Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2008
Case ReportsMigraine with atypical aura in the recovery room: a sometimes complicated diagnosis!
Migraine is a frequent neurological pathology. However, the diagnosis can be difficult to establish, especially when it is accompanied with an atypical aura that can be confounded with a stroke. ⋯ The patient had not mentioned migraine in her history before the surgery. This lack of information led to unnecessary therapy.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2008
Cone beam computed tomography: an innovative tool for airway assessment.
Improvements in airway imaging technology provide the potential for an improved understanding of airway pathology and upper airway mechanics. We present here a preliminary report on the applicability of cone beam computed tomography technology in conjunction with multidimensional digital analysis for the purposes of clinical airway management. The use of this technology for airway imaging in anesthesiology has not been reported. ⋯ Three-dimensional image reconstructions as well as "virtual laryngoscopy" were achieved with resulting excellent image quality, suggesting a broad range of possibilities for upper airway examination and analysis. A modified Muller test with volumetric rendering of the airway passages under baseline and negative pressure conditions was also performed, made possible as a result of the system's short (9 s) scanning times. We believe that cone beam computed tomography technology offers an additional dimension to airway evaluation that has considerable potential.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2008
General anesthetics induce apoptotic neurodegeneration in the neonatal rat spinal cord.
Exposure to anesthetics triggers apoptotic neurodegeneration in the neonatal rat brain; whether neuronal apoptosis also occurs in the spinal cord, a crucial target for analgesic and anesthetic drugs, is unknown. ⋯ Anesthesia induces apoptosis in the neonatal rat spinal cord; however, the functional consequences of this injury, if any, remain obscure. Neither motor nor nociceptive responses were affected by anesthetic treatment. Nonetheless, further investigation is required as regional anesthetic techniques may also trigger neuroapoptosis in the spinal cord with unknown potency.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2008
Expression of adenosine A 2A receptors in the rat lumbar spinal cord and implications in the modulation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor currents.
The presence of A(2A) receptors in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord remains controversial. At this level, activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors induces wind-up, which is clinically expressed as hyperalgesia. Inhibition of NMDA receptor currents after activation of A(2A) receptors has been shown in rat neostriatal neurons. In this study, we sought to establish the presence of adenosine A(2A) receptors in the lamina II of the rat lumbar dorsal horn neurons and investigated whether the activation of A(2A) receptors is able to modulate NMDA receptor currents. ⋯ These results demonstrate the presence of A(2A) receptor on neurons from the substantia gelatinosa of the rat lumbar dorsal horn and the inhibition of NMDA-induced currents by the application of a selective A(2A) receptor agonist. Therefore, A(2A) receptor ligands could modulate pain processing at the spinal cord level.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2008
Rho-kinase inhibitors augment the inhibitory effect of propofol on rat bronchial smooth muscle contraction.
Airway smooth muscle contraction is not caused by the increase in intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) alone because agonist stimulation increases tension at the same [Ca(2+)](i) (increase in Ca(2+) sensitivity). The small G protein Rho A and Rho-kinase (ROCK) play important roles in the regulation of Ca(2+) sensitivity. In this study, we investigated the effects of three ROCK inhibitors (fasudil, Y-27632, and H-1152) on rat airway smooth muscle contraction and the effects of ROCK inhibitors on propofol-induced bronchodilatory effects. ⋯ ROCK inhibitors, especially H-1152, can attenuate the contraction of rat airway smooth muscle. The combined use of ROCK inhibitors and propofol causes greater relaxation.