Steven L. Dain

Anesthesiologist

310 Juliana Drive Woodstock Ontario, N4V 0A4 Show map

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About

Steven Dain MD, FRCPC is an anesthesiologist at Woodstock Hospital in Woodstock Ontario, Adjunct Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario Canada and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo where he works with the real-time embedded software group. For over 25 years he was an Associate Professor of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry before retiring from academic anesthesia practice in 2013.

For over 25 years, Dr. Dain has participated in the writing and development of Canadian National and International Standards for medical equipment and design and construction of healthcare facilities. He is currently the Chair of the CSA/SCC Canadian Advisory Committee for the International Organization for Standardization ISO/TC121 (TSC on CAC to ISO TC 121-Anaesthetic and Respiratory Equipment(/z251.1/)- Anesthetic Equipment and Medical Breathing Machines), and member of the CSA TC on Application of Electricity in Health Care(/z290/) and TSC on Medical Gas Systems(/z251.20/). Dr Dain is a member of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society Standards of Care Committee and Patient Safety Committee. He is a peer assessor and an assessor for the “Out of Hospital Premises Inspection Program” (OHPIP) for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

In 2008 he was been appointed as Chair of ISO Technical Committee 121, Subcommittee 4 Anesthesia Vocabulary developing standard terminology for critical care and homecare ventilators. Dr. Dain is a member of the International Healthcare Terminology Standards Development Organization Anesthesia Special Interest Group and of the Canadian Standards Association Healthcare Technology Steering Committee.

For the past four years, Dr. Dain has participated in the IHE (Integrating the Health Enterprise) Patient Care Devices Committee, developing medical device communications protocol for anesthesia equipment and critical care ventilators culminating in publication of ISO/IEEE 1 Standard 1073-10101a-2015 Health informatics--Point-of-care medical device communication --Part 10101: Nomenclature Amendment 1: Additional Definitions

Dr. Dain is a collaborator in the MD Plug and Play Interoperability Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital / CIMIT (Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology) in Cambridge, MA, and is setting up a Canadian Lab with the Embedded Software Group, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo where he helps supervise undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students in medical computing projects. Over the years, Dr Dain has worked as a private consultant for numerous companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and medical informatics industries as well as a being a subcontractor to NASA and the US military and in the design of medical facilities.

