Epidurals deliver nerve-blocking drugs into the back for pain relief during labour and after surgeries. Epidural kits are currently in short supply, with their use prioritised for obstetric patients.
Scientists still still don’t fully understand how general anaesthesia affects the brain and body. A molecule found in bioluminescent stony coral may shed some light.
A trip to the emergency room can turn expensive fast if the providers are not in your network. That is happening more often, as some doctors choose to opt out of insurance plans. Here’s why.
Most medical historians agree that one of the most important advances in medicine was the use of ether to numb pain during surgery. Just who deserves credit for this has been another story.
How do anesthetics work, and what makes for an ideal anesthetic? It’s not as mysterious as once believed, and there’s a gas that ticks all the boxes for a perfect anesthetic: xenon.
Some people can feel drowsy or can’t concentrate days after an operation. While it’s easy to blame the anaesthetics, the real picture is usually more complicated.
Terrifying accounts of surgery 200 years ago remind us how far general anaesthesia has come. Yet we still know little about how anaesthetics alter consciousness.
Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford