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Florim Cuculi

Publications and source records attributed to Florim Cuculi.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

ECG changes amongst patients with alcohol withdrawal seizures and delirium tremens.

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol withdrawal seizures and delirium tremens (DT) are serious complications of alcohol dependence. The prevalence of arrhythmias and other electrocardiographic (ECG) changes occurring in these clinical situations is not well studied. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of clinical data and ECG's from patients discharged between 1995 and 2005 with the diagnosis of DT (ICD-Code F10.4) or alcohol withdrawal seizures (F10.3). Measurement of the ECG intervals was done in lead II. The corrected QT interval (QTc) was obtained using Bazett's formula. RESULTS: 49 patients (38 males; 11 females) with a mean age of 48 years were included in the study. 23 patients with DT and 16 with convulsions were admitted to the hospitals. Ten patients developed DT while being hospitalised for other reasons. The QTc interval was prolonged (>440 ms and >460 ms in males and females, respectively) in 31 patients (63%). Five patients (10%) developed tachyarrhythmias (two torsade de pointes, one sustained ventricular tachycardia, two supraventricular tachycardia, one atrial fibrillation). All returned to sinus rhythm after appropriate treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Tachyarrhythmias are common amongst patients with severe alcohol withdrawal syndromes. The majority of the patients had an acquired long QT syndrome which led to a torsade de pointes in two cases. No patient died in the hospital and all were discharged in sinus rhythm. Clinicians should possibly avoid QT prolonging drugs and carefully monitor the rhythm in patients with severe alcohol withdrawal syndromes.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Circulating endothelial progenitor cells predict coronary artery disease severity.

BACKGROUND: Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may play an important role in the body's defense against atherosclerosis. Previous studies have shown an association between EPC numbers and the presence of traditional coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors. The relationship between EPC numbers and the severity of atherosclerosis is, however, not known. METHODS: EPC counts were measured by quantitative cell culture in 122 patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization. The association between patients' EPC count and the presence of multivessel CAD and traditional cardiac risk factors was assessed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The median age of the study population was 58 years; 37% had multivessel CAD, 29% had diabetes, and 14% had myocardial infarction this admission. EPC counts did not vary significantly with most established cardiac risk factors but were lower in diabetics versus nondiabetics and trended toward lower numbers in older patients. EPC count was the second strongest predictor of multivessel CAD, after patient age. Patients with multivessel disease had significantly lower EPC counts than those without (median, 3 vs 13; P < .0088). For every 10 colony forming unit increase in EPCs, a patient's likelihood for multivessel CAD declined by 20% (P < .001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates an inverse relationship between circulating EPCs and CAD severity, independent of traditional risk factors. If confirmed in ongoing studies, this may represent an important new diagnostic and therapeutic target for coronary disease treatment.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Psychological distress in patients with ICD recall.

BACKGROUND: Multiple clinical trials have shown that a properly functioning implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is capable of interrupting sudden death caused by ventricular tachyarrhythmias. However, ICDs are complex medical devices, and they do not always perform as expected or they may fail completely. Exposure of ICD recipients to professional or media reports that their specific device type is potentially malfunctioning could negatively influence their psychological status. METHODS: This study aimed to evaluate and quantify psychological distress in patients implanted with an ICD-recall device. Thirty patients implanted with ICD-recall devices (ICD-recall group) and 25 patients with unaffected ICD devices (ICD-control group) were interviewed using the Brief Symptom Inventory (a psychological self-report symptom scale). RESULTS: Mean values of all primary psychiatric distress symptom dimensions and global indices were within the normal range for both the ICD-recall and the ICD-control group. New York Heart Association (NYHA)class was a predictor of higher distress symptoms in all categories, independently of the ICD group. NYHA II group patients tended toward higher stress levels than the NYHA I group, but only somatization was significantly different. An upward, but not significant, trend in 7 of the 12 scales was associated with symptomatic shock experience. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that psychological distress was not significantly increased in patients recently informed about a potential malfunction of their device.

Defibrillators, Implantable↗