Two Cases of Chronic Subdural Hematoma with Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotention Treated with Hematoma Drainage Followed by Epidural Blood Patch Under Intracranial Pressure Monitoring.

Both chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) and spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) cause headaches. However, the etiologies are different: SIH headache is caused by decreased intracranial pressure (ICP), whereas CSDH headache results from increased ICP. Moreover, CSDH is treated by hematoma drainage, while SIH is treated by epidural blood patch (EBP).

Different characteristics of cell volume and intracellular calcium ion concentration dynamics between the hippocampal CA1 and lateral cerebral cortex of male mouse brain slices during exposure to hypotonic stress.

The mechanism of brain edema is complex and still remains unclear. Our aim was to investigate the regional differences of cell volume and intracellular Ca concentration ([Ca ] ) dynamics during hypotonic stress in male mouse hemi-brain slices. Brain slices were loaded with the fluorescence Ca indicator fura-2, and cell volume and [Ca ] in the lateral cerebral cortex (LCC) and hippocampal CA1 (CA1) region were measured simultaneously during exposure to hypotonic stress using Ca insensitive (F360) and Ca sensitive fluorescence (F380), respectively.

Dexmedetomidine-based intravenous anesthesia of a pediatric patient with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency: A case report.

Rationale: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common human enzyme defect, resulting in deficits in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate production, an important intracellular antioxidant enzyme. G6PD-deficient subjects present with a susceptibility of erythrocytes to oxidative stress and hemolysis, and should avoid drugs or stressors that have oxidative actions. Dexmedetomidine is an anesthetic agent with antioxidant actions.

[Successful trial for introduction of the WHO surgical safety checklist].

Background: The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist was published in 2008 as an attempt to decrease complications and death from surgery. This checklist was implemented and evaluated using questionnaires in an intermediate size general hospital. We attempted to confirm how the WHO checklist has been implemented and assessed as a medical safety system.

Evaluation of the protective effects of cyclosporin a and FK506 on abnormal cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca²⁺ dynamics during ischemia and exposure to high glutamate concentration in mouse brain slice preparations.

We examined the protective effects of the immunosuppressants cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506 on abnormal cytosolic Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]c) and mitochondrial Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]m) dynamics induced by ischemia or high L-glutamate concentration in mouse brain slice preparations. We used fura-4F and rhod-2 as indicators for [Ca²⁺]c and [Ca²⁺]m, respectively, in their acetoxymethylester form. Slice preparations loaded with either of these two indicators were exposed to ischemic artificial cerebrospinal fluid (oxygen- and glucose-deprived medium) for 12 min or to aerobic medium with high L-glutamate concentration (isotonic 20 mM L-glutamate) for 5 min.

Cyclophilin D-sensitive mitochondrial permeability transition in adult human brain and liver mitochondria.

The mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) is considered to be a major cause of cell death under a variety of pathophysiological conditions of the central nervous system (CNS) and other organs. Pharmacological inhibition or genetic knockout of the matrix protein cyclophilin D (CypD) prevents mPT and cell degeneration in several models of brain injury. If these findings in animal models are translatable to human disease, pharmacological inhibition of mPT offers a promising therapeutic target.

Inadequate gas supply to patients with an adjustable pressure-limiting valve in the fully opened position.

With spontaneous ventilation, sufficient exhaust resistance at the adjustable pressure-limiting (APL) valve when fully opened ensures that the reservoir bag fills and adequately supplies gas to patients. A lack of exhaust resistance with the APL valve fully open caused inadequate gas supply to patients with four types of anesthesia machines: SA2 (Dräger), Excel-210 SE (GE), Fabius (Dräger), and Cato (Dräger). Mechanically, the SA2 and Excel-210 SE APL valve systems, which are of the spring-loaded disc type positioned horizontally, cannot maintain sufficient exhaust resistance with the APL valve fully open.

Evaluation of putative inhibitors of mitochondrial permeability transition for brain disorders--specificity vs. toxicity.

Inhibition of mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) has emerged as a promising approach for neuroprotection and development of well-tolerated mPT inhibitors with favorable blood-brain barrier penetration is highly warranted. In a recent study, 28 clinically available drugs with a common heterocyclic structure were identified as mPT inhibitors e.g.

Are the incidences of cardiac events during noncardiac surgery in Japan the same as in the United States and Europe?

In Japan, an ever-present problem in the preoperative evaluation of patients with ischemic heart disease is that although such evaluations are based on Western data, these data serve as the basis for determining perioperative risk in Japanese patients. To remedy this problem, the Cardiac Ischemia and Anesthesia Research Committee was formed in 1997 and has conducted studies of perioperative complications in noncardiac surgery in Japan. In two retrospective studies in 1997, the proportions of patients with ischemic heart disease were 3.