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Biomedical subjects

D Himbert

Publications and source records attributed to D Himbert.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Eligibility for reperfusion therapy and outcome in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Reperfusion therapy by thrombolysis or angioplasty was considered in 260 unselected patients consecutively admitted within 6 h of the onset of Q wave myocardial infarction. Rates of reperfusion and in-hospital mortality were compared in 206 patients < 70 years and 54 patients > or = 70 years. Early reperfusion was obtained in 86.4% of the patients under 70 years and in 72.2% of those over 70 (P < 0.01). Thrombolysis was more frequently used in the younger group (66.0% vs 31.5%, P < 10(-5)), and primary angioplasty in the older (44.4% vs 29.6%, P < 0.05). Overall in-hospital mortality was higher in the older group (22.2% vs 4.4%, P < 10(-5)). After successful reperfusion, mortality was 12.8% in the patients over 70 and 3.9% in those under 70. After failed or unproven reperfusion, mortality was 46.7% in the patients over 70 and 7.1% in those under 70. Reperfusion therapy is feasible in the majority of patients over 70 years, but failure to attempt or to achieve reperfusion is associated with a poor outcome. Although not controlled, this study provides an incentive for attempting early reperfusion therapy as often as possible in the elderly with acute myocardial infarction.

Age Factors↗

Modulation of the expression of the granulocyte adhesion molecule, CR3, by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and contrast media.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The effects of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and iodinated contrast media on the functional state of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) were determined; the expression of the PMN adhesion molecule, CR3, was assessed. METHODS: CR3 expression was measured by flow cytometry in whole blood samples in vivo, before and after PTCA (n = 17) or coronary angiography (n = 16); and in vitro, before and after incubation of PMNs with iodinated contrast media (n = 5). RESULTS: CR3 expression (mean +/- standard error of the mean, arbitrary units) decreased significantly after PTCA (221 +/- 25 to 168 +/- 21, P < .005) and coronary angiography (297 +/- 43 to 218 +/- 25, P < .05). In vitro, there was a dose-dependent decrease of CR3 expression and a significant and strong inverse correlation between CR3 expression and the contrast agent concentrations regardless of the type of contrast agent used. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that PTCA does not activate circulating PMNs, and that contrast media decrease CR3 expression. Whether this is related to the systemic adverse effects of contrast media remains to be clarified.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

[Incidence and prognosis of early primary cardiogenic shock in myocardial infarction].

The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse the results of coronary reperfusion on the incidence and short and medium term prognosis of early primary cardiogenic shock in acute myocardial infarction. Of 339 consecutive patients admitted within 6 hours of the onset of acute myocardial infarction, 25 (7.4%) had cardiogenic shock from the onset. The majority of patients (18) underwent direct angioplasty with a successful result in 16 cases. Intravenous thrombolysis was instituted in 5 cases followed by emergency coronary angiography leading to "rescue" coronary angioplasty in 3 cases, which was successful in 2 cases. Two patients had no coronary revascularisation because of a double contra-indication to thrombolysis and catheterization by the femoral approach. Intra-aortic balloon pumping was used in 17 cases. Complementary emergency surgical revascularization was necessary in 5 patients (20%). In all, early reperfusion of the infarct-related artery was obtained in 80% of cases (20 patients). The hospital mortality was 72% (18 patients) due to refractory cardiac failure in nearly all cases. After an average follow-up of 17 months, 3 of the 7 survivors of the hospital period have died and of the 4 remaining patients, 2 are in the NYHA classes III or IV. Recent therapeutic advances have not influenced the incidence of cardiogenic shock but have significantly increased the proportion of very early cardiogenic shock, whereas the late cardiogenic shocks of more progressive onset, have nearly disappeared (4/339, 1.2% in this series). The prognosis of these early shocks, caused by severe myocardial damage, remains catastrophic and hardly improved by emergency coronary reperfusion by angioplasty and intraaortic balloon pumping.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

[Difficulties in the diagnosis of cardiac insufficiency in octogenarians].

The incidence of heart failure in octogenarians is high and its diagnosis not always easy. In many cases it is made by excess or by omission. Obtaining a history is often difficult. Signs may be masked, false or indicative of another disease process. Dyspnea, edema of the lower limbs and crepitations are relatively non-specific. Jugular distension, tender hepatomegaly and a diastolic gallop are much more valuable. Diagnosis of the underlying etiology also raises problems. While hypertension is commonplace and easy to identify, ischemic heart disease is common and often missed. Tight aortic stenosis must be identified since its treatment is surgical. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is often an echocardiographic discovery. Post-embolic chronic cor pulmonale, or secondary to chronic obstructive lung disease, must always be considered in the presence of right heart failure without hypertension or chest pain. Appropriate treatment is dependent upon accurate diagnosis.

