http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Anaesthesia-History-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 24 May 2013 03:17:37 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/fda-approves-sedasys-propofol-sedation-system-118742-1.htm Ethicon Endo-Surgery has announced the approval by FDA for its SEDASYS device. This device is the first computer-assisted personalized sedation (CAPS) system which is a boon to clinicians in the endoscopy suites. With this system, anesthesiologists and CRNAs can be replaced with computerized technology to administer propofol and to monitor minimal-to-moderate sedation in patients undergoing upper and lower endoscopies. The company has also added that only ASA class I and II patients can be allowed to receive propofol via SEDASYS....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/fda-approves-sedasys-propofol-sedation-system-118742-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/anesthesia-selection-impacts-outcomes-in-patients-with-sleep-apnea-undergoing-joint-replacement-study-118540-1.htm According to a study, using regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia in patients with sleep apnea undergoing total joint replacement decreases major complications by 17%. The study was published online, ahead of print, in the journal iRegional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine/i. The Hospital for Special Surgery study is the first to provide evidence that an intervention during surgery can improve outcomes in patients with sleep apnea who often fare worse than patients without this condition....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/anesthesia-selection-impacts-outcomes-in-patients-with-sleep-apnea-undergoing-joint-replacement-study-118540-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-dementia-and-anesthesia-falsified-118314-1.htm A new research from Mayo Clinic revealed that elderly patients who receive anesthesia are not more likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer's disease than other seniors. The study analyzed thousands of patients using the Rochester Epidemiology Project -- which allows researchers access to medical records of nearly all residents of Olmsted County, Minn. -- and found that receiving general anesthesia for procedures after age 45 is not a risk factor for developing dementia. The findings were published ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-dementia-and-anesthesia-falsified-118314-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/complications-and-death-might-increase-on-usage-of-nitrous-oxide-for-anesthesia-118042-1.htm According to a pair of studies, giving nitrous oxide as part of general anesthesia for noncardiac surgery doesn't increase the rate of complications and death-and might even decrease the risk of such events. The studies can be found in the vMay issue of iAnesthesia (and) Analgesia/i, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS). /bBut an accompanying series of editorials points out some important limitations of the two studies-which can't completely overcome previous ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/complications-and-death-might-increase-on-usage-of-nitrous-oxide-for-anesthesia-118042-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/use-of-anesthesia-is-cost-effective-and-increases-success-rates-of-turning-breech-babies-117778-1.htm At the end of pregnancy when a baby is in the breech position, obstetricians can sometimes turn the baby head-down to enable a safer vaginal birth. In the past, women were not given anesthesia during the turning procedure, which requires the physician to push on the woman's abdomen while monitoring the baby with ultrasound. But a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital shows anesthesia is cost-effective because it increases the likelihood the procedure will work....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/use-of-anesthesia-is-cost-effective-and-increases-success-rates-of-turning-breech-babies-117778-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/missing-wisdom-teeth-may-be-due-to-childhood-dental-anesthesia-116859-1.htm Researchers from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine have found that children who received dental anesthesia in their gums between the ages of two and six were more likely not to develop wisdom teeth as they grow up. The investigators analyzed the dental records of 220 patients who had received dental anesthesia between the ages of two and six and found that kids who had received anesthesia were 4.3 times more likely to have no wisdom tooth development compared to those who did not have the injection....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/missing-wisdom-teeth-may-be-due-to-childhood-dental-anesthesia-116859-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/anesthesia-overdose-causes-death-of-a-teenage-boy-in-bangalore-116201-1.htm A teenage boy, who was admitted to a Bangalore hospital for liposuction, died due to anesthesia overdose. He suffered a cardiac arrest. The boy was scheduled to undergo liposuction at the Panacea Hospital in Bangalore. His weight was about 85 kilograms. It is suspected that the hospital administered an overdose of anesthesia which led to a cardiac arrest. The boy's parents are of the opinion that an overdose of anesthesia caused a cardiac arrest. However, the doctors, have clarified that ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/anesthesia-overdose-causes-death-of-a-teenage-boy-in-bangalore-116201-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/rate-of-propofol-abuse-by-health-care-professionals-is-rising-116079-1.htm Abuse of the anesthesia drug propofol is being more commonly seen among health care professionals. This is "rapidly progressive form of substance dependence". This is being reported in a study in the April Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams (and) Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health. "Propofol addiction is a virulent and debilitating form of substance dependence" with a "rapid ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/rate-of-propofol-abuse-by-health-care-professionals-is-rising-116079-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/low-rate-of-patient-awareness-during-anesthesia-reported-in-new-survey-115819-1.htm Initial findings from a major study which looked at how many patients experienced accidental awareness during general anesthesia are being reported by the Royal College of Anesthetists (RCoA) and the Association of Anesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI). The survey asked all senior anaesthetists in NHS hospitals in the UK (more than 80% of whom replied) to report how many cases of accidental awareness during general anaesthesia they encountered in 2011. There are three million general anaesthetics administered each year....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/low-rate-of-patient-awareness-during-anesthesia-reported-in-new-survey-115819-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-identify-distinctive-brain-wave-patterns-marking-unconsciousness-under-anesthesia-115370-1.htm A recent research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences identified a unique brain activity when a person is sedated. Even as thousands are losing and regaining consciousness with anesthesia during surgeries every day, very little is known of what exactly is happening within the brain. A team of scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT and Boston University explored the changes in the brain activity as a person under anesthesia slips into unconsciousness....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-identify-distinctive-brain-wave-patterns-marking-unconsciousness-under-anesthesia-115370-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/use-of-common-anesthetic-agents-on-pregnant-mothers-can-be-harmful-for-babys-development-111436-1.htm An anesthetic regimen commonly used during surgery on pregnant mothers seems to have a negative effect on the development of the fetus, reveals a new study on mice conducted by neurobiologists from the National Center for Toxicological Research, in Arizona. In the article 'Inhalation Anesthesia-Induced Neuronal Damage and Gene Expression Changes in Developing Rat Brain' published earlier this month in iSystems Pharmacology/i, an open access journal by Versita - Dr. Fang Liu and Dr. Cheng ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/use-of-common-anesthetic-agents-on-pregnant-mothers-can-be-harmful-for-babys-development-111436-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/opium-harvest-in-afghanistan-drops-by-a-third-110497-1.htm Opium production in Afghanistan has fallen by a third, says a report by the United Nations. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said that the fall came even as the amount of land used to cultivate the crop rose by 18 percent. More farmers have been trying to grow the crop as the price of opium has been rising, it said. The fall in the harvest is being attributed to bad weather and disease, the BBC reports. The UNODC reported that the rise in the area devoted to growing opium ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/opium-harvest-in-afghanistan-drops-by-a-third-110497-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/recent-study-identifies-how-brain-activity-changes-when-anesthesia-induces-unconsciousness-109540-1.htm A pattern of brain activity that signals exactly when patients lose consciousness under general anesthesia has been discovered by scientists. Although their study only involved use of one anesthetic drug, propofol, the researchers believe that their findings will apply to other forms of general anesthesia and could lead to better ways of monitoring anesthetized patients. "How anesthetics produce unconsciousness is a major scientific mystery, so this finding is very important because it ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/recent-study-identifies-how-brain-activity-changes-when-anesthesia-induces-unconsciousness-109540-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/anesthesia-type-affects-outcomes-of-bilateral-knee-replacement-surgery-109205-1.htm According to a new study, using regional anesthesia rather than general anesthesia reduces the need for blood transfusions in patients undergoing bilateral total knee replacement. The study was led by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery, in New York City. Currently, the majority of bilateral knee replacements in the United States (as well as single knee replacements) are performed under general anesthesia, and researchers say that a regional anesthesia known as neuraxial anesthesia should be promoted for these procedures....