Gut Feelings: Microbiome Insights in Anesthesia & Pain Management-Gut Feelings: Microbiome Insights in Anesthesia Pain Management

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Video Summary

Andy Benson, part of the ANA Professional Development Committee, kicked off the session by reminding attendees to use the meeting app for information and to submit CE credits, with evaluations opening 15 minutes before each session ends. Attendees have until Monday, September 9 at noon Pacific time to complete their CE credits. For virtual attendees, the same information is available on the website. Andy also promoted the 2025 Annual Congress in Nashville. <br /><br />Dr. Gary Hugh, Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, delivered the main presentation on gut microbiome research in anesthesia and pain management. Dr. Hugh discussed the significant role of gut microbiome in health, emphasizing its influence on the immune system, cell growth, and even mental health through the gut-brain axis. He highlighted groundbreaking work from the Human Genome Project and subsequent microbiome research, which revealed that humans are host to trillions of microorganisms that affect various physiological processes.<br /><br />The presentation provided an overview of how microbiome research could potentially inform personalized anesthesia practices, including the development of tailored anesthetic protocols based on a patient's microbiome profile. Dr. Hugh also discussed how gut microbiome affects patient outcomes post-surgery, particularly in cognitive dysfunction and chronic pain, with studies demonstrating the gut microbiome's role in neuroinflammation and pain sensitization.<br /><br />The session concluded with a Q&A, where Dr. Hugh fielded questions on data analysis techniques in microbiome research, illustrating how advanced gene sequencing and AI technologies like machine learning aid in analyzing large data sets to predict health outcomes. Dr. Hugh stressed the need for more human studies in this field to better understand and leverage microbiome information in clinical settings.

Keywords

ANA Professional Development Committee

CE credits

2025 Annual Congress

Nashville

gut microbiome research

anesthesia

pain management

Human Genome Project

personalized anesthesia

machine learning