensive care unit (ICU).

22 Sep 2009

FDA: Manufacturers to include warning of promethazine hydrochloride injection on labels

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is telling manufacturers of the drug promethazine to include a boxed warning regarding the injectable form of the drug.

17 Sep 2009

Mantra medicine tool helps patients in healing process

Dr. Mitchell Earl Gibson, a board-certified medical doctor in High Point, North Carolina, has formed a company that creates mantra and prayer-meditation-based recordings.

15 Sep 2009