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The following reflects new findings and outcomes in medical research as presented at major medical meetings and published peer-reviewed medical journals. In this section members can view reports from important congresses as well as summaries of some recently published journal articles. Please let us know if you have a particular area of interest you would like to see covered. XXIst Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Hemostatic Control in the Challenging Surgery and Trauma PatientGeneva, Switzerland / July 6-12, 2007 Editorial Overview
Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society 2007 Annual Meeting New Developments in Neuromuscular BlockadeCalgary, Alberta / June 22-26, 2007 Calgary - After a period of relative inactivity, there is currently an upsurge in the research and development of promising new compounds for anesthesiology. This work touches on all the major therapeutic categories associated with this specialty, including hypnotics, where multiple alternative formulations of propofol are under development, and analgesics, where research encompasses opioids, other centrally acting drugs and peripherally acting drugs. Regarding muscle relaxants, much (...) Read more... 2007 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society Hemostatic Therapy Advances in Trauma and SurgeryCalgary, Alberta / June 22-26, 2007 Calgary - Major bleeding substantially increases patient risk in any clinical situation, regardless of whether it is the primary problem as in hemophilia or secondary to surgery or traumatic injury. Options for controlling bleeding remain fairly limited. Surgery, mechanical embolization (in selected clinical situations) and blood products constitute mainstream therapy. Alternatives to these three basic approaches have begun to emerge. Antifibrinolytics, such as aprotinin and lysine (...) Read more... 5th Congress of the European Federation of IASP Chapters Pain and Pain-associated Sleep Disturbances: Maximizing Treatment OutcomesIstanbul, Turkey / September 13-16, 2006 Istanbul - According to the International Association for the Study of Pain, a minimum of 50% of Europe’s older citizens suffer from chronic pain. Post-herpetic neuralgia, diabetic peripheral neuropathy and fibromyalgia are among the debilitating painful conditions affecting sleep and quality of life. Encouraging therapeutic results may be obtained by combining pharmacologic treatment with non-pharmacologic methods. Tricyclic antidepressants, controlled-release opioids, topical lignocaine (...) Read more... Euroanaesthesia 2006 Annual Meeting of the European Society of Anaesthesiology Cardioprotection with Volatile AnestheticsMadrid, Spain / June 3-6, 2006 Madrid - Experimental studies have regularly indicated that volatile anesthetics significantly protect the myocardium from ensuing ischemia-reperfusion injury in varied surgical settings independently of their known effects on myocardial oxygen balance. Beneficial effects, including low potential for arrhythmogenicity, have been most often reported when combined preconditioning and post-conditioning with volatile anesthetic agents have been administered or, more recently, when given (...) Read more... 80th Clinical and Scientific Congress of the International Anesthesia Research Society Organ-protective Features of Halogenated AnestheticsSan Francisco, California / March 24-28, 2006 San Francisco - It is well known that volatile anesthetics protect against myocardial ischemia by means of pharmacologic preconditioning. Recent evidence has demonstrated their marked benefit on a variety of outcome parameters, including duration of hospitalization and intensive care unit stay (De Hert et al. Anesthesiology 2004; 101:9-20). The first convincing evidence of their preconditioning effects emerged from a trial involving patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass graft (...) Read more... |