https://medicalxpress.com/anesthesiology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Anaesthesiology A new study exposes challenges in reversing opioid overdoses with naloxone when potent synthetic drugs like fentanyl and sufentanil are involved, according to a study published in the May 2026 issue of Anesthesiology. The findings raise important alarms for health care professionals and the public as the opioid crisis continues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-limitations-naloxone-reversing-overdoses-powerful.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news695305133 Patients continuously monitored after surgery experienced significantly less time with dangerously low oxygen levels compared to those monitored using routine spot checks, a new study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-wearable-oxygen-surgery.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:00:01 EDT news693564751 As blood banks across the U.S. report dangerously low supplies of O-negative blood (red blood cells), anesthesiologists are calling for increased donation and changes in how hospitals use this "universal donor" blood type, according to a new Innovation in Practice article published online in Anesthesiology Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-blood-banks-neg-shortages-donations.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:00:01 EDT news693044337 When patients undergo general anesthesia, doctors can choose among several drugs. Although each of these drugs acts on neurons in different ways, they all lead to the same result: a disruption of the brain's balance between stability and excitability, according to a new MIT study published in the journal Cell Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-anesthesia-drugs-effect-brain.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:00:11 EDT news692871121 Genetic testing can play an important role in identifying patients at risk for malignant hyperthermia (MH), guided by answering three simple screening questions, according to an article published online March 10 in Anesthesiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-genetic-plays-role-malignant-hyperthermia.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 21:30:01 EDT news692455209 A major new study, led by Queen Mary University of London has been published in The Lancet Public Health. It found that out of the five million surgical procedures performed each year by the NHS, around 300,000 are carried out on individuals considered high-risk, and within 90 days of surgery, these high-risk patients account for four out of five deaths, over half of all hospital bed days and nearly one-third of emergency readmissions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-high-patients-account-surgery-deaths.html Sun, 01 Mar 2026 08:00:05 EST news691241659 For children with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) undergoing adenotonsillectomy, postoperative respiratory volume monitoring is feasible and can predict low minute ventilation (MV), according to a study published online Feb. 17 in Anesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-adenotonsillectomy-respiratory-volume-feasible-obstructive.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:10:02 EST news691339224 University of Queensland researchers have developed a less invasive way to test for a potential life-threatening reaction to an anesthetic. The work is published in the journal Anesthesiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-life-threatening-reaction-anesthetic.html Wed, 25 Feb 2026 17:00:08 EST news691260242 Military service members and veterans frequently experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is linked to a range of psychological challenges and adverse effects. Cognitive-behavioral therapies like cognitive processing therapy (CPT) are the main treatments for PTSD and are most effective when given daily. However, many patients continue to have PTSD symptoms after treatment, highlighting the need for more research to improve its effectiveness. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-combining-nerve-blocks-therapy-recovery.html Tue, 17 Feb 2026 16:48:29 EST news690569281 New research published in Operations Research shows that health care systems can substantially reduce overtime, idle time, and overall staffing costs by adopting a multilocation, dynamic staff-planning model for anesthesiologists. The study is based on the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), which cut daily overtime and idle time across 11 hospitals, generating over $800,000 in annual cost savings. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-driven-staffing-major-health.html Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:20:27 EST news690178802 A new study has found that several commonly used drugs could significantly reduce the risk of delirium in older people following surgery. Delirium—a sudden state of confusion and memory problems—affects around one in seven older adults after an operation. People who get delirium spend longer in hospital, are more likely to die in hospital or develop dementia later in life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-commonly-drugs-delirium-surgery.html Thu, 12 Feb 2026 15:19:28 EST news690131942 Ketamine, a decades-old anesthetic and fast-acting treatment for severe depression, may also offer some people rapid relief from chronic fatigue, according to a small proof-of-concept study led by researchers at Rutgers Health and the National Institutes of Health. The study is published in the journal Pharmacological Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-ketamine-chronic-fatigue.html Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:58:38 EST news690123482 A new multicenter study led by Zachary Binder, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, provides compelling evidence that an ultrasound-guided nerve block can dramatically improve pain control for children with femur fractures, while reducing their need for opioids by nearly 75%. Published in Academic Emergency Medicine, the study is the first large, prospective evaluation of the technique in pediatric emergency settings and offers a promising new approach to managing one of childhood's most painful injuries. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-nerve-blocks-sharply-pain-opioid.html Sun, 08 Feb 2026 15:20:01 EST news689512376 The brains of mammals continuously combine signals originating from different regions to produce various sensations, emotions, thoughts and behaviors. This process, known as information integration, is what allows brain regions with different functions to collectively form unified experiences. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-central-thalamus-anesthesia-neural-basis.