Journal of anesthesia
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Journal of anesthesia · Oct 2011
Case ReportsGiant coronary artery aneurysm with coronary arteriovenous fistula draining into the coronary sinus.
A 77-year-old patient suffering from a giant right coronary artery aneurysm with coronary arteriovenous fistula was admitted to our hospital. The fistula could not be documented preoperatively by computed tomography or coronary angiography but was documented intraoperatively by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). However, TEE was unable to visualize the draining site of the fistula. ⋯ The postoperative course of the patient was uneventful. Giant aneurysms occasionally displace cardiac structures. In such cases, combined imaging technologies, including TEE, may be needed for precise assessment of the giant aneurysm and fistula.
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Journal of anesthesia · Oct 2011
Effects of propofol and pentobarbital on calcium concentration in presynaptic boutons on a rat hippocampal neuron.
Numerous reports suggest that intravenously administered (IV) anesthetics affect postsynaptic events in the central nervous system. However, there is little evidence about how general anesthetics influence the presynaptic processes. The level of presynaptic calcium (Ca(2+)) concentration ([Ca(2+)](pre)) regulates neurotransmitter release. In this study, we investigated the effects of anesthetic propofol IV and the barbiturate pentobarbital on neurotransmitter release by measuring [Ca(2+)](pre) in the presynaptic nerve terminals (boutons) on a dissociated single hippocampal rat neuron. ⋯ Propofol and pentobarbital may affect neurotransmitter release from the excitatory presynaptic nerve terminals due to inhibition of increase in [Ca(2+)](pre).
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Journal of anesthesia · Oct 2011
Letter Case ReportsPostdural puncture headache following acupuncture.