Age Factors↗

[What is the appropriate treatment for myocardial infarction with left ventricular dysfunction?].

The essential goal of medical treatment following myocardial infarction with left ventricular dysfunction must be the prevention of secondary cardiac failure. The existence of left ventricular dysfunction, in particular when it is not accompanied by clinical cardiac failure, is a virtually formal indication for beta-blocker treatment after an infarction. Beta-blockers with intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (ISA) are possibly better tolerated in this context. However, experience shows that cardiologists and general practitioners often remain reluctant to prescribe beta-blockers whenever left ventricular function is impaired. Converting enzyme inhibitors decrease the risk of onset of secondary cardiac failure, reduce sudden deaths by ventricular arrhythmias, reduce recurrences of myocardial infarction or unstable coronary insufficiency, and more generally reduce overall and cardiovascular mortality. This is a class effect. While there is no urgency to prescribe them during the acute phase, it is generally considered that it is extremely useful to give them fairly quickly, i.e. during the first 72 hours. At the end of the hospital phase, around two weeks, it is desirable, whenever possible, to prescribe a dose of the order of 75 mg/day of captopril or 2.5 mg/day of ramipril. The administration of aspirin can be considered virtually routine. Oral anticoagulants are desirable in the presence of a large akinetic pocket, a frequent starting point of thrombosis and/or systemic emboli, or in the presence of atrial fibrillation. Digitalis/diuretic treatment does not appear to be indicated at this stage. Other types of anti-ischemic treatment are not theoretically indicated as a matter of principle at this stage in the absence of residual ischemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Left ventricular-arterial coupling in systemic hypertension: analysis by means of arterial effective and left ventricular elastances.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the spectrum of the left ventricular responses in hypertension in man by means of coupled analysis of elastances. In the present study we analysed the 'functional' coupling of the left ventricle and the arterial system in terms of the arterial effective elastance (E(a)) divided by a value of end-systolic left ventricular elastance approximated by the end-systolic pressure-volume ratio (E(lv)). METHODS: Twenty-five normotensive and 19 hypertensive males without heart failure underwent a haemodynamic and angiographic study. The hypertensives were divided into three subgroups: group 1 had normal ejection fraction, group 2 had ejection fraction > 70% and group 3 had ejection fraction 50-58%. RESULTS: The ejection fraction was similar in hypertensives and controls and E(lv) was significantly increased in the hypertensives. E(a) was identical in the three hypertensive subgroups, which differed only for E(lv). Hypertensives with a normal ejection fraction (n = 8) had a normal E(a)/E(lv) ratio and end-systolic stress, and a significantly increased E(lv), related mainly to an increase in the left ventricular mass divided by the end-diastolic volume (m/VED) with normal systolic function of the left ventricular muscle. The significantly increased systolic pump function of group 2 (n = 5) seems to be related to a significant increase in both m/VED and left ventricular muscle contractility. Group 3 (n = 6) was more heterogeneous, some patients having insufficient hypertrophy and others impaired muscle function. CONCLUSIONS: The left ventricle and the arterial system remain correctly coupled in hypertensives overall, but with marked heterogeneity of the systolic pump (and sometimes muscle) function and mainly of the geometry of the left ventricle. Regarding the relatively unequivocal changes in Ea, the differences in ejection fraction and in left ventricular-arterial coupling in hypertensives are related mainly to changes in the left ventricular systolic pump function.

Adult↗

[Acute myocardial infarction in patients over 70 years of age].

Demographic changes in cardiovascular disease explain the marked increase in the number of myocardial infarctions affecting individuals aged over 70. The prognosis remains poor, with hospital mortality of the order of 30%. The reticence of physicians to use reperfusion techniques (intravenous thrombolysis and coronary angioplasty) is paradoxically considerable. Several studies have nevertheless shown that the benefit/risk ratio of such methods not only persists, but is increased in this age group, which should encourage the widening of their indications. Thorough evaluation of the best management strategy would require a randomised comparative trial, but angioplasty would probably ensure early reperfusion in a larger proportion of elderly patients than thrombolysis, because of the high incidence of contraindications to the latter as well as of cardiogenic shock in this age group.

Age Factors↗

Primary coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction with contraindication to thrombolysis.

Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and contraindication to thrombolysis have a high mortality and morbidity with conventional medical treatment. Among 226 consecutive patients hospitalized within 6 hours of the onset of Q-wave AMI, 45 (20%) had contraindications to thrombolysis. All were treated by emergent primary angioplasty. Mean age of the 45 patients was 60 +/- 11 years and 8 (18%) were > or = 70 years old; 17 (38%) had multivessel disease and 5 (11%) presented with cardiogenic shock. Successful angioplasty was achieved in 42 of the 45 patients (93%) 52 +/- 27 minutes after admission and 238 +/- 100 minutes after the onset of pain. Overall in-hospital mortality was 9% (4 of 45). Neither major bleeding nor stroke occurred. There was 1 case of early symptomatic reocclusion, treated with emergent repeat angioplasty without reinfarction. Predischarge angiography in 33 patients showed only 1 silent reocclusion (3%). Ejection fraction at discharge was 46 +/- 13%. Repeat catheterization at 6 months in 19 patients showed 4 restenoses (21%) and 4 reocclusions (21%) of the infarct-related artery. There were 3 late deaths (2 noncardiac), which gave survival rates of 87 and 85% at 1 and 3 years, respectively, and event-free survival rates of 71 and 69% including in-hospital deaths. There were no cases of late reinfarction. Consequently, in this series, primary coronary angioplasty proved safe and highly effective in rapidly restoring sustained infarct-vessel patency during AMI, and led to a greater improvement in early and late outcomes than that reported in the literature for medically treated subjects in this high-risk subset for which thrombolytic therapy is contraindicated.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

Late thrombotic obstruction of an aortic bioprosthetic valve: successful treatment by oral anticoagulation.

Thrombotic obstruction of aortic bioprostheses is rare. Few cases have been reported involving the use of the Carpentier-Edwards (CE) prosthesis, the Hancock bioprosthesis, or the Medtronic Intact porcine valve. Thrombolytic therapy for mechanical valve thrombosis has been used frequently even though it is known to carry a high risk of embolism and recurrence. However, the use of this therapy was reported for the first time only recently, in a case of acute aortic thrombosis which occurred 3 1/2 months after bioprosthesis insertion. We report a case of late progressive thrombotic obstruction of a CE aortic valve 3 years after insertion. The case was successfully treated with coumadin therapy, as confirmed by serial Doppler echocardiographic examinations and a 3-year follow-up.

Aortic Valve↗

[Effects of aging on left ventricle-arterial coupling in man].

Twenty-five normotensive men without any cardiac or arterial pathology, aged 22 to 68 years, 12 less than 45 year old, 13 over 45 years, underwent cardiac catheterisation and angiography. The following parameters were calculated: 1) a global index of arterial function (Ea) and its determining factors (Ea = LVESP/SV where LEVSP = left ventricular end systolic pressure and SV = left ventricular stroke volume); Ea = (HR x SVR) + Ea' where HR = heart rate, SVR = total systemic vascular resistance and Ea' = (LVESP - MAP/SV) (MAP = mean arterial pressure); 2) an index of global left ventricular pump function: ELV (ELV = LVESP/LVESV, where LVEDV = left ventricular end systolic volume; 3) an index of LV-arterial coupling: the Ea/ELV ratio. With aging, both Ea (by increase in SVR) and Ea' and ELV increased significantly. Ea/ELV (inverse of the ejection fraction-1) increased with age but ELV less than Ea. Ea/ELV was significantly higher in patients over 45 years of age but the correlation between ejection fraction and age was not statistically significant (p = 0.10). These results suggest that with aging, the improvement in LV pump function approximately corresponds to the degradation in arterial transport function: the left ventricular-arterial coupling as assessed by the Ea/ELV ratio (and therefore the ejection fraction) is maintained in the majority of cases.

Adult↗

[The clinician's view of restenosis: methodological and therapeutic aspects].

The study of restenosis after angioplasty poses serious methodological problems. The first is the definition of angiographic criteria of restenosis. These should be based on quantitative angiographic measurements in absolute values of coronary diameter rather than on the use of percentage stenosis which is an inaccurate indication of the true severity of the coronary disease. Moreover, the use of an arbitrary threshold > or = 50% stenosis at angiographic control tends to "pre-select" poor initial results of angioplasty as restenosis. Criteria based on absolute values of coronary artery diameter have enabled the demonstration of a close correlation between an excellent result of angioplasty and the degree of the restenosis 6 months later which suggests that a too good result of angioplasty may be related to increased intimal hyperplasia. This is a real dilemma for those performing angioplasty knowing that a mediocre initial result does not guarantee a good long-term result. In addition, it seems that the diameters of coronary arteries 6 months after angioplasty have a Gaussian distribution. This would imply that intimal hyperplasia is a constant phenomenon after angioplasty and that it is its degree which varies between patients with and without restenosis. Restenosis would therefore be more of a quantitative than a qualitative phenomenon. This justifies the use of continuous variables in the study of restenosis and a categorical approach would therefore be less valuable, not as powerful statistically and based on thresholds of an arbitrary nature. This could also explain the contradictory results concerning predictive factors of restenosis in the literature.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

Evidence for priming and activation of neutrophils early after coronary angioplasty.