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:20:01 EST news689595211 After surgery, some older adults don't simply recover—they unravel. Confusion, inattention, and agitation can set in, a condition known as postoperative delirium. For patients already living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, the episode can mark a turning point, accelerating long-term cognitive decline. Despite its prevalence, there are no FDA-approved treatments to prevent delirium after surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-nerve-based-approach-older-adults.html Fri, 30 Jan 2026 06:09:48 EST news688975742 Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling in the tissue around oral cancers both increases nerve sensitivity and makes opioids less effective. The findings point to a shared mechanism underlying both oral cancer pain and opioid tolerance—and a possible new treatment strategy for both. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-underlies-oral-cancer-pain-opioid.html Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:10:01 EST news688748466 The pain management teams at the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) and Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) have introduced percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) as a novel treatment option for patients suffering from debilitating chronic facial pain. The teams began performing this sophisticated neuroablative procedure in 2024, and so far, 40 patients have benefited from this powerful and durable treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-percutaneous-balloon-compression-orofacial-pain.html Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:40:01 EST news687788858 As more Americans receive treatment for opioid-use disorder, that progress is increasingly showing up in the operating room, creating an urgent need to modernize how pain is managed during and after major surgery, according to a study in the February 2026 issue of Anesthesiology. The study documents a steady rise in surgical patients using medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), highlighting a gap between current surgical pain practices and the needs of today's patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-surgical-patients-opioid-disorder-medications.html Tue, 13 Jan 2026 09:30:02 EST news687450726 Two new studies published in Anaesthesia analyzing pain and other factors connected with day surgery in the UK show that around one in eight patients having day-case surgery end up not going home and instead are admitted to hospital for various complications. Furthermore, one in 14 go on to develop chronic pain at the operative site after the procedure. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-patients-day-case-surgery-worse.html Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:00:04 EST news687006107 Giving adrenaline to hospital patients whose heart has stopped is very effective, and can increase the chance of bringing their heart rate back to normal by a factor of five. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-adrenaline-restarts-heart-hospital-cardiac.html Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:43:40 EST news687008581 For millions living with nerve pain, even a light touch can feel unbearable. Scientists have long suspected that damaged nerve cells falter because their energy factories known as mitochondria don't function properly. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-mitochondria-chronic-nerve-pain.html Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:00:04 EST news686853181 Even modest stress before surgery may influence how well older adults recover, according to a new study from Duke University School of Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-stress-older-adults-linked-worse.html Tue, 06 Jan 2026 09:26:11 EST news686913782 Simple pharmaceutical interventions could help older brains cope with memory impairment and recovery after surgery, new studies in mice suggest. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-medications-aging-brain-cope-surgery.html Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:40:04 EST news686849625 Modified endotracheal tubes designed to reduce patient pneumonia risk failed to improve outcomes compared to standard breathing tubes, researchers report in a new study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-special-tubes-dont-emergency-intubation.html Thu, 18 Dec 2025 14:03:02 EST news685288934 Mechanical ventilation saves lives, but the airflow it produces inside an intubated airway can also shape conditions linked to complications during long-term support. In a recent study, SUNY Polytechnic Institute faculty Dr. Aarthi Sekaran (Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering) and Dr. Ahmed Abdelaal (Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology) examined how two practical factors—endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff design and ventilator mode—change airflow behavior inside the human trachea. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-ventilator-airway-stress.html Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:07:13 EST news685210021 For infants undergoing cleft palate surgery, local anesthetic injection targeting the maxillary nerve of the face may reduce or eliminate the need for opioid medications to control postoperative pain, reports a study in The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-nerve-block-opioid-infants-cleft.html Sun, 14 Dec 2025 12:10:01 EST news684756183 The Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at the Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital in Dresden and the TU Dresden Faculty of Medicine has conducted the world's largest study on patient safety in major lung surgery. Until now, it was not clear how different ventilation strategies during lung surgery affect the risk of possible complications. The PROTHOR study now provides physicians with guidance on choosing the most appropriate ventilation approach during such anesthesia. The results of the study were recently published in the journal Lancet Respiratory Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-greater-patient-safety-major-lung.html Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:43:48 EST news684690176 The kidneys are among the most important organs of the human body. Every day they filter around 1,500 liters of blood, regulate electrolyte and fluid balance, control blood pressure and play a central role in detoxifying the body. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-protocol-lowers-kidney-injury-major.html Wed, 10 Dec 2025 14:49:28 EST news684600541 Doctors treating seriously ill patients in an emergency setting may want to give the sedative etomidate, rather than ketamine, while placing a breathing tube, according to a randomized trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-sedative-choice-outcomes-tube-patients.html Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:20:01 EST news684496501 When hospitals were randomly assigned to treat patients undergoing higher-risk non-cardiac surgery with tranexamic acid (TXA) or a placebo, patients who received TXA needed significantly fewer blood transfusions and saw no increase in potentially life-threatening blood clots (thrombosis) after 90 days of follow-up, according to research presented at the 67th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-drug-blood-transfusions-hospitalization-cardiac.html Tue, 09 Dec 2025 07:59:33 EST news684489541