Neurovascular coupling is not influenced by lower body negative pressure in humans.

Cerebral blood flow is tightly coupled with local neuronal activation and metabolism, i.e., neurovascular coupling (NVC).

Management of suspected acute coronary syndrome patients admitted to cardiology or non-cardiology services at Auckland City Hospital: implications for future national data collection.

Aims: To review the number, characteristics and clinical management of suspected ACS patients admitted to cardiology and non-cardiology services at Auckland City Hospital, to assess differences between these services and to assess the number who would potentially be enrolled in the All New Zealand Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) Quality Improvement Programme (ANZACS-QI) database.

Methods: Auckland City Hospital patient data was extracted from the Australia and New Zealand ACS 'SNAPSHOT' audit, performed over 14 days in May 2012.

Results: There were 121 suspected ACS admissions to Auckland City hospital during the audit period, with 45 (37%) patients directly managed by the cardiology service, and 76 (63%) patients cared for by non-cardiology services.

An unusual case of chronic meningitis.

Background: Chronic meningitis is defined as symptoms and signs of meningeal inflammation and persisting cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities such as elevated protein level and pleocytosis for at least one month.

Case Presentation: A 62-year-old woman, of unremarkable past medical history, was admitted to hospital for investigation of a four-week history of vomiting, malaise an associated hyponatraemia. She had a low-grade pyrexia with normal inflammatory markers.

Barium reduces resting blood flow and inhibits potassium-induced vasodilation in the human forearm.

Background: Increasing extracellular K+ concentration within and just above the physiological range hyperpolarizes and relaxes vascular smooth muscle in vitro. These actions involve inwardly rectifying potassium channels (K(IR)) and Na+/K+ ATPase, which are inhibited, respectively, by Ba2+ and ouabain. The role (if any) of K(IR) in controlling human resistance vessel tone is unknown, and we investigated this in the forearm.