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Biomedical subjects

David H Spodick

Publications and source records attributed to David H Spodick.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Abnormal atrial depolarization associated with Chiari network?

The Chiari network, a congenital remnant of fetal membrane in the right atrium, is infrequently associated with complications, such as supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. There have however been no known reports of basic electrocardiographic significance of the Chiari network. We present three consecutive cases of Chiari network found in the presence of abnormal interatrial conduction (P-waves > or = 110 ms), which is a potential predictor of atrial tachyarrhythmias.

Aged, 80 and over↗
PubMed2006

Frequency of interatrial block in patients with sinus rhythm hospitalized for stroke and comparison to those without interatrial block.

Interatrial block (IAB; P wave > or =110 ms) is a potent correlate of left atrial (LA) enlargement and electromechanical dysfunction and a strong predictor of atrial tachyarrhythmias, in particular, atrial fibrillation. Although these associations increase its risk for embolism, i.e., cardioembolic stroke, such a phenomenon has been inadequately investigated. We investigated 85 general hospital patients who had been admitted to the neurologic unit between January 2003 and December 2004 for embolic stroke. Of those, 66 patients who had electrocardiograms that showed sinus rhythm were evaluated for IAB and categorized as those with IAB and those without (controls). Medical records were then reviewed for common co-morbidities and stroke risk factors, high-resolution carotid artery Doppler ultrasonographic study reports, and 2-dimensional echocardiograms obtained during the current admission for embolic stroke; 40 patients (61%) had IAB. There was a 55% prevalence of LA enlargement (diameter in the parasternal long-axis view > or =40 mm, p <0.001). LA thrombi and/or spontaneous contrast ("smoke") were noted on echocardiograms in 6 patients with IAB (15%) but not in any of the controls (p = 0.038). Five of those 6 patients with such LA thrombi had dilated LA cavities. In conclusion, IAB could be a risk for embolic stroke due to its known sequelae of LA dilation and electromechanical dysfunction that predispose to thrombosis. If prospective studies prove this to be so, the need for anticoagulation use in such patients should be investigated.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Angiographic localization of potential culprit coronary arteries in patients with interatrial block following a positive exercise tolerance test.

Interatrial block (IAB), denoted by P waves > or =110 ms, is believed to be associated with underlying ischemia, particularly with that of its principal interatrial conduction pathway, the Bachmann bundle. We investigated if there is an angiographic association of IAB on electrocardiograms at rest in patients who underwent cardiac angiography after a positive exercise tolerance test (ETT) result. Twenty-seven patients with IAB and 42 control patients without IAB on electrocardiograms at rest who had evidence of ischemia on cardiac angiography after ETT were identified. Coronary vessels that were angiographically most significantly stenosed (> or =70% occlusion indicating stenosis) were noted for statistical comparison (a p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant). Among patients with IAB, the right coronary artery was the predominant vessel to be affected, with > or =70% narrowing compared with the left, inclusive of the left main, left circumflex, obtuse marginal, and diagonal coronary arteries (58% vs 23%, p = 0.03). Right coronary artery lesions in patients with IAB were mostly in the proximal and mid portions (54% vs 25% for the entire left coronary artery, p = 0.02). No such difference was noted in control subjects. In conclusion, in patients with IAB at rest who have coronary heart disease, the right coronary artery is predominantly more significantly affected.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Limited utility of interatrial block in predicting ischemia on coronary angiography in patients with suboptimal exercise performance.

