Research Division of Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine and Algology

V.A. Glushchenko	S.A. Rosengard

Currently the teams of the Research Division of Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine and Algology (led by Professor V.A. Glushchenko, D.M.Sc.) and the Anesthesiology and Reanimation Department (led by Dr S.A. Rosengard, PhD in Medicine) are working on the ways of improving the anesthetic management and the efficacy of intensive treatment of cancer patients.

The Division is developing regimens of infusion-transfusion therapy for massive bleeding. A study of stress responses to various types of anesthesia used provided validation for the efficacy of epidural anesthesia and analgesia during thoracoabdominal surgery (V.A. Glushchenko, L.V. Gorokhov, S.A. Rosengard et al., 2015). The Division is also planning to perform an experimental study on how analgesics impact the molecular changes in cancer cells and how anesthesia impact the progression of a cancer. We have also been studying how certain types of anesthesia and the levels of analgesia impact the development of chronic pain syndrome, as well as possible ways of its prevention and treatment.

Our other important areas of focus are:

• improvement of safety of anesthesia during thoracoabdominal surgeries used in combination with chemoperfusion treatment,
• improvement of sedation techniques to carry out treatment and diagnostic procedures,
• nutrition and metabolic support,
• post-operative cognitive dysfunction and perioperative cerebral protection,
• enhancement of renal replacement therapy for patients with acute renal injuries.

The issues of improvement of anesthetic management were dealt with in a research paper entitled “Selecting anesthesia for specialized high-tech invasive procedures for cancer treatment (brachytherapy, photodynamic therapy, radiofrequency thermoablation of tumors and metastases)” (I.V. Poppel et al., 2015). Another important task of the Division is to find the way of improving the quality of life of cancer patients who cannot undergo surgery and tertiary cancer treatment (A.A. Ryazankina et al., 2009, 2015, 2016).

The specialists of the Division regularly report the findings of their research at various scientific forums, conferences, and symposiums, as well as the meetings of the Saint Petersburg Society of Anesthesiologists and Resuscitationists. Apart from engaging in clinical research and clinical practice, the Division offers residency programs.

Academic activity also plays a major role (V.A. Glushchenko et al., 2015). The Division regularly holds round-table discussions and master classes with leading professionals in the field of anesthesiology and organizes practical training sessions on cardiopulmonary resuscitation for physicians, residents from allied fields and nurses. The specialists of the Division participate in lectures and master classes held by the Russian Association of Anesthesiologists and Reanimatologists throughout the country.

The Division works closely with the Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation at the First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg.

The prospects of the research aimed at enhancing the safety of anesthetic management and improving the intensive care of cancer patients seems to lie in integrated approach to experimental development and translational research.