Anesthesiology
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Comparative Study
Association between anesthesiologist age and litigation.
: The threat of being sued is a concern for many anesthesiologists. This paper asks whether litigation brought against anesthesiologists is associated with the age of the anesthesiologist. ⋯ : We found a higher frequency of litigation and a greater severity of injury in patients treated by anesthesiologists in the 65 and older group. The reasons for these findings should become an active field of research.
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Comparative Study
Xenon attenuates hippocampal long-term potentiation by diminishing synaptic and extrasynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor currents.
The memory-blocking properties of general anesthetics are of high clinical relevance and scientific interest. The inhalational anesthetic xenon antagonizes N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. It is unknown if xenon affects long-term potentiation (LTP), a cellular correlate for memory formation. In hippocampal brain slices, the authors investigated in area CA1 whether xenon affects LTP, NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission, and intracellular calcium concentrations. ⋯ N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activation is crucial for the induction of CA1 LTP. Thus, the depression of NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission presumably contributes to the blockade of LTP under xenon. Because LTP is assumed to be involved in learning and memory, its blockade might be a key mechanism for xenon's amnestic properties.
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Comparative Study
Delayed environmental enrichment reverses sevoflurane-induced memory impairment in rats.
Anesthesia given to immature rodents causes cognitive decline, raising the possibility that the same might be true for millions of children undergoing surgical procedures under general anesthesia each year. We tested the hypothesis that anesthesia-induced cognitive decline in rats is treatable. We also tested if anesthesia-induced cognitive decline is aggravated by tissue injury. ⋯ Sevoflurane-induced cognitive decline in rats is treatable. Delayed environmental enrichment rescued the sevoflurane-induced impairment in short-term memory. Tissue injury did not worsen the anesthesia-induced memory impairment. These findings may have relevance to neonatal and pediatric anesthesia.