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/anesthesia-type-affects-outcomes-of-bilateral-knee-replacement-surgery-109205-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/anesthetic-drugs-turn-on-sleep-circuits-in-brain-109109-1.htm A new study published in the journal Current Biology reveals that anesthetic drugs actually put the brain to sleep by turning "on" the important sleep circuits. "Despite more than 160 years of continuous use in humans, we still do not understand how anesthetic drugs work to produce the state of general anesthesia," said Max Kelz of the University of Pennsylvania. "We show that a commonly used inhaled anesthetic drug directly causes sleep-promoting neurons to fire. We believe that this result is not simply a coincidence....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/anesthetic-drugs-turn-on-sleep-circuits-in-brain-109109-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/chocolate-affects-the-brain-in-the-same-way-as-opium-107338-1.htm A new study conducted by researchers at University of Michigan reveals that chocolate has the same effect on a part of brain as opium, explaining why some people cannot resist eating it. The researchers said that the region of the brain was part of a larger region known as striatum. The researchers studied the effect of eating M (and) M chocolate sweets in mice and found that it increased the level of a natural brain chemical called enkephalin and when the researchers used a drug to stimulate the dorsal ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/chocolate-affects-the-brain-in-the-same-way-as-opium-107338-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/redheads-perceived-resistance-to-anesthetic-drugs-is-just-a-myth-106321-1.htm The popular perception that redheads have more resistance to anesthetic drugs is nothing but a myth, a new study by Melbourne researchers reveals. They say that people with burnished locks do not behave similarly as their blond, brown or black-haired friends when they have anaesthesia in surgery. Smaller studies of about 10 healthy, young volunteers and research involving animals had previously shown a link between red hair and anaesthesia resistance, said Melbourne anaesthetist Professor Paul Myles....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/redheads-perceived-resistance-to-anesthetic-drugs-is-just-a-myth-106321-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-aim-to-develop-new-anesthesia-drugs-105131-1.htm Researchers are using molecular techniques and other sophisticated approaches to develop and evaluate new anesthetic agents with important advantages over current drugs. The new techniques open the way to rapid development of better, safer anesthetics with real benefits for patient care, according to an accompanying editorial by Dr Ken B. Johnson of University of Utah, Salt Lake City. bAdvanced Techniques Used to Design Better Anesthetics/b The August A (and) A reports on the development ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-aim-to-develop-new-anesthesia-drugs-105131-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/complications-and-death-for-hip-fracture-patients-may-be-reduced-by-regional-anesthesia-103132-1.htm The use of regional anesthesia and not general anesthesia was associated with a significant reduction in major pulmonary complications and death in a study of more than 18,000 patients having surgery for hip fracture, researchers at the bPerelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania/b have found. The new study will be published in the July issue of the journal iAnesthesiology/i. "Hip fracture is a common and costly event among older adults," said lead study author bMark D....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/complications-and-death-for-hip-fracture-patients-may-be-reduced-by-regional-anesthesia-103132-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-approach-to-prevent-rare-complication-of-spinal-anesthesia-102136-1.htm Local anesthetic mixed with magnetized 'ferrofluids' provide a novel way to prevent a rare but serious complication of spinal anesthesia, report scientists. With further research, the magnet technique may provide a second means-in addition to gravity-of preventing "high spinal block," which occurs when spinal anesthetics spread to the upper portions of the spinal cord. The preliminary studies were performed by Dr Robert H. Thiele of University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-approach-to-prevent-rare-complication-of-spinal-anesthesia-102136-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/common-stimulant-could-speed-up-recovery-from-propofol-anesthesia-99908-1.htm Both the inhaled gas isoflurane and intravenous drug propofol may benefit from the ability of the commonly used stimulant methylphenidate (Ritalin) to speed recovery from general anesthesia. Members of the same Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team that reported the isoflurane study are publishing similar results for propofol in the May issue of IAnesthesiology, /Iand their paper has been issued online. "Propofol is the most widely used intravenous general anesthetic, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/common-stimulant-could-speed-up-recovery-from-propofol-anesthesia-99908-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/research-sheds-light-on-alzheimers-like-changes-in-mammalian-brains-induced-by-anesthetic-isoflurane-98398-1.htm