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Biomedical subjects

A Pierantozzi

Publications and source records attributed to A Pierantozzi.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Cardiac calcifications in hemodialysis patients assessed with spiral computed tomography.

AIM: Cardiac disease is a major cause of mortality in uremic patients. The aim of this paper was to evaluate cardiac calcium content in uremic patients with multislice computed tomography (MSCT). METHODS: The study has been carried out on 120 uremic and 28 nonuremic patients affected by cardiovascular disease. Serum calcium, phosphorus, calcium-phosphate product, intact PTH were assayed. Several lipidic and nutritional parameters were measured. Calcification values obtained with the MSCT were reported in terms of Agatson scores. RESULTS: We found that the average score values in cohort on uremic was 10 times higher than in nonuremic patients (score values 3.389 vs 328). Cardiac calcification score was found to be correlated significantly to age (P=0.006), HD age (P=0.010), serum calcium (P=0.006), iPTH (P=0.004). Multiregression analysis (MRA) with the cardiac score as dependent variable selected the following variables (R(2) 0.612): age (P=0.002), HD age (P=0.010), serum cholesterol (P<0.000), triglycerides (P=0.001) and inversely HDL cholesterol (P=0.001) and non-HDL cholesterol (P=0.001) as predictive variables for cardiac score. By comparing patients with scores lower and higher than 400, the group with score <400 showed a significantly lower age (P=0.0001), HD vintage (P=0.01) and a significantly higher serum cholesterol (P=0.009), HDL cholesterol (P=0.05) and non-HDL cholesterol (P=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The MSCT could help in identifying and stratifying high-risk patients to implement preventive strategies. The control of mineral metabolism and of lipid levels is important in prevention of arterial calcification in uremic patients.

Calcinosis↗
PubMed2001

A semi-automatic algorithm for reducing the time spent on routine follow-up of cardioverter defibrillators.

BACKGROUND: The routine follow-up of cardioverter defibrillators (CD) is a time-consuming procedure. AIM of the STUDY and METHODS: The present study was a prospective randomized cross-over evaluation on the clinical usefulness of a specific semi-automatic software algorithm (Quick Check) for CD follow-up, available in CPI Guidant systems (CD and programmer). Time-saving, while ensuring all the required data and patient safety, was evaluated in a large group of patients (105), recruited in different centers. In the same session and under a physician's supervision all patients underwent a follow-up with the aid of Quick Check or a standard follow-up, in a randomized sequence. Each patient served as his own control. RESULTS: In the overall population of 105 patients, the time spent for follow-up was reduced by Quick Check from 186+/-105 sec to 106+/-67 sec (p<0.0001) (43% reduction). The reduction in time spent for follow-up with Quick Check was the same (43% reduction) in patients with detected episodes (n=38) (from 241+/-144 sec to 138+/-95 sec (p<0.0001)) and in patients without detected episodes (n=67) (from 154+/-52 sec to 88+/-34 sec (p<0. 0001)). No adverse events or deletion of potentially useful data was detected by the supervising physician. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a specific software algorithm for routine follow-up of implanted CDs allows a significant shortening of the time spent on routine follow-up, thus reducing costs. The supervision of a physician is a guarantee of patient safety.

Algorithms↗