INTRODUCTION: Interatrial block (P waves > or = 110 ms) is thought to be associated with underlying myocardial ischemia during exercise but has not been extensively investigated in patients with suboptimal or borderline exercise tolerance tests (< 3 min exercise). We utilized coronary angiography to assess the relationship of both, the resting baseline and exercise induced increase in P-wave duration with coronary artery disease among patients who had undergone such tests. METHODS: We prospectively identified 51 consecutive patients with interatrial block who had coronary artery disease and hypertension but not atrioventricular valvular heart disease, and had undergone coronary angiography to evaluate myocardial ischemia after a suboptimal exercise tolerance test. A control group of 64 consecutive exercise tolerance test patients with similar preliminary characteristics but without interatrial block at rest was used for comparison. Patients from both groups were then appraised for significant obstructive lesions (> 70%) on coronary angiography that were suggestive of myocardial ischemia. RESULTS: Obstructive coronary artery lesions suggestive of myocardial ischemia were more frequent among interatrial block patients but this was not statistically significant (p=0.25). However, change in P-wave duration of > 20 ms occurred more frequently in interatrial block patients in the presence of a positive exercise tolerance test. Among patients without interatrial block at baseline, more patients who developed new interatrial block had significant disease on coronary angiography. CONCLUSION: The utility of using interatrial block toward predicting myocardial ischemia among patients with suboptimal exercise tolerance tests is limited. However, further investigation on the early change in P-wave duration in patients with interatrial block and the development of new interatrial block during exercise could be helpful in optimizing exercise tolerance tests, particularly when borderline or suboptimal.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Prospective evaluation of atrial tachyarrhythmias in patients with interatrial block.

INTRODUCTION: Interatrial block (P-wave> or =110 ms) is clinically associated with left atrial enlargement and electromechanical dysfunction as well as atrial tachyarrhythmias. We prospectively evaluated the incidence of such arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation among patients with interatrial block over the course of 1 year. METHODS: 118 patients (aged 48 to 104 years; female 56.6%) who had been hospitalized between December 15, 2004 and January 14, 2005 were identified and divided into 3 groups based on their respective baseline electrocardiogram (interatrial block=41 patients, sinus non-interatrial block=51 patients and atrial tachyarrhythmia=24 patients). Patients were subsequently followed for 12 months for pertinent cardiovascular events (heart failure, peripheral embolism, transient ischemic attacks and stroke), atrial tachyarrhythmias (atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter) and death as endpoints. RESULTS: 19 patients (17.9%) had atrial fibrillation during the 12-month follow-up (sinus non-interatrial block group=4 [9.1%], interatrial block group=12 [29.3%] and atrial tachyarrhythmia group=3 [14.3%]). Coronary artery disease, hypertension, pre-existing atrial fibrillation history, dilated cardiomyopathy, atrioventricular valvular disease and interatrial block (age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio=4.2; 95% confidence interval 1.2-14.4; p=0.02) were significantly associated with future events of atrial fibrillation. However, logistic regression analysis indicated that interatrial block was not an independent predictor of future atrial fibrillation whereas only history of pre-existing atrial tachyarrhythmias was (hazard ratio=23.6; 95% confidence interval 4.5-121.7; p=0.0002). CONCLUSION: Interatrial block may be associated with atrial fibrillation but in a 12-month period, does not appear to be an independent predictor of future atrial fibrillation. Continued prospective investigation of such a relationship is certainly warranted given its already known consequences.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2006

Frequency of circumferential pericardial effusion by echocardiography in adults with foramen ovale type atrial septal defect versus ventricular septal defect.

Many published reports have described pericardial effusions in patients with secundum atrial septal defects. This study investigated their associated prevalence echocardiographically using 40 patients with isolated ventricular septal defects as controls in an adult patient population. Pericardial effusions accompanied atrial septal defects in 13 patients and ventricular septal defects in only 3 patients (p <0.0001). In conclusion, pericardial effusions are much more common (p <0.005) with uncomplicated secundum atrial septal defects than with uncomplicated ventricular septal defects.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Reevaluation of the criterion for interatrial block.

The importance of the interatrial block has often been overshadowed by the debate on the appropriate cutoff to define its excessively wide P waves. However, by far, most publications have accepted P waves of >or=110 ms to represent abnormal interatrial conduction on the electrocardiogram. These "guidelines" have been structured on anachronistic electrocardiographic standards mostly determined from references to earlier textbooks and other publications that often did not involve original work. As such, reevaluation of the top normal value for the P-wave duration in adults is probably long overdue. We reevaluated the prevalence of interatrial block in our previously published series of 500 outpatients using existing standards for normal P-wave values and compared these results with the previous known prevalence of interatrial block to generate this present report. In conclusion, the frequency of the mode duration for P waves (120 ms) suggests electrophysiologic reevaluation of the normal range.