Education and Training

MD at the University of Toronto

Board Certification

Anesthesiology

Provider Details

Male English 37 years of experience

Steven L. Dain

Steven L. Dain's Expert Contributions

My Answers

Can you pass under general anesthesia if you are over 70?
Age is not a consideration. Your general health is what is important. READ MORE
Can anesthesia be used in an oxygen chamber?
Very interesting question. I assume you mean a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The easy answer is yes. READ MORE
Do you need general anesthesia for wisdom teeth?
Short answer is no. Long answer, it depends on how badly impacted or buried they are. Only your dental surgeon can answer that question, based on your X-rays. READ MORE
Can I take painkillers before local anesthetic?
You can take painkillers, but you need to take the bottle of the medication with you to the procedure, and tell the nurse, surgeon and anesthesiologist, how many pills and what exact time you took them. READ MORE
What type of anesthesia is used for root canal surgery?
Local anesthetic administered by the dentist doing the root canal. Sometimes they give a little sedative such as lorazepam. Best regards, Steven READ MORE
At what age is too old for general anesthesia?
No age is too old for anesthesia. What's more important is your underlying health. READ MORE
My mom's head injury?
I'm sorry to hear this. I would be concerned too. Patients often get admitted to wards where this is an open bed as the proper ward is full, but that sounds like the least of her problems. Find out who the physician is responsible for her care by calling the admissions department and contact the physician directly. Find out the treatment plan. Also find out who the registered "contact person" is, usually a family member that the hospital has on your mom's record. Often, the hospital will only communicate with that person due to privacy laws. My opinion is that often, privacy laws are an obstacle to patient care and family communications. Best wishes. READ MORE
How do you recover from spinal anesthesia?
I'm not sure how to answer this question. A spinal anesthetic slowly wears off, the speed it wears off at is determined by the drug and the amount used. If you are having surgery that involves moderate to severe post-op pain, it's important to start your pain meds before the spinal wears off. READ MORE
What type of anesthesia is used for hospice procedures?
This is dependent on the situation and the goals of the hospice procedure. The medications are chosen by the physician and the dose carefully adjusted to meet the patient's need for pain control versus the amount of sedation and amnesia desired and the underlying patient condition. Medications used include benzodiazepines, opiates, intravenous non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, steroids, antinauseants, propofol, and dexmedetomidine. READ MORE
How do you inject a local anesthetic into a wound?
Depending on the location and size of the wound, we can just squirt local anesthetic into the wound or inject the wound with a needle as we normally do. Again, depending on the location and size, we can do a regional nerve block to block the whole area of the wound. Best wishes. READ MORE
Which is better general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia?
It's difficult to answer this question without knowing the reason for the surgery and your general health. I have asthma and have had 3 operations on my knee, all with spinal anesthesia, so you know my bias. I have given spinals for hundreds of total knee, total hip and C-Sections, I have also given GA for each in fewer numbers. What's "best" for you depends on what you are having done, your physical and emotional issues, and to a lesser extent your surgeon's preferences. Best wishes READ MORE
What is the side effects of regional anesthesia?
A couple of excellent resources. Side effects also depend on the type of regional block used for what location of surgery, epidural, spinal, intrascalene, supraclavicular blocks, ankle, femoral nerve, etc. Questions About Nerve Blocks | Regional Anesthesia | Stanford Medicine Regional Anesthesia | Michigan Medicine (uofmhealth.org) Risks and benefits (asra.com) Best wishes. READ MORE
How long does a nerve block last after wrist surgery?
Depending on the block used and the local anesthetic drug used anywhere from 1.5 to 6 hours Best wishes READ MORE
Can shoulder arthroscopy be done under local anesthesia?
Some types of shoulder surgery can be done under an intrascalene block. Interscalene Block: Overview, Risks, and How It’s Performed Interscalene block is an anesthetic technique used to numb the shoulder and arm before surgery. Learn about its ... READ MORE
What type of anesthesia is used for hip surgery?
Spinal with light or deep sedation, or general anesthesia, depending on the type of surgery, expected duration, and patient condition and consent. READ MORE
How long does nerve block last after shoulder surgery?
This depends on the type, dose and concentration of the local anesthetic used and whether a continuous catheter was placed for top up after surgery has ended. Anywhere from 1-12 hours postop for pain block. Steven Dain READ MORE
What kind of anesthesia is used for cystoscopy?
Often none. Sometimes mild sedation, sometimes general anesthesia. Depends mostly on why it is being done. READ MORE
What are the effects of too much anesthesia?
I suppose the easiest way to explain this is that the effects are very similar to drinking too much alcohol. Effects of Anesthesia on Brain & Body - Made for This Moment (asahq.org) Effects of Anesthesia on Brain & Body - Made for This Moment Side effects of anesthesia can occur during or after surgery. Find out how anesthesia can influence your memory ... READ MORE
Can anesthesia stay in your system for months?
All modern anesthesia drugs are effectively out of your system within 24 hours. Certain medications can be detected in the blood at trace amounts up to a week without any detectable physical effects. READ MORE
What is topical anesthetic gel used for?
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-10414-252/lidocaine-hcl-mucous-membrane/lidocaine-jelly-mucous-membrane/details Best regards, READ MORE

Awards

Canadian Standard Association Award of Merit in Recognition of Exemplary Leadership, Dedicated Involvement and Passionate Support

Professional Society Memberships

Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society, Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (Develops Medical Device Communication Protocols), American Society of Anesthesiologists, Society for Technology in Anesthesia, Canadian Medical Association