Study Reveals Anesthesia Has a Negative Impact on Memory
New research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests that anesthesia causes long-term memory loss in patients. Beverly Orser, MD, PhD, FRCPC, an instructor of anesthesiology and physiology at the University of Toronto, conducted the study on lab mice. The mice received Etomidate 8 mg/kg for 20 minutes and showed increased activity in their memory loss receptors for a week. The potential impact to patients, according to Orser, could last anywhere from days to months after surgery when patients need to remember post-op care instructions.
In a recent article in Outpatient Surgery Magazine, Orser says the findings of her study are particularly important for high-risk patients who may need additional education and support to recover from the potential impact of post-op memory loss. In her study, Orser says “postoperative cognitive deficits are present in approximately 37% of young adults and 41% of elderly patients at hospital discharge and in 6% of young adults and 13% of elderly patients at 3 months after surgery. These deficits are associated with poor patient outcomes, including reduced quality of life, loss of independence, and increased mortality.”
Learn more by reading the full study.
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