PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Gülker

Publications and source records attributed to H Gülker.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Impact of early risk stratification on the length of hospitalization in patients with acute Q-wave myocardial infarction. 'The 60-minutes myocardial infarction project'.

UNLABELLED: An assessment of individual risk factors may identify a subgroup of postinfarction patients at low risk, i.e. patients appropriate for early discharge. Using a large unselected population of the national registry, 'The 60-Minutes Myocardial Infarction Project', we (1) attempted to provide a retrospective analysis of clinical factors and in-hospital mortality in a population living on the 6th hospital day following admission to define a low-risk patient group with a residual in-hospital mortality of less than 1% eligible for early discharge, and (2) to analyze the current impact of risk stratification based on these clinical factors on the length of hospitalization. The study group consisted of 12,045 survivors on the 6th day after admission out of 14,980 patients of the registry with proven Q-wave myocardial infarction. Risk modeling was performed with multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 873 patients (7.3%) died after day 6 in hospital. The most important prognostic factors were cardiopulmonary resuscitation prior to admission (odds ratio, OR: 7.2, confidence interval, CI: 5.11-10.22), thrombolysis complicated by severe bleedings (OR: 6.2, CI: 1.2-31. 2) and age >70 years (OR 4.7, CI 3.51-6.39). The other more significant independent predictors of increased mortality were end-stage renal disease, age between 56 and 70 years, systolic blood pressure <95 mm Hg on admission, history of trauma </=2 months, cancer and left-bundle-branch block. Summarizing these nine groups of patients with the strongest association to in-hospital mortality, we defined a high-risk group comprising 79% of the AMI patients with a residual in-hospital mortality of 8.8%. On the other hand, by excluding these nine high-risk patient groups, a low-risk group of 21% of all AMI patients seems to be appropriate for early discharge (residual in-hospital mortality = 1.07%). However, in the current practice, there was no difference regarding the median length of hospital stay between the two risk groups. The low-risk patients were hospitalized 20 days compared to 22 days in the high-risk patients. CONCLUSION: Using a simple logistic regression model, which considers clinical factors of the early hospital phase, one fifth of the infarction patients can be stratified to be at low risk, and might be eligible for early hospital discharge. Currently, an individual risk stratification has no impact on the length of hospital stay in Germany.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Drug therapy of tachycardic atrial arrhythmias].

There are defined indications for the acute pharmacological management of AV-nodal reentry tachycardias, AV reentry tachycardias and for the acute and chronic ventricular rate control in atrial fibrillation. Possible indications arise for the chronic pharmacologic therapy of AV reentry tachycardias, pharmacological cardioversion and prophylaxis of atrial fibrillation. In future there will be a trend towards nonpharmacological management of atrial arrhythmias.

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents↗
PubMed1997

Primary angioplasty versus thrombolysis in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. ALKK Study Group.

This study investigates the hypothesis if primary angioplasty is superior to intravenous thrombolysis in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Small prospective randomized studies did not demonstrate a significant benefit regarding total mortality. A total of 14,980 patients with AMI were registered by "The 60-Minutes Myocardial Infarction Project," a prospective multicenter observational study: 210 of these patients were treated with primary angioplasty. A matched pair analysis comparing 1 primary angioplasty patient with 3 intravenous thrombolysis patients could be performed in 156 primary angioplasty patients. Criteria for matching were age, sex, location of AMI, systolic blood pressure, previous AMI, and prehospital delay. Patients with a bundle branch block or requiring resuscitation were excluded from analysis. Because of matching, both groups showed similar baseline characteristics. Patients with primary angioplasty had more relative contraindications for thrombolysis (ulcers: 10.3% vs 2.3%, recent intramuscular injections: 6.4% vs 1.6%, recent surgical interventions: 5.1% vs 1.1%, central punctures: 9% vs 3.9%). There was a tendency toward less combined adverse events in the primary angioplasty group (3.2% vs 5.7%, odds ratio [OR] = 0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.21 to 1.44). In-hospital mortality rates in the primary angioplasty group and thrombolysis group were 4.3% and 10.3%, respectively (OR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.17 to 0.92). The difference in mortality could already be demonstrated within the first 48 hours with 1.9% versus 5.3% deaths (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.11 to 1.14). Thus this study indicates a superiority of primary angioplasty in comparison to intravenous thrombolysis in AMI even in a clinical routine setting, with a reduction of hospital mortality of about 60%.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Value of K+ and Mg2+ in treatment of acute myocardial infarct].

A critical role analysis of literature concerning the effects of intravenous magnesium on arrhythmias and mortality in acute myocardial infarction shows discrepant results and often inappropriate methods. So far neither an antiarrhythmic efficacy nor prophylactic effects with respect to mortality could be demonstrated. In contrast, potassium substitution should be performed in the setting of acute myocardial infarction with documented hypokalemia (K+ < 3.5 mmol/l) because of increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias. According to the documented results of the trials reviewed in this article no recommendations for the routine use of magnesium in myocardial infarction can be given.