New research indicates that inhaled anesthetic isoflurane causes Alzheimer's-disease-like changes in mammalian brains via its effects on mitochondria. In a study that will appear in IAnnals of Neurology/I and has received early online release, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report that administration of isoflurane impaired the performance of mice on a standard test of learning and memory - a result not seen when another anesthetic, desflurane, was administered. They ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/research-sheds-light-on-alzheimers-like-changes-in-mammalian-brains-induced-by-anesthetic-isoflurane-98398-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/expert-highlights-emerging-technologies-in-anesthesia-97967-1.htm Some of the important technological landmarks in bianesthesia/i/b in the immediate future include advances in nanotechnology, robotics, smart pumps, automation and artificial intelligence in clinical decisions, said Dr.Gopinath Ramachandran, Professor and Head, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, delivering the Prof. Vijaylakshmi Kamat Memorial Oration yesterday on 'Technology in Anesthesia - Looking Forward' at Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/expert-highlights-emerging-technologies-in-anesthesia-97967-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/benefits-of-local-anesthesia-after-knee-replacement-surgery-highlighted-97431-1.htm Local anesthesia delivered through a catheter in the joint is found to be more beneficial than traditional methods, say researchers. Their research will be recognized with the Knee Society Award for the best work on a surgical technique at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons annual meeting, February 7-11 in San Francisco. Their initial study findings will be presented on Friday, February 10th at 5:42 PM Pacific Time. The randomized, double-blind trial administered either bupivacaine, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/benefits-of-local-anesthesia-after-knee-replacement-surgery-highlighted-97431-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/adhd-risk-linked-to-anesthesia-exposure-during-infancy-97004-1.htm A Mayo Clinic research has found that the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increases among children below 3 years of age if they undergo two or more surgeries involving general anesthesia. The researchers analyzed medical data of 341 children with ADHD and found that over 18 percent of the children who underwent more than one surgery under general anesthesia developed ADHD. The rate fell to 11 percent and 7 percent among children who were exposed to anesthesia once or never underwent any surgery in their infancy....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/adhd-risk-linked-to-anesthesia-exposure-during-infancy-97004-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Tooth-Pain-Eased-by-Adding-Sugar-Alcohol-to-Dental-Anesthesia-95303-1.htm Doctors have found that mixing dental anesthesia with mannitol, a simple sugar alcohol, greatly helps in numbing the dental-drilling pain. Mannitol apparently helps to open the membrane that protects nerve fibres under the tooth, allowing the anaesthesia to seep in. It helped reduce the pain of 40 subjects who were otherwise unfortunate enough to need three dental appointments to fix their teeth. Best of all, mannitol, which is nearly identical to the sweetener sorbitol, is a safe and natural ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Tooth-Pain-Eased-by-Adding-Sugar-Alcohol-to-Dental-Anesthesia-95303-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Less-Invasive-Anesthetic-Methods-Better-for-Endovascular-Aneurysm-Repair-Study-92706-1.htm Less invasive spinal, epidural and local/monitored anesthesia techniques are better than general anesthesia for elective endovascular repair of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (EVAR), shows study conducted by investigators at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Details of the research appear in the November issue of the iJournal of Vascular Surgery/i, the official publication of the Society for Vascular Surgery. Aortic aneurysms are abnormal bulges, or "ballooning" in the walls of the aorta, the body's largest artery....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Less-Invasive-Anesthetic-Methods-Better-for-Endovascular-Aneurysm-Repair-Study-92706-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Learning-Disabilities-Observed-In-Children-Exposed-to-Anesthesia-Before-Age-2-91515-1.htm Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester have found an association among children undergoing multiple surgeries requiring general anesthesia before age 2 and learning disabilities later in childhood. Every year millions of babies and toddlers receive general anesthesia for procedures ranging from hernia repair to ear surgery. The study was conducted with existing data of 5,357 children from the Rochester Epidemiology Project and examined the medical and educational records of 1,050 children ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Learning-Disabilities-Observed-In-Children-Exposed-to-Anesthesia-Before-Age-2-91515-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Recovery-from-General-Anesthesia-may-be-Hastened-by-Common-Stimulant-91076-1.htm