Anesthetic

Everyone responds to general anesthetics differently, which can make administering the correct dose tricky. A new device is designed to help, by continuously monitoring anesthetic levels in patients' bloodstreams during surgical procedures.

A new study has developed a novel method to tame one of the world’s most potent toxins, tetrodotoxin, commonly found in the pufferfish. The research demonstrates a way to control the spread of the toxin and harness it into a local anesthetic that can numb targeted regions for up to three days.

A study has affirmed the anesthetic xenon can help prevent long-term damage associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The research demonstrated in mice that if xenon is administered within a few hours of a TBI it can prevent brain tissue damage that would result in long-term cognitive problems.

New research from the University of Queensland is shedding new light on what exactly is going on in our brains when we're knocked out by a general anesthetic – and it's much more complex that simply falling asleep.​

​As much as some people fear getting dental fillings or root canals, what many of them are really afraid of is the needle that delivers the anesthetic into the mouth tissue. Before long, however, a shot of electricity could make those needles unnecessary.​