Electrocardiography↗
PubMed2006

Association of Duke prognostic treadmill scores with change in P-wave duration during exercise tolerance tests in patients with interatrial block and coronary heart disease.

Interatrial block (IAB), as denoted by P waves > or =110 ms in duration, is believed to be associated with underlying ischemia, particularly with that of its principal interatrial conduction pathway, the Bachmann bundle. In this study, the association between Duke prognostic treadmill (DPT) scores and change in P-wave duration in IAB was investigated in patients who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise tolerance tests (CPETTs). Twenty-seven patients with IAB and 42 control patients without IAB on electrocardiography at rest who had evidence of myocardial ischemia on coronary angiography after CPETTs were identified consecutively. P-wave measurements were obtained independently at the beginning of every CPETT stage and also when P-wave changes occurred. Increments in P-wave durations were measured to the nearest 20 ms. DPT scores were calculated for the 2 groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in mean values for DPT scores and for exercise capacity. However, change in P-wave duration in patients with IAB was significantly associated with mean DPT score. As the change in P-wave duration increased, the DPT score was significantly less (p = 0.003). DPT scores were more significant with P-wave changes of >20 ms compared with P-wave changes of < or =20 ms (p = 0.00001). In conclusion, in patients with coronary heart disease and IAB at rest, increases in P-wave durations during CPETTs are inversely associated with DPT scores.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Long-term outcomes in difficult-to-treat patients with recurrent pericarditis.

Patients with many recurrences of acute pericarditis are commonly alarmed by the fear of constriction. We studied their long-term outcome and the possible presence of systemic diseases. Sixty-one Italian patients (36 men) were followed for an average of 8.3 years according to a predefined protocol, including testing for autoimmune diseases and familial Mediterranean fever. Symptomatic pericarditis lasted from 1 to 43 years (mean 5.4 years). Fifty-two patients had been referred to us after failure of previous therapies, including steroids. We observed 378 attacks with a mean of 1.6 per patient per year and 156 hospital admissions. Thirteen patients had a post-cardiac injury syndrome. In 43 (70.5%), the pericarditis remained idiopathic, whereas we made a new diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in 1 and of Sjogren's syndrome in 4 patients, but in these patients pericarditis represented the dominant clinical manifestation. Cardiac tamponade occurred during the initial attacks in 4 patients (6.5%) but never recurred. Pleural effusions were present during the first attack in 22 patients (36.0%) and liver involvement in 5 (8%). No patients developed constrictive pericarditis. Echocardiographic examination produced no evidence of chronic myocardial disease. Response to therapy was good. Thirty-one patients (50.8%) are in sustained remission, without any therapy; their total observation period has averaged 10.3 years. In idiopathic patients, antinuclear antibodies were present in 56.2% and anti-Ro/SSA in 8.3%. Mutations linked to familial Mediterranean fever were absent. In conclusion, in this large series of difficult patients with recurrent acute pericarditis and a very long follow-up, the long-term prognosis is good.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

Progression of advanced interatrial block to atrial flutter: a prospectively-followed case.

Interatrial block (IAB; P wave > or = 110 ms), commonly associated with left atrial enlargement and its electromechanical dysfunction, is also a significant correlate of atrial tachyarrhythmias. While the arrhythmogenic mechanisms of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter may indeed differ, there is actually considerably less literature showing evidence of prospective progression of IAB, be it partial or advanced, to atrial flutter. We present a unique case of atrial flutter occurring within months of diagnosis of advanced IAB in an otherwise healthy female to briefly generate our discussion on the possible reasons for this scenario.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Specific electrocardiographic markers of P-wave morphology in interatrial block.

BACKGROUND: Interatrial block (IAB; P waves >/= 110 milliseconds), the conduction delay between the right (RA) and left atrium (LA), is depicted on the electrocardiogram (ECG) as prolonged, often bifid ("notched"), P waves with distinguishable RA and LA components. Although electrophysiologic (EP) studies give some insight on how RA and LA components are depicted on the surface ECG in normal conduction, few if at all any, have conclusively demonstrated this correlation with IAB. Using existing EP knowledge, we investigated if such P-wave markers on bedside ECGs exist in IAB and appraised their utility in IAB recognition. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients admitted to a general hospital from December 1, 2004, to December 15, 2004. Of those, 151 patients had been admitted for nonacute presentations and were screened with 12-lead ECGs. Thirty-eight ECGs were excluded for nonsinus and paced rhythms, severe motion artifact, errors in lead placement, absence of adequate patient identification, and duplicate patient admissions after discharge. The remaining 113 ECGs were then evaluated for IAB. Sixty-three patients who did not have IAB formed the control (group A), whereas of the remaining 50 patients with IAB, 24 who had past ECGs for comparison formed group B1 and 26 without past ECGs formed group B2. Groups were compared for common clinical comorbidities, whereas sensitivity and specificity were calculated for significant P-wave markers. P values were also calculated, with a value of <.05 considered significant. RESULTS: Clinical characteristics of patients in all groups were statistically comparable. Overall, almost all P waves in patients with IAB (groups 1 and 2) appeared "notched" (94%, P < .0001; sensitivity, 75%; specificity, 94% for IAB recognition; positive predictive value, 94%). P-wave RA components were commonly depicted as "domes," whereas their LA counterparts formed "spikes" (48%, P < .0001; sensitivity 96%; specificity, 70% for IAB recognition). When groups B1 and B2 were compared with increased accuracy, more P waves in group B1 were noted to have notches and had easily discernible RA and LA components; often, the RA duration is longer than the LA duration. In addition, more "dome-and-spike" complexes could be determined when past ECGs were present for comparison. These markers could be found on any bedside ECG lead in IAB but were predominant on leads II and V3 to V6. CONCLUSIONS: Specific noninvasive surface markers such as P-wave "dome-and-spike" complexes and "notches" in any lead (predominantly leads II and V3-V6) on the bedside ECG could alert clinicians to measure P waves and so identify IAB.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Potential clinical correlates and risk factors for interatrial block.

BACKGROUND: Interatrial block (IAB; P wave > or =110 ms) denotes a conduction delay between the atria, is strongly associated with atrial tachyarrhythmias, left atrial enlargement, left atrial electromechanical dysfunction, and is a risk for embolism. Despite this, potential risk factors for IAB have not been clearly defined. METHODS: Patients admitted via the Emergency Department for nonacute medical reasons to the nontelemetry general medical floors of a tertiary care general hospital from October to November 2004 were screened for sinus rhythm on electrocardiograms. Four hundred and four patients who met our criteria were then evaluated for IAB on respective electrocardiograms. All patients were subsequently compared for common diseases as well as coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors and divided into two groups, those with IAB and those without (control). Mean age +/- standard deviation, odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), r values, and p values were calculated. p values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: From the sample (n = 404), 182 patients had IAB (45%; mean age 64.32 +/- 19.27 years; males 51.6%) while 222 did not (control). CAD (OR 3.150, 95% CI 2.05-4.83; p < 0.001, r = 0.3), hypertension (OR 2.918, 95% CI 1.85-4.60; p < 0.001, r = 0.2), diabetes mellitus (OR 2.542, 95% CI 1.62-3.97; p < 0.001, r = 0.1), and hypercholesterolemia (OR 1.823, 95% CI 1.22-2.74; p = 0.004, r = 0.2) were significant risk factors and correlates for IAB. Multivariate analysis using stepwise linear regression revealed these factors as direct correlates of IAB. CONCLUSION: CAD, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia appear to be risk factors for IAB in general hospital patients admitted for nonacute reasons. Considering the known sequelae of IAB, awareness of its associations with such risk factors could be important for patient risk stratification.

Adolescent↗