An animal study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has found that administration of the commonly used stimulant drug methylphenidate (Ritalin) was able to speed recovery from general anesthesia. The report, appearing in the October issue of IAnesthesiology/I, is the first demonstration in mammals of what could be a safe and effective way to induce arousal from general anesthesia. While there are drugs to counteract many of the agents used by anesthesiologists - such as ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Recovery-from-General-Anesthesia-may-be-Hastened-by-Common-Stimulant-91076-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Report-Probes-into-Whether-Anesthesia-is-Dangerous-88089-1.htm It has emerged, worryingly, that anesthesia-associated mortality has risen again. The reasons for this are the disproportionate increase in the numbers of older and multimorbid patients and surgical procedures that would have been unthinkable in the past. This is the result of a selective literature review of Andre Gottschalk's working group at the Bochum University Hospital in the current issue of iDeutsches Arzteblatt International/i (iDtsch Arztebl Int/i 2011; 108[27]: 469-74).In the 1940s, anesthesia-related mortality was 6....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Report-Probes-into-Whether-Anesthesia-is-Dangerous-88089-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Hypnosis-Local-Anesthesia-Combo-During-Surgery-Can-Aid-Healing-Process-86283-1.htm Combining hypnosis along with local anaesthesia (LA) for certain types of surgery can aid the healing process and reduce drug use and hospital stay. In addition, researchers from Cliniques Universitaires, Belgium, also found that the combination could also help in avoiding cancer recurrence and metastases. "In addition to reducing drug use and hospital stay time, being able to avoid general anaesthesia in breast cancer surgery is important because we know that local anaesthesia can block ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Hypnosis-Local-Anesthesia-Combo-During-Surgery-Can-Aid-Healing-Process-86283-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Link-Between-Anesthesia-and-Learning-Disabilities-85784-1.htm Anesthesia exposure in infants and very young children may lead to higher rates of learning disabilities and cognitive difficulties then children who are not exposed to anesthesia, says report. "We want to impress upon people that there is a very reliable link between the animal and human data that is rapidly emerging," said panel moderator Dr. Vesna Jevtovic-Todorovic, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Professor of Anesthesiology and Neuroscience at the University of Virginia Health System and SmartTots Scientific Advisory Board member....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Link-Between-Anesthesia-and-Learning-Disabilities-85784-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Surgical-Anesthesia-Not-All-That-Effective-Say-Researchers-85079-1.htm Experts in Australia have suggested that anesthesia during surgery is not that effective since a large number of patients regain consciousness at some part during the surgery, leading to long-term post-traumatic stress disorder in some patients. Researchers led by Professors Andrew Davidson and Kate Leslie, from Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, found that at least one in 1,000 patients had some sort of awareness during surgery while they number doubled among children with one in 500 saying that they were awake during surgery....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Surgical-Anesthesia-Not-All-That-Effective-Say-Researchers-85079-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Anesthesia-is-Dangerous-for-the-Obese-83058-1.htm Undergoing anesthesia is twice as dangerous for obese people compared to those who do not suffer from obesity, a new study published in the British Journal of Anesthesia reveals. The researchers also warned that the risk increased with increasing weight and said that the risk was four times higher for severely obese people. Such people who develop some serious airway complications when under anesthesia, the researchers added. The study is to be presented at the Royal College of Anesthetists (RCoA) on Wednesday....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Anesthesia-is-Dangerous-for-the-Obese-83058-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Automatic-Delivery-System-of-Anesthesia-Medications-82133-1.htm An automatic delivery system of propofol and remifentanil has been developed by an inventive team of French anesthesiologists. The researchers explained that the system employs a Bispectral Index (BIS) monitor as a guide, which proves more efficient than manual administration. Researchers have developed a proportional-integral-derivative controller which enables closed-loop administration of propofol and remifentanil, directed by the Bispectral Index (BIS) monitor, during administration of general anesthesia....