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Biomedical subjects

G Permanyer-Miralda

Publications and source records attributed to G Permanyer-Miralda.

65 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Long-term follow-up of native valve infective endocarditis.

Seventy-eight consecutive episodes of infective endocarditis on native valves have been prospectively treated and followed-up after discharge from 1975 to 1982 (mean follow-up period 31 months). Twenty one patients needed valvular replacement in the active phase of the disease. Overall mortality was 15 cases, 7 from the medical group and 8 from the surgical group. At last clinical control 21 from the 46 survivors of the medical group remained asymptomatic, 17 had needed valvular replacement, 5 had died 2 of congestive heart failure and 3 (addicts) were lost to follow-up. From the 13 survivors of the surgical group 8 remained asymptomatic with good prosthetic function, 4 had needed reoperation due to severe periprosthetic leak and 1 died suddenly during follow-up. Figures at the end of follow-up showed that 28% of the initial patients had died, 39% carried a valvular prosthesis and 28% remained asymptomatic. A retrospective analysis of factors predictive of poor prognosis has been carried out.

Adolescent↗

Late prosthetic valve endocarditis.

A report is given of 13 patients with late prosthetic valve endocarditis (1975-1982). Follow-up ranged from 1 to 8 years (mean 33 months). Causative organisms were streptococci in 8 cases, staphylococci in 2, and Cardiobacterium hominis in 1. Cultures were negative in 2. Surgical treatment in the acute phase was performed in 3 patients. At the latest clinical control, 3 patients had died and 10 patients were asymptomatic, 3 of them having required late operation. These fair results are attributable to the particular spectrum of causative organisms and to the proper timing of surgical treatment in the 3 patients operated during the acute phase.

Acute Disease↗

Bidirectional shunt in uncomplicated atrial septal defect.

The presence of right to left shunts at atrial level in 40 patients with an uncomplicated atrial septal defect was determined by measuring the pulmonary vein to systemic artery oxygen stepdown . In six patients (group 1) a sizeable right to left shunt was found: left atrial oxygen stepdown was greater than or equal to 0.7 vol%, mean right to left shunt 0.67 1/min/m2 (range 0.36-1.0), and arterial oxygen saturation between 84% and 90.5%. The patients in group 1 did not show any differences from those with left to right shunts alone (group 2) as regards sex, cardiac rhythm, heart rate, "a" wave and mean right atrial pressure, end diastolic right ventricular pressure, morphology of diastolic right ventricular pressure curves, pulmonary to systemic vascular resistance ratio, size of the defect, and coexistence of anomalous pulmonary venous drainage. Patients with coexisting right to left shunts were, however, significantly older and had smaller left to right shunts. Thus an appreciable number of patients with uncomplicated atrial septal defects have major right to left shunts which are unrelated to pulmonary hypertension or right heart failure. These shunts may be detected by the usual oximetric techniques and apparently develop with age, which suggests that they result from changes associated with chronic right volume overload.

Adolescent↗

Reduction of the susceptibility to infective endocarditis with time in animals with endocavitary catheters.

In a previous study we showed that the lesions of non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis induced by means of implantation of a catheter in the left ventricle (LV) of the rabbit, undergo inner connectivization and surface endothelialization, which are completed within 2-3 months. In the present study we have investigated whether these histological changes lead to a variation in susceptibility to infective endocarditis (IE). After studying two control groups, we compared the incidence of IE in four groups of 15 rabbits each, inoculated with Streptococcus mitis I, 10, 35 and 70 days after implantation of a catheter in the LV. The frequency of infection was shown to be progressively reduced from 100% to 26.7%. This demonstrates that endothelialization of the catheter and the sterile vegetations protect the animals from IE.

Animals↗

Cardiac hemochromatosis: beneficial effects of iron removal therapy. An echocardiographic study.

The echocardiographic (echo) features of idiopathic hemochromatosis (IH) were studied in 22 patients. Results were compared with a control group of 22 patients without heart disease. Statistically significant increases in left ventricular (LV) mass, end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters of the left ventricle and in left atrial dimension were observed in patients with IH; significant changes of systolic function indexes (decrease in fractional shortening and ejection fraction and increase in distance of the E point to the septum) were seen as well. These echo abnormalities were mainly seen in patients with abnormal electrocardiograms. In 11 patients with IH, iron removal therapy was carried out by means of periodic phlebotomies. In patients with impaired LV function at the beginning of therapy, comparison between measurements of the initial echo and posttreatment echo showed significant improvement in LV diameters, fractional shortening, ejection fraction, distance from the E point to the septum, LV mass and left atrial dimension.

Adult↗

Electroversion after verapamil administration.

Forty-nine consecutive patients (44 with atrial fibrillation and five with atrial flutter) received 10 mg of verapamil five to seven minutes before elective electroversion, to evaluate the feasibility of the latter while verapamil effects were present. Excluded were patients with moderate-to-severe heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, mean ventricular rate lower than 70 beats/minute, those receiving any antiarrhythmic drug other than digoxin, and those in whom sinus node dysfunction was suspected. In six patients, eight complications took place: four instances of hypotension (systolic blood pressure below 80 mm Hg), two instances of junctional escape rhythm (47 and 63 beats/minute) and two instances of junctional tachycardia. In all four instances of hypotension, return to normal values of blood pressure was spontaneous (within five minutes in three patients). Rhythm disturbances were transient, without clinical relevance. This study suggests that electroversion can be safely carried out during clinical action of verapamil in properly selected patients, and that occasional, self-limited hypotension is the only complication of clinical significance to be expected.

Adolescent↗

Huge chronic pericardial effusion caused by Toxoplasma gondii.

Two patients who had a huge pericardial effusion of at least 9 and 14 years' duration caused by cardiac toxoplasmosis are reported. Toxoplasma gondii were seen in the pericardial fluid, and serologic evidence also demonstrated the activity of the infection. These cases illustrate both the need to exclude toxoplasmosis in chronic pericardial effusion of unknown cause and the possibility of seeing toxoplasma in the pericardial fluid of patients with active toxoplasmic pericarditis. Moreover, in endemic areas, cardiac toxoplasmosis may not be an exceptional cause of chronic pericardial effusion.

Adult↗

Effect of verapamil in infants with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

Twenty-nine consecutive spontaneous attacks of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) in 14 infants (mean age 4.4 months) were treated with verapamil. No infant had associated heart disease. Verapamil 1-2 mg i.v was administered over 30 seconds. The dosage varied according to the weight of the infant. Within 60 seconds sinus rhythm was obtained in 28 instances (96.5%). No significant complications were observed. The high effectiveness, rapid action and lack of undesirable side effects observed in this series suggest that verapamil is the drug of choice in the treatment of PSVT in infants without underlying heart disease.

Drug Evaluation↗

Echocardiographic features of the interventricular septum in chronic constrictive pericarditis.

Echocardiographic characteristics of the interventricular septum (IVS) have been studied in eight patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis (CP). Values of septal thickening (ST) were clearly below normal in all cases. Interventricular septal systolic motion (IVSSM) was normal in four cases, hypokinetic in three and paradoxical in one. In seven out of the eight patients, an early interventricular septal diastolic motion (IVSDM) consisting of a sudden anterior displacement followed by a brisk posterior rebound was recorded. The beginning of this anomalous movement was coincident with the pericardial knock in the phonocardiogram and its peak was coincident with the simultaneously recorded deep "y" trough in the jugular pulse tracing. The tendency toward normality of IVSDM observed after pericardiectomy in six out of seven patients suggests that this peculiar interventricular septal systolic motion may be a frequent and probably specific echocardiographic finding in constrictive pericarditis.

Adolescent↗