Surgical operations at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1846 and 1847: Early impact of the discovery of anaesthesia.

The introduction of anaesthesia on 16 October 1846 brought about tremendous changes in the discipline of surgery. We sought to determine whether the concept of painless surgery was accepted by practitioners and patients, and whether this led to an increase in frequency and variety of surgical operations performed. To study these changes, we analysed surgical records from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (MGH) in the months surrounding the discovery of ether anaesthesia.

Minimizing ICU Neurological Dysfunction with Dexmedetomidine-induced Sleep (MINDDS): protocol for a randomised, double-blind, parallel-arm, placebo-controlled trial.

Introduction: Delirium, which is prevalent in postcardiac surgical patients, is an acute brain dysfunction characterised by disturbances in attention, awareness and cognition not explained by a pre-existing neurocognitive disorder. The pathophysiology of delirium remains poorly understood. However, basic science and clinical studies suggest that sleep disturbance may be a modifiable risk factor for the development of delirium.