A rare cause of atrioventricular block: Mad Honey intoxication.
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Atropine↗
Biomedical subjects
Dursun Aras
Publications and source records attributed to Dursun Aras.
Simple electrocardiographic markers for the prediction of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in hyperthyroidism.
BACKGROUND: Hyperthyroidism is a major cause of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictors of AF in the patients with clinical and subclinical hyperthyroidism. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study population consisted of four groups: group I (57 euthyroid healthy persons), group II (33 patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism), group III (69 patients with overt hyperthyroidism) and group IV (31 patients with overt hyperthyroidism and documented paroxysmal AF). The maximum P wave duration (P maximum) in group IV (114 +/- 8 ms) was significantly higher than group I (102 +/- 7 ms, p < 0.001), group II (106 +/- 7 ms, p < 0.001) and group III (108 +/- 9 ms, p0.005). The P wave dispersion (PWD) was measured as 46 +/- 9 ms in group IV and this was significantly higher than group I (29 +/- 8 ms, p < 0.001), group II (36 +/- 9 ms, p < 0.001) and grup III (38 +/- 8 ms, p = 0.001). The P maximum and PWD were higher in the patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism compared to healthy individuals. Univariate regression analysis revealed that age, P maximum and PWD, multivariate analysis showed that P maximum and PWD were significant predictors of paroxysmal AF. A PWD value of 37.5 ms separated group IV from others with a sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 85%, and positive predictive accuracy of 77%. CONCLUSION: Simply measuring P maximum and PWD values, we could identify the patients with high risk for the development of AF and these simple ECG parameters may help in clinical judgement to determine the requirement for treatment in the patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism.
Atrial Fibrillation↗
Aortic dissection with diastolic prolapse of intimal flap into left ventricle.
Ascending aortic dissection is often a catastrophic condition. Dissection into the commissures or into an aortic valve leaflet may lead to leaflet avulsion and valvular insufficiency due to a flail valve. We present an image report describing an important and life-threatening complication due to the movement of a partially dehisced intimal aortic flap into the left ventricle causing aortic valve insufficiency in a patient with acute dissection of the ascending aorta.
Acute Disease↗
Imaging of isolated ventricular non-compaction with dynamic cardiomyoplasty.
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Cardiomyoplasty↗
Improvement in sympatho-vagal imbalance and heart rate variability in patients with mitral stenosis after percutaneous balloon commissurotomy.
Elevated sympathetic nerve activity in patients with mitral stenosis (MS) may be an index of the severity of the disease. Percutaneous mitral balloon commissurotomy (PMBC) is now a standard treatment for many patients with symptomatic MS. We aimed to show the effects of PMBC on autonomic nervous system activity in the patients with MS by heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. Fifty-four consecutive patients with mitral stenosis and sinus rhythm who underwent percutaneous mitral commissurotomy were enrolled. Apart from significant haemodynamic improvements, mean heart rate (HR), LF day, LF night, LF/HF day and night significantly decreased and SDNN, RMSSD, PNN50, HF day and night significantly increased in the early period after PMBC and these changes were preserved for up to one month. SDNN was positively correlated with left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) but negatively correlated with mean valve area (MVA), left atrial (LA) diameter and pressure, right atrial (RA) pressure; LF/HF day ratio was positively correlated with LA diameter and pressure, mean transmitral gradient and negatively correlated with LVEF; LF/HF night ratio was positively correlated with LA pressure and mean transmitral gradient. The increase in SDNN was correlated with the change in LA and RA pressure. The decrease in LF/HF ratio after PMBC was significantly correlated with the changes in the mean transmitral gradient, LA pressure and RA pressure. As a result, the heart rate variability and autonomic nervous system function in patients with mitral stenosis are correlated with the atrial pressures and left ventricular function. These parameters significantly change in the early period after PMBC and are preserved at one month. The improvement in the heart rate variability and sympatho-vagal balance are significantly affected by the early changes in atrial pressures after PMBC.
Adult↗
Evaluation of serum levels of solubilized adhesion molecules in patients with aortocoronary saphenous vein grafts.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic importance of serum-solubilized adhesion molecules, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, sE-selectin and sP-selectin in aortocoronary saphenous vein graft disease. METHODS: The study population was composed of two groups consisting of 41 patients with saphenous vein graft stenosis (stenosis group) and 43 patients without saphenous vein graft stenosis (no-stenosis group) based on the results of coronary angiography. All patients underwent coronary artery bypass graft operation involving the use of at least one saphenous vein graft for bypass. At the time of cardiac catheterization, it had been more than 1 year since the operation. RESULTS: Serum level of sP-selectin was significantly higher in the stenosis group than in the no-stenosis group (72.9+/-21.7 versus 48.7+/-18.6 ng/ml, P<0.001). No differences were found between the two groups with respect to serum levels of sE-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1. Multivariate analysis revealed that only serum levels of sP-selectin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were independently correlated with the stenosis of saphenous vein grafts. A cutoff value of serum sP-selectin >57.5 ng/ml yields a specificity of 79.5%, a sensitivity of 73.3% and a positive predictive value of 80.5% for saphenous vein graft stenosis. CONCLUSION: In this study, sP-selectin level was found to be significantly higher in the group that had late aortocoronary saphenous vein bypass graft disease. This result suggests that platelet activation may play a causal role in late graft disease.
Aged↗
Effects of previously well-developed collateral vessels on left internal mammary artery graft flow after bypass surgery.
Transthoracic Doppler ultrasonography can assess left internal mammary artery patency and flow after coronary artery bypass grafting. We aimed to show, by transthoracic Doppler ultrasonography, the early effects upon left internal mammary artery graft flow of preoperative collateral vessels supplying the left anterior descending artery. Thirty-four consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass were prospectively enrolled: 19 patients with collateral vessels supplying the left anterior descending were compared with 15 patients without collaterals. After bypass, end-diastolic velocity, mean velocity, flow volume, and ejection fraction were significantly greater, and the resistivity index was lower in patients with collateral vessels. The changes in velocities, volume, resistivity index, and pulsatility index were also found to be greater in patients with collateral vessels than in those without collaterals. Collateral vessels were the only factor affecting the changes in end-diastolic volume, mean velocity, flow volume, and resistivity index in multivariate analysis. Three factors affected postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction: collateral vessels, preoperative ejection fraction, and changes in left internal mammary flow volume. We conclude that patients with well-developed collaterals to the left anterior descending have better flow in the left internal mammary graft and more significant improvement in left ventricular function after coronary bypass. The flow volume of the mammary graft and the improvement of ventricular systolic functions after coronary bypass might be presumed with the presence of grade 2 or 3 preoperative collateral vessels.
Adult↗
[Thrombotic, fibrinolytic and proliferative activities of pulmonary vascular bed in secondary pulmonary hypertension].
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether pulmonary vascular bed contributes to the development of in situ thrombosis and vascular remodelling in secondary pulmonary hypertension (SPH) via changes in its local secretory activities. METHODS: Seventy-one patients with the diagnosis of secondary pulmonary hypertension (38 females, mean age 40.36+/-1.05 years) were included in the study. Selective right and left heart catheterization was performed to each patient for diagnostic purposes. Blood samples obtained from left ventricle (LV) and pulmonary artery (PA) of each patient were analyzed for levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), D-dimer, von Willebrand factor (vWF), protein-C, antithrombin-III, fibrinogen, and plasminogen. Results were compared between LV and PA. Correlation analysis between each parameter and mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) was performed. RESULTS: Although mean level of VEGF in LV and PA were found to be in normal range, it was significantly higher in LV than in PA (p<0.001). Mean PDGF and D-dimer levels, which remained in normal range were also higher in LV (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively) than in PA;.vWF showed similar degree of elevation in both LV and PA. Only one parameter, PAI-1, was found to be significantly higher in PA than in LV (p=0.012). Antithrombin-III, protein C, plasminogen, and fibrinogen levels showed no significant differences between two chambers. They also remained in normal range, except for fibrinogen, which was slightly elevated in both LV and PA. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive correlation between D-dimer level in both LV and PA and MPAP (r=0.775, p<0.001 and r=0.649, p<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: In SPH, pulmonary vascular bed shows increased thrombotic, hypofibrinolytic, and proliferative activities, which are partially related to the severity of illness.
Adult↗
Does claudication affect the development of coronary collaterals?
Atherothrombosis is a generalized disease process that affects large- and medium-diameter arteries throughout the arterial tree. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the correlation between collaterals in different vascular beds. Patients who had undergone digital subtraction angiography for symptomatic lower extremity peripheral arterial disease and coronary angiography after an acute anterior myocardial infarction (MI) were compared with a control group composed of those patients who were hospitalized for acute anterior MI and underwent coronary angiography but had no claudication and had an ankle-brachial index of greater than 0.9 in both legs. In claudicants, stenosis in the left anterior descending artery (LAD) (90.3 +/- 17.5 vs 78.6 +/- 13.8, P = 0.005) was greater compared with the patients without claudication. The collaterals to the LAD (88% vs 37.5%, P = 0.001) and the collateral grades (1.7 +/- 0.7 vs 0.7 +/- 0.9, P = 0.001) were higher in the patients with claudication compared with those without claudication. A previous history of angina (52.2% vs 16.3%, P = 0.001), claudication (39.1% vs 4.6%, P = 0.001), and peripheral collaterals (45.7% vs 6.9%, P = 0.001) were higher in the patients with coronary collaterals than in those without. The factors affecting the development of coronary collaterals were claudication [relative risk (RR): 8.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1-39.8], peripheral collaterals (RR: 1.1; 95% CI: 1.1-1.3), and LAD stenosis (RR: 1.2; 95% CI: 0.03-29.1). Our results suggest that the presence of collateralization or angiogenesis in one vascular bed highly predicts collateralization in another arterial bed.
Arteriosclerosis↗
Evaluation of atrial refractoriness immediately after percutaneous mitral balloon commissurotomy in patients with mitral stenosis and sinus rhythm.
BACKGROUND: Chronic atrial stretch and rheumatic inflammatory activity leads to atrial dilatation and conduction slowing, and this increases the susceptibility to atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of changes in the chronic atrial stretch on atrial refractoriness in the early period after percutaneous mitral balloon commissurotomy (PMBC) in patients with mitral stenosis and sinus rhythm. METHODS: Twenty-five patients undergoing PMBC were enrolled in this study. We evaluated the changes in pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), left atrial (LA) pressure, mean mitral diastolic gradient, and mitral valve area in addition to the changes in atrial effective refractory periods (AERPs), AERP dispersion, and intra-atrial and interatrial conduction times after PMBC. RESULTS: There were significant decreases in mean diastolic gradient, PAP, mean LA pressure, and LA size after PMBC. Accompanying these acute hemodynamic changes after PMBC, AERPs in high right atrium (HRA), distal coronary sinus (DCS), and right posterolateral (RPL) were found to be increased (P <.001), and AERP dispersion, PA(HIS) (an interval between P wave on the surface electrocardiogram and atrial electrogram at the His bundle site), and HRA-DCS intervals were significantly reduced after PMBC (P <.001). It was revealed with linear regression and correlation analysis that only the changes in AERP dispersion were correlated with changes in LA pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Relief of chronic atrial stretch results in an increase in AERPs and decrease in AERP dispersion, suggesting the potential reversibility of the electrophysiological features of chronic atrial dilatation. Our study emphasizes that an acute reduction of chronic atrial stretch in mitral stenosis resulted in favorable effects on atrial electrophysiological characteristics, and our results provide the first detailed insights into the electrophysiological changes after PMBC in patients with sinus rhythm.
Adult↗
Double-chambered right ventricle associated with membranous interventricular septal aneurysm.
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Adolescent↗
Do collaterals affect heart rate variability in patients with acute myocardial infarction?
BACKGROUND: The protective effects and the prognostic importance of collaterals during and after acute myocardial infarction (MI) are under debate and heart rate variability (HRV) is a strong predictor of risk of mortality and arrhythmic events after acute MI. We aimed to examine the effects of collateral circulation on HRV in the early period after acute MI. METHODS: Sixty-four patients admitted to our clinics who were diagnosed with acute anterior MI and underwent thrombolytic therapy were enrolled in this study. We applied 24 h Holter monitoring for HRV analysis to all patients and compared the patients with and without collaterals to the infarct-related artery. RESULTS: Mean heart rate, low frequency (LF) (day, night and 24 h) and LF/high frequency (HF) (day, night and 24 h) were higher, SD of all NN intervals (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), number of NN intervals that differed by more than 50 ms from the adjacent interval divided by the total number of all NN intervals (PNN50) and HF night values were lower in patients without collaterals than in those with collaterals. SDNN was negatively correlated with left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) stenosis, ventricle score indices and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF); LF/HF ratio was positively correlated with ventricle score indices and negatively correlated with LVEF and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction flow grade. Linear regression analysis showed that ventricle score index and coronary collaterals affect HRV and LAD stenosis, ventricle score, LVEF and coronary collaterals affect LF/HF ratio. A SDNN <80 ms increased the development of ventricular arrhythmias in the early period by 4.7 fold, a LF/HF ratio >2.7 increased it by 9.8 fold and a LVEF <35% increased it by 12.8 fold, whereas the presence of well-developed collaterals decreased the arrhythmia development by 2.5 fold. CONCLUSIONS: The collaterals to the infarct-related artery have great impact on HRV, autonomic nervous system activity and the development of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with acute anterior MI. Our results suggest a protective role of collaterals on myocardial electrophysiology in the early period after acute MI.
Collateral Circulation↗
Sympathetic overactivity in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis.
BACKGROUND: Mitral stenosis may increase sympathetic nervous activity by increasing left atrial pressure and reducing cardiac output. And elevated sympathetic nerve activity may be a risk factor for the development of clinical manifestations of mitral stenosis. In this study, we assessed the autonomic nervous system activity in patients with mitral stenosis by heart rate variability analysis and defined factors affecting autonomic functions. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty-four patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis were compared with an age- and gender-matched control group composed of 42 healthy individuals. SDNN, RMSSD, PNN50, and HF were lower; mean heart rate (HR), LF and LF/HF ratio were higher in the patients with mitral stenosis compared to the control group. SDNN was correlated positively with left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), negatively with mitral valve area, left atrial (LA) diameter, and duration of symptoms. RMSSD was correlated positively with mean transmitral gradient, negatively correlated with age; PNN50 was correlated negatively with mitral valve area and positively correlated with transmitral gradient. LF was positively and HF was negatively correlated with LA diameter; LF was correlated positively, and HF was negatively correlated with duration of symptoms. LF/HF ratio was positively correlated with LA diameter and duration of symptoms, negatively with LVEF and mean valve area. CONCLUSION: As a result, sympathetic nervous system activity is increased in patients with mitral stenosis and sympathetic overactivity worsens their symptoms. Most significant factors that affect autonomic functions in these patients are left atrial dilatation and mitral valve area.
Adult↗
Regional left atrial coagulation and fibrinolytic activities in patients with mitral stenosis.
Systemic thromboembolism is a major complication of mitral stenosis (MS), especially in those patients having atrial fibrillation (AF). Recent evidence has suggested that regional left atrial coagulation activity may be increased in MS and may contribute to the pathophysiology of left atrial thrombus. However, the relation of left atrial coagulation activity to factors that predispose to left atrial thrombus formation is unknown. Also, the relations between left atrial and systemic coagulation activity, fibrinolysis, and platelet activation remain unresolved. Left atrial and peripheral venous levels of fibrinogen, antithrombin III, factor VII and factor VIII for coagulation, D-dimer, tPA and PAI-I, plasmin and antiplasmin for fibrinolysis, and platelet factor 4 and vWF for platelet activation, and endothelial dysfunction were measured in 46 patients with MS and normal clotting times who were undergoing percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty. Left atrial tPA, plasmin, PAI-I, antiplasmin, PF4, and vWF levels exceeded the corresponding peripheral venous levels (P < 0.05) in patients with MS, being more significant in the AF subgroup. There were no significant differences between left atrial and peripheral venous levels of fibrinogen, D-dimer, factor VII, and factor VIII within the patient group (P > 0.05). The results suggest that there are significant variations in the indices of coagulation, fibrinolytic system and platelet activation, and endothelial dysfunction between left atrial and peripheral venous blood samples of patients with MS that may be due to limited spillover from the left atrium to the systemic circulation.
Adult↗
[Do mobile telephones have adverse effects on the functions of implantable cardioverter defibrillators?].
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of widely used mobile telephones on the functions of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD). METHODS: The study included 9 patients (2 women, 7 men, mean age 65.5 +/- 6) with coronary artery disease who had underwent transvenous ICD implantation due to sustained ventricular tachycardia and/or fibrillation. First the test was performed on the basal conditions of ICD. Then, spontaneous heart rate of the patient was programmed to 10 beats/minute on VVI mode and the test was repeated. Two mobile telephones were located symmetrically 50 cm, 30 cm, 20 cm and 10 cm away from the ICD pocket in the pectoralis muscle and finally the mobile telephones antennas were touched to the pockets. On these different distances, the test was repeated during opening, standby, calling, talking and closing of the telephones. Possible ICD dysfunctions such as improper antitachycardic shock, inhibition of pacemaker functions, conversion to ventricular asynchronous mode (VOO) and development of ventricular trigger in devices with two chamber pacemaker functions were tested. The changes were observed on intracardiac and surface ECG's. RESULTS: There were no changes in the basal and pacemaker functions of ICD's and no symptoms in any patients. CONCLUSION: We have concluded that mobile telephones have no adverse effects on the functions of types of ICD assessed in the study.
Aged↗
Cardioverter-defibrillator implantation in an elderly patient with isolated ventricular noncompaction.
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Aged↗
An unusual primary left ventricular hydatid cyst complicated by cardiac tamponade and mitral regurgitation--a case report.
Cardiac involvement in hydatidosis is rare but because of potentially lethal complications, its recognition is of great importance. The authors present a 55-year-old woman admitted to the clinic with cardiac tamponade and moderate mitral regurgitation caused by a hydatid cyst located at the inferoposterior wall of the left ventricle.
Cardiac Tamponade↗
Do different atrial flutter types carry the same thromboembolic risk?
Thromboembolic risk of atrial flutter (AFl) types has not been elucidated sufficiently in previous reports. The authors classified the patients according to surface electrocardiogram and electrophysiologic characteristics as those with typical AFl (37 patients, 78.4% male, mean age 59.8 +/-9.5 years) and atypical AFl (13 patients, 69.2% male, mean age 60.9 +/-6.9 years) and compared them regarding some clinical, echocardiographic, and hematologic parameters. An age- and gender-matched control group composed of 20 individuals without any organic heart disease in sinus rhythm was chosen (80% male, mean age 60.3 +/-7.9 years). Clinical features such as age, gender, organic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, AFl duration, and the prevalence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were similar in both AFl groups. Echocardiographic parameters such as left ventricular ejection fraction, left atrial (LA) diameter, LA spontaneous echo contrast, and LA appendage emptying velocities were similar in both AFl groups. Fibrinogen, fibrin D-dimer, and thrombin-antithrombin III levels reflecting coagulation system activity were found to be increased in the patients with atypical AFl when compared with those with typical AFl and the control group (p < 0.001). In Pearson's correlation analysis, significant correlation between these hematologic markers and clinical and echocardiographic parameters were not found (p > 0.05). The coagulation system activity was found to be increased in patients with atypical AFl. Thus, anticoagulation due to the increased thromboembolic risk should be considered in patients with atypical AFl.
Age Factors↗