[Coronary artery spasm during low flow anesthesia].

A 70-year-old man, without history of angina pectoris, was scheduled for aorto-femoral bypass graft surgery under epidural anesthesia supplemented with nitrous oxide and sevoflurane. At the beginning of operation, twenty minutes after the start of low flow anesthesia (2 l.min-1), ECG showed an elevation of the ST segment during hypotension. Rising blood pressure and bolus injection of nitroglycerin relieved the elevation and his circulation became stable. It was suspected that a coronary spasm attack was induced by hypotension, as well as vagal stimulation from an inadequate amount of anesthesia. For prevention of intraoperative coronary spasm, it is important to maintain anesthesia at sufficient levels using monitors.