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Automatic-Delivery-System-of-Anesthesia-Medications-82133-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/FDA-to-Assess-Effect-of-Anesthesia-on-Cognitive-Ability-of-Children-82121-1.htm The US Food and Drug Administration will be meeting on Thursday to look into claims that using anesthesia on children could affect their cognitive abilities. The FDA revealed that the decision to constitute a panel to look into the concerns was made after a number of studies, so far conducted on animals, proved that exposure to anesthesia can be responsible for the death of brain cells. FDA's director of the division of anesthesia and analgesia products, Dr Bob Rappaport said that the agency will ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/FDA-to-Assess-Effect-of-Anesthesia-on-Cognitive-Ability-of-Children-82121-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Algal-Based-Local-Anesthetic-Effectively-Blocks-Pain-in-Surgical-Patients-81484-1.htm Surgical patients might soon benefit from a long-acting local anesthetic, thanks to researchers in the United States and Chile. In a randomised, double-blind trial, patients had significantly less postoperative pain and recovered about two days sooner when they received neosaxitoxin, a new local anesthetic derived from algae. Based on this finding, Children's Hospital Boston, a co-investigator in the study, has signed an agreement to work with Proteus, a biotech start-up company in Chile, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Algal-Based-Local-Anesthetic-Effectively-Blocks-Pain-in-Surgical-Patients-81484-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Nitrous-Oxide-Anesthesia-Boost-Heart-Attack-Risk-80173-1.htm During surgery, patients receiving nitrous oxide as part of general anesthesia may be at increased long term risk of myocardial infraction (heart attack), says a recent study. Based on follow-up from a previous randomized trial, the study finds no increased risk of death among patients receiving nitrous oxide, according to Dr. Kate Leslie of Royal Melbourne Hospital and colleagues. Experts emphasize the need for more research to clarify the true cardiovascular risks, if any, of using nitrous oxide for anesthesia....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Nitrous-Oxide-Anesthesia-Boost-Heart-Attack-Risk-80173-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Afghan-Mothers-Use-Opium-To-Put-Kids-to-Sleep-79949-1.htm In a remote corner of northern Afghanistan, there's a town where kids are fed pure opium. Aziza feeds her four-year-old son, Omaidullah, a lump of pure opium as his 'breakfast.' "If I don't give him opium he doesn't sleep. And he doesn't let me work," CNN quoted Aziza as saying. The mother comes from a poor family of carpet weavers in Balkh province. She has no education; no idea of the health risks involved or that opium is addictive. "We give the children opium whenever they get sick as well," she said....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Afghan-Mothers-Use-Opium-To-Put-Kids-to-Sleep-79949-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-How-Anaesthesia-Disturbs-Self-Perception-79779-1.htm Anesthetizing an arm affects brain activity and rapidly impairs body perception, scientists have demonstrated. A research team, led by Dr Stein Silva, were interested in studying the illusions described by many patients under regional anaesthetic. The ultimate aim was to understand how neuronal circuits are reorganised at this exact moment in time and to take advantage of anaesthesia to reconfigure them correctly following trauma. This would allow anaesthetic techniques to be used ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-How-Anaesthesia-Disturbs-Self-Perception-79779-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Anesthesia-Must-be-Carefully-Given-Says-Leading-Doc-79096-1.htm One of the leading anesthetists in the state, Dr Murali Chakravarthy urged doctors to take extreme care when giving anesthesia to patients following an increasing number of deaths due to errors made during surgeries. Dr Chakravarthy, who is the chief consultant for department of Anesthesia, critical care and pain relief at Fortis Hospital, said that anesthesia is an enigmatic part of the surgery both for the doctor and the patient. He was speaking at the launch of a new book, Protocols in Anesthesia, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Anesthesia-Must-be-Carefully-Given-Says-Leading-Doc-79096-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Important-Similarities-Seen-Between-Coma-and-General-Anesthesia-78776-1.htm Three neuroscientists have said that the brain under general anesthesia isn't "asleep" as surgery patients are often told -- it is placed into a state that is a reversible coma. They have published an extensive review of general anesthesia, sleep and coma, in the Dec. 30 issue of the INew England Journal of Medicine/I. This insight and others reported in their review article could eventually lead to new approaches to general anesthesia and improved diagnosis and treatment for sleep abnormalities and emergence from coma....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Important-Similarities-Seen-Between-Coma-and-General-Anesthesia-78776-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Surgical-Anesthetic-Gases-Also-Contribute-To-Global-Warming-77616-1.htm Atmosphere scientists have warned that anesthetic gases that are conveniently used during surgeries have a global warming potential. These gases are as harmful for the environment as a refrigerant, yet they are not reported along with other greenhouse gasses such as CO2, refrigerants and laughing gas. University of Copenhagen researchers and NASA scientists found that one-kilo of anesthetic gas affects the climate as much as 1620 kilos of CO2. "We studied three different gasses in regular ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Surgical-Anesthetic-Gases-Also-Contribute-To-Global-Warming-77616-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Drug-Threat-in-Asia-Amphetamines-Replace-Heroin-Opium-77277-1.htm A United Nations report has warned synthetic drugs are replacing traditional plant-based narcotics such as heroin and opium across Asia. Amphetamine-type stimulants were widely used in East and South-East Asia in 2009 and were being produced in almost every country in the region, the report said -- with methamphetamine, known as meth, especially popular. The drugs are a "critical emerging threat to the region", said the report released Thursday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Drug-Threat-in-Asia-Amphetamines-Replace-Heroin-Opium-77277-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Common-Anesthetic-Acts-Like-Magic-Drug-to-Beat-Depression-72910-1.htm Ketamine, a general anesthetic usually administered to children and pets, is also highly effective in low doses as an anti-depressant, according a study published Thursday. Researchers at Yale University wrote in the August 20 issue of the journal Science that unlike most anti-depressants on the market which can take weeks to take full effect ketamine can begin to counter depression in hours. "It's like a magic drug -- one dose can work rapidly and last for seven to 10 days," said Ronald ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Common-Anesthetic-Acts-Like-Magic-Drug-to-Beat-Depression-72910-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Hepatitis-Transmitted-With-Misuse-of-Anesthesia-71737-1.htm Wrong and unhygienic practices in the administering of anesthesia could lead to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HBC) transmission, disclosed a new study. In the study, doctors found that anesthesia contamination, not endoscopy contamination, was the cause of infection. Efforts are needed to better educate the health-care community on the importance of strict adherence to sterile techniques when using any form of anesthesia. The study findings highlight the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Hepatitis-Transmitted-With-Misuse-of-Anesthesia-71737-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Inflammatory-Bowel-Disease-Relieved-By-Local-Anaesthesia-71078-1.htm Local anaesthetics, concludes a new study, could have therapeutic effects on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract, mainly the intestines that may occur in the people who have genetic potential with a contribution of environmental factors. There has been no definitive medical treatment and drugs usually help the symptoms just to relieve. Local anaesthetics are used to locally desensitise the tissues to allow surgical interventions....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Inflammatory-Bowel-Disease-Relieved-By-Local-Anaesthesia-71078-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Opium-and-Hemlock-Cocktail-Killed-Cleopatra-Not-Snakebite-70759-1.htm The long-held belief that Cleopatra died of snakebite has been proved a myth - the cause of death, a German scientist says, is a lethal drug cocktail that included opium and hemlock. Christoph Schaefer, a historian and professor at the University of Trier, has presented evidence on a TV show that aims to prove drugs and not the reptile were the cause of the Egyptian beauty's death. "Queen Cleopatra was famous for her beauty and was unlikely to have subjected herself to a long ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Opium-and-Hemlock-Cocktail-Killed-Cleopatra-Not-Snakebite-70759-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Illegal-Opium-Cultivation-on-Rise-in-Himachal-Pradesh-68990-1.htm Illegal opium cultivation has reportedly increased in Himachal Pradesh, as the towns of Kullu and Mandi have become centres of opium traders in the region. The illegal cultivation of poppy and cannabis has increased here with each passing year, particularly in the regions bordering Shimla district. This has posed as a threat to the credibility of the state government and the police, as critics are of the view that top brass in the police administration have failed to tackle this social hazard....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Illegal-Opium-Cultivation-on-Rise-in-Himachal-Pradesh-68990-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Nasal-Anesthetic-Spray-Could-Replace-Dentists-Needle-68931-1.htm A new discovery may replace the needle used to give local anesthetic in the dentist's chair for many procedures. Boffins have reported that a common local anesthetic, when administered to the nose as nose drops or a nasal spray, travels through the main nerve in the face and collects in high concentrations in the teeth, jaw, and structures of the mouth. The discovery could lead to a new generation of intranasal drugs for noninvasive treatment for dental pain, migraine, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Nasal-Anesthetic-Spray-Could-Replace-Dentists-Needle-68931-1.htm