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents↗
PubMed1997

[Balloon dilatation in acute myocardial infarct in routine clinical practice: results of the register of the Working Society of Leading Cardiologic Hospital Physicians in 4,625 patients].

Balloon angioplasty as the treatment of first choice in the setting of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is gaining widespread acceptance because of favourable results from specialised centres concerning high patency rates and low mortality. This study reports the results of angioplasty for AMI at large community hospitals during 1992-1995. 4625 procedures were performed at 68 centres of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Leitender Kardiologischer Krankenhausärzte (ALKK). The age of the patients was 60.8 +/- 11.3 years, with 75.1% men. The infarct related artery was the left anterior descendent in 43%, the right coronary artery in 37%, the circumflex artery in 16%, a bypass graft in 2.3% and the left main stem in 1.4% of patients. The success rate (residual stenosis < 50%) of the intervention was 86%. There was a wide range of procedures per centre, with a median of 40 AMI angioplasties per year and centre. The amount of angioplasties for AMI in relation to all angioplasties performed during this period rose from 5.2% in 1992 to 5.9% in 1995 (p = 0.01). Local complications at the puncture site occurred in 3.2%, with the need for a surgical intervention in 1.1% of patients. In 273 (5.9%) of the patients a second angioplasty was performed during the hospital stay. Aortocoronary bypass surgery was performed in 3% of the patients. Hospital mortality was 9.5% (438/4625 patients). The mortality rate remained constant during the years investigated (1992: 10.6%; 1993: 8.6%; 1994: 9.7%; 1995: 9.8%; p = ns). Higher mortality was observed in older patients, patients with multiple vessel disease, the left anterior descending artery or a bypass graft as infarct related artery as well as in patients with failed reperfusion (residual stenoses > 50%). Hospitals with a case load of more than 40 angioplasties for AMI per year showed a lower mortality as compared to the others. In clinical practice at large community hospitals results of angioplasty for AMI concerning mortality, complications and technical success rate are comparable to those of highly specialised centres. The absolute numbers of angioplasties for AMI increased constantly over the years.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Detection of myocardial viability using stress echocardiography.

Asynergic myocardial regions in patients with coronary artery disease can be viable. They may have the ability to improve their function after restoring coronary blood flow. Asynergic but viable myocardial regions have a positive inotropic reserve which can be stimulated by catecholamines. Because echocardiography is an established method for evaluating regional left ventricular function, it has the potential to detect the inotropic response of asynergic myocardial regions. In the clinical setting, prediction of left ventricular functional improvement after revascularization is particularly important. Dobutamine stress echocardiography is the most frequently used stress echocardiographic test for detection of myocardial viability. Dobutamine is infused at low rates of 2.5 to 20 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 to detect myocardial viability. This paper reports on the sensitivity and specificity of the method for the detection of viability and its usefulness for prediction of left ventricular functional improvement after revascularization.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Arbutamine stress echocardiography.

Arbutamine, a new potent non-selective beta-adrenoceptor agonist with mild alpha 1-sympathomimetic activity, has been developed specifically for pharmacological stress testing. The drug acts like physical exercise, increasing both heart rate and myocardial contractility. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in detecting significant stenotic coronary artery disease are 76%, 96%, and 82%, respectively, again similar to those of exercise echocardiography. The drug is delivered by a computerized drug delivery and monitoring device (GenESA) which adjusts the infusion rate according to the patient's heart rate data feedback. The drug is generally well tolerated and has an acceptable safety profile. This article describes recent clinical experience with arbutamine and presents preliminary results of a multicentre multinational study which evaluates the clinical utility and safety of the GenESA system in diagnosing coronary artery disease.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗
PubMed1997

Stress echocardiography: personnel and technical equipment.

In recent years, stress echocardiography has gained broad acceptance as a non-invasive method for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Facing different protocols, dosages and instrumentation, official guidelines for the performance, standardization and quality control of stress echocardiograms are needed; however, so far they are not available. This paper recommends the type of personnel and technical equipment needed for stress echocardiography laboratories, based on experience gained during more than 2000 stress echocardiographic procedures. To perform stress echocardiography, a cardiologist and a technical assistant--both well trained over a large number of tests--should be involved. The laboratory must have basic equipment such as a 12-lead ECG, blood pressure monitoring capacity, a treadmill or bicycle for ergometry, a precision intravenous delivery system for pharmacological stress testing as well as an adequate echo table; additionally, emergency equipment is mandatory. The ultrasound machine should contain transducers with high 2-D resolution; most important is a digital image acquisition system which facilitates performance and interpretation through side-by-side display of synchronized rest and stress images. Finally, there is a need for proper patient preparation and the obtaining of informed consent.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1997

Dobutamine stress echocardiography.

Dobutamine is a synthetic catecholamine with predominant beta-stimulation. Its half-life is approximately 2 min. The positive chronotropic and inotropic effects of dobutamