http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Anaesthesia-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 04:12:02 GMT 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/Depression-Reprieve-With-Common-Anaesthetic-86567-1.htm Scientists in the US have found how a commonly used anaesthetic is able to lift the symptoms of depression in hours, rather than weeks. Their work reveals how the anaesthetic lifts depression, and it seems to act on neurons in an unusual way. The team, led by Associate Professor Lisa Monteggia at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, have been examining the effects of the anaesthetic ketamine and similar compounds on depressed mice. The group assessed how depressed the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Depression-Reprieve-With-Common-Anaesthetic-86567-1.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/Anaesthetic-Agent-is-a-Significant-Contributor-to-Global-Warming-Study-70824-1.htm Inhaled anaesthetics which are commonly employed for surgery-particularly the anaesthetic desflurane - are found to be a significant contributor to global warming, according to a new study. Dr. Susan M. Ryan of University of California and computer scientist Claus J. Nielsen of University of Oslo said that sevoflurane, isoflurane, and desflurane are recognized greenhouse gases. Using desflurane for one hour is equivalent to 235 to 470 miles of driving. The anaesthetics "usually are vented ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Anaesthetic-Agent-is-a-Significant-Contributor-to-Global-Warming-Study-70824-1.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 http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-Anesthesia-Increases-Risk-of-Developing-Alzheimers-like-Symptoms-66889-1.htm A rodent study found repetitive anaesthesia with isoflurane (one of the most common anaesthetics by inhalation) increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) like symptoms in patients with genetic risk factors for the disease. Spanish researchers coordinated by Doctors Maria Angeles Mena and Justo Garcia de Yebenes, from CIBERNED (Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas), found that anaesthesia is safe for normal mice but potentially harmful for ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-Anesthesia-Increases-Risk-of-Developing-Alzheimers-like-Symptoms-66889-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Bill-Clinton-Says-He-Had-No-Anaesthetic-for-Recent-Heart-Operation-66017-1.htm For his recent heart operation at New York's Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, former US President Bill Clinton had no anaesthetic. "I didn't have any anaesthesia or any sedatives. I just had this stent put in and I asked if I could watch it on the screen while they were fixing me. So, I think that I was able to make a quicker comeback because I didn't go under," Daily Express quoted Clinton, as saying. "The next day I walked two miles in the cold right before the snow in New York," he added....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Bill-Clinton-Says-He-Had-No-Anaesthetic-for-Recent-Heart-Operation-66017-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/System-for-Regulating-Anesthesia-Via-Computer-Launched-65257-1.htm A technique for automatically controlling anaesthesia during surgical operations has been created by researchers. The new system detects the hypnotic state of the patient at all times and supplies the most appropriate dose of anaesthetic. "This is an efficient control technique which regulates anaesthesia in operating theatres by computer, with the aim of adapting the dose of the drug administered according to the individual characteristics of each patient", Juan Albino Mendez, lead author ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/System-for-Regulating-Anesthesia-Via-Computer-Launched-65257-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Lawsuit-In-California-Against-Permitting-Nurses-To-Administer-Anesthesia-64730-1.htm Californian doctors are up in arms against a new move by the state government to allow nurses to administer anesthesia without the supervision of a physician. "It's a patient safety issue when you have absolutely no supervision from a physician; it's very risky," says Francisco Silva, general counsel for the California Medical Association. It has filed a suit against the regulation along with the California Society of Anesthesiologists. It is not as if there is any severe shortage of anesthesiologists, they argue....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Lawsuit-In-California-Against-Permitting-Nurses-To-Administer-Anesthesia-64730-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Pain-Blocked-Without-Interfering-With-Motor-Function-by-New-Anaesthetic-Approach-64611-1.htm A new study by reseachers from the Children's Hospital Boston, have found a new anaesthetic approach which stops pain without affecting motor function. The study group, led by Daniel Kohane of the Division of Critical Care Medicine at Children's, originally planned to find an agent that would prolong the anaesthetics' effects. They focused on surfactants, a subclass of "chemical permeability enhancers" that allow drugs to spread more easily throughout a tissue. As the researchers ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Pain-Blocked-Without-Interfering-With-Motor-Function-by-New-Anaesthetic-Approach-64611-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Ether-Discovery-to-Anesthetize-Patients-was-Almost-Made-Earlier-62874-1.htm The successful use of ether to anesthetize patients was the first great milestone in the history of surgical anesthesia. But the discovery might have occurred earlier, and medical history written differently, but for a scientific error by another physician, according to an article in the January issue of Anesthesia (and) Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS). In the new article, Martha E. Stone and colleagues of Harvard Medical School offer an account of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Ether-Discovery-to-Anesthetize-Patients-was-Almost-Made-Earlier-62874-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Anaesthetic-Sexual-Hallucinations-62381-1.htm A researcher from Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists has raised concerns over the increasing number of patients complaining "sexual hallucinations" while under sedation. Professor Barry Baker said it was common for patients to experience an erotic dream while under the influence of anaesthesia. However, it could lead to complaints of sexual assault among those patients who were unable to differentiate the dream from reality. "There have been some studies which have ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Anaesthetic-Sexual-Hallucinations-62381-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-Finds-77-Percent-of-European-Pigs-are-Castrated-Without-Anesthetic-62187-1.htm It is a well-known fact that the castration of pigs prevents the "boar taint" smell in the meat and allows them to contain more fat, but in practice this can be very different. Now, for the first time, a scientific team has collected information on the conditions of castration on European pigs. The main conclusion of the study, that forms part of the PIGCAS project, is that these animals are castrated directly by the livestock farmers, without anaesthetic and in some cases, without respecting the European legislation....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-Finds-77-Percent-of-European-Pigs-are-Castrated-Without-Anesthetic-62187-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Mice-Study-Identifies-Genetic-Region-Responsible-for-Cardiovascular-Collapse-During-Anaesthesia-58013-1.htm The genetic region responsible for cardiovascular collapse during anaesthesia has been identified in a mice study. Researchers at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee say that even though scientists have known that people have different cardiovascular sensitivity to anaesthesia because of which some collapse even when low doses are administered, the mechanism responsible for this susceptibility is not clear. "By identifying a genetic susceptibility for cardiovascular collapse to ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Mice-Study-Identifies-Genetic-Region-Responsible-for-Cardiovascular-Collapse-During-Anaesthesia-58013-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Anesthetic-Drug-Reduces-Suicidal-Tendencies-In-Depressed-Patients-57896-1.htm A drug previously used as an anesthetic has been found to significantly reduce suicidal tendencies in depressed patients, say researchers. The study showed that ketamine acutely reduced suicidal thoughts when patients were assessed 24 hours after a single infusion. This reduction in suicidality was maintained when patients received repeated doses over the next two weeks. Corresponding author Rebecca Price called the findings encouraging. "If these ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Anesthetic-Drug-Reduces-Suicidal-Tendencies-In-Depressed-Patients-57896-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Jackson-Was-Very-Familiar-With-Propofol-And-Referred-To-It-As-His-Milk-57149-1.htm The King of Pop referred to drug propofol, which allegedly was the cause of his demise, as 'milk', reveal investigators looking into Michael Jackson's death. The late singer's personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray is apparently a prime suspect in the case for administering the harmful drug, reports the Telegraph. He "stated that Jackson was very familiar with the drug (propofol) and referred to it as his 'milk,'" Los Angeles Police Department detective Orlando Martinez wrote in a warrant affidavit unsealed in Houston, Texas this week....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Jackson-Was-Very-Familiar-With-Propofol-And-Referred-To-It-As-His-Milk-57149-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Michael-Jackson-Died-Of-Propofol-Overdose-Says-Coroner-56944-1.htm Pop king Michael Jackson died of propofol overdose, Los Angeles coroner has ruled. Propofol is a potent anesthesia that should never be found outside a hospital, it is said. Los Angeles coroner Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran reached that preliminary conclusion after reviewing toxicology results carried out on Jackson's blood,according to a search warrant and affidavit unsealed in Houston, Texas. The 32-page warrant said Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, told a detective that he had ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Michael-Jackson-Died-Of-Propofol-Overdose-Says-Coroner-56944-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Breast-Cancer-Mapping-Could-Become-Less-Painful-With-Anaesthetic-56070-1.htm Breast Cancer mapping Could become less painful With anaesthetic, according to a study released on Thursday. The sentinel lympth nodes are often the first place breast cancer goes when it spreads, but the biopsy of the nodes is a painful process indeed. Now the anaesthetic route seems to offer a way out. In Thursday's online issue of Lancet Oncology, U.S. researchers found adding the anesthetic lidocaine reduced injection pain in patients having their sentinel lymph nodes or SLN mapped. ''For centres ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Breast-Cancer-Mapping-Could-Become-Less-Painful-With-Anaesthetic-56070-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-Finds-Nerve-Block-Anesthesia-can-Improve-Surgical-Recovery-55958-1.htm Patients are not actually bothered about the type of anesthesia they receive before surgery. But this choice can actually affect the outcome of the procedure itself. Regional nerve blocks, an anesthesia technique available at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, are known to improve pain relief, reduce side effects and allow patients to go home sooner when compared with general anesthesia. With the introduction of ultrasound guidance, nerve blocks have become more accurate, making the technique available ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-Finds-Nerve-Block-Anesthesia-can-Improve-Surgical-Recovery-55958-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Anesthesia-During-Delivery-Is-Not-Harmful-To-The-Baby-Says-Study-55450-1.htm A new study has shown that kids exposed to anesthesia during Cesarean section are not at any higher risk for learning disabilities later in life than children not delivered by C-section. "We found that the incidence of learning disabilities was equal between children who were delivered vaginally and those who were delivered via C-section but with general anesthesia," says Juraj Sprung, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist who led the study. "It's reassuring that the anesthetics required ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Anesthesia-During-Delivery-Is-Not-Harmful-To-The-Baby-Says-Study-55450-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Safer-Anesthetic-For-Critically-Ill-Patients-Developed-55369-1.htm Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) physicians have a developed a safer, and novel general anaesthetic for critically ill patients. Published in the journal Anesthesiology, the article describes the drug called MOC-etomidate as a chemically altered version of an exiting anaesthetic that does not cause the sudden drop in blood pressure seen with most anaesthetics, or prolonged suppression of adrenal gland activity, a problem with the original version of the drug. "We have shown that making ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Safer-Anesthetic-For-Critically-Ill-Patients-Developed-55369-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Local-Anesthetic-Reduces-Need-for-Painkillers-After-C-Section-54376-1.htm Cochrane Researchers have said that giving a local anaesthetic during a Caesarean section helps manage pain after the operation and can reduce consumption of painkillers. The researchers recommend local anaesthetics as part of integrated pain management strategies for Caesarean section operations, provided that consideration is given to the cost. "This review is particularly important in light of the growing number of women giving birth by Caesarean section," says lead researcher, Anthony ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Local-Anesthetic-Reduces-Need-for-Painkillers-After-C-Section-54376-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Regional-Blocks-Superior-To-General-Anesthesia-For-C-Section-50705-1.htm General anesthesia (GA) is associated with an increased risk of infant intubation and low Apgar scores, relative to regional anesthesia. An analysis of 50,806 cesarean deliveries, published in the open access journal IBMC Medicine/I, strongly supports guidelines that regional anesthesia is to be preferred over GA for most cesarean sections. Charles Algert, from the Kolling Institute at the Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, was part of a team of researchers who studied births in the state ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Regional-Blocks-Superior-To-General-Anesthesia-For-C-Section-50705-1.htm