Anesthetic

Researchers have figured out how a commonly used general anesthetic drug induces unconsciousness by causing brain activity to become increasingly unstable. The findings could lead to better anesthetic control in the operating room.

Almost 25 years since scientists first identified a difference in anesthetic sensitivity in males and females, a new study reveals how sex hormones make men more responsive to going and staying under. Yet dosage is still decided on by a patient's size.

A study has uncovered how the commonly used local anesthetic drug lidocaine exerts an anti-cancer effect in head and neck cancers. Given its low cost and ready availability, the drug could easily be incorporated into treatment.

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.

​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.​