OBJECTIVES: Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) induces deep arterial wall injury and transient ischaemia. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that PTCA could result in priming or activation of the neutrophils and the complement system. METHODS: Blood was drawn from the coronary sinus before and immediately after PTCA in 7 patients and before and immediately after coronary angiography in 7 patients (to ensure that the changes observed after PTCA were not solely related to the angiographic procedure). Neutrophil priming was assessed ex vivo by whole blood chemiluminescence stimulated in vitro by formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, phorbol myristate and opsonized zymosan. Neutrophil activation was assessed by measurement of plasma lactoferrin. RESULTS: Whole blood chemiluminescence increased after PTCA, regardless of the stimulus used, while it did not after arteriography. After PTCA, lactoferrin increased 2-fold (p < 0.02) whereas after arteriography a non-significant increase was observed. Neutrophil count and adherence properties were not modified by either PTCA or arteriography. Total haemolytic complement (CH50), C3, C4 and B factor decreased slightly (7 to 16%) after both PTCA and arteriography. CONCLUSIONS: Early after PTCA, the neutrophil oxidative response, assessed by stimulated whole blood chemiluminescence, increased, suggesting a "priming" effect of PTCA on neutrophils. In addition, plasma lactoferrin levels increased, indicating neutrophil activation. Finally, there was a mild global activation of the complement system, most likely related to the contrast agent, and which may play a role in the "priming" process. Neutrophil priming and activation may participate in several phenomena occurring after angioplasty such as enhanced vasoconstriction and post-ischaemic myocardial dysfunction. In addition, it may participate in triggering local inflammatory processes.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

Patterns of myoglobin and MM creatine kinase isoforms release early after intravenous thrombolysis or direct percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction, and implications for the early noninvasive diagnosis of reperfusion.

Early noninvasive detection of reperfusion after thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction may enable detection of unsuccessful thrombolysis in time for rescue percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). It has been suggested that repeated measurement of myoglobin or of MM creatine kinase (CK) isoforms enables early detection of reperfusion. Twenty consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction treated by intravenous thrombolysis underwent serial determination of myoglobin, MM3 and MM1 CK isoforms every 30 minutes after the beginning of thrombolysis. At 90 minutes, coronary angiography was performed, enabling classification of patients as with (group A) and without (group B) reperfusion. A third group of 7 patients (group C) underwent direct PTCA without antecedent thrombolysis. In all groups, there were increases in myoglobin, percentage of MM3 isoform, and ratio of MM3/MM1. These increases appeared on the average steeper and faster in group B, but the large dispersion of values in this group resulted in a wide overlap with group A. Retrospective analysis suggests that an increase in the MM3/MM1 ratio > 0.35 after 60 minutes is very specific for reperfusion (sensitivity 60% and specificity 100%). In group C, PTCA always led to a sharp increase in all biochemical parameters measured within 30 minutes. Thus, macromolecular markers can be used for very early, noninvasive detection of reperfusion with a high specificity. This could help reduce the need for emergency angiography to select candidates for rescue PTCA. Furthermore, the patterns of biochemical markers of reperfusion differ when reperfusion is initiated by either thrombolysis or PTCA.

Adult↗

[Ischemic cardiomyopathy: remodeling, hypertrophy, subendocardial risk. Can processes be controlled?].

Ischaemic cardiomyopathy reflects the myocardial dysfunction caused by coronary disease. It results from the association of 1. segmental infarction(s) responsible for ventricular "remodelling", i.e. expansion of the necrotic area(s) and hypertrophy-dilatation of the rest of the ventricle, eventually concurring to heart failure; 2. areas which are viable but with a function that is reversibly compromised by severe acute or chronic ischaemia (myocardial sideration or hibernation) affecting mainly the subendocardium. The spontaneous course of cardiomyopathy towards the worst can be arrested by 1. revascularisation of the myocardium at risk by coronary reperfusion performed either as an emergency in case of infarct in the process of formation, or after detection of the viable myocardial areas by isotopic methods; 2. prevention or limitation of ventricular remodelling by coronary reperfusion and improvement of the ventricular load by administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and nitroglycerin. The Survival and Ventricular Enlargement study (SAVE) has been the first to demonstrate the relationship between limitation of ventricular remodelling and improvement of the secondary prognosis of infarction obtained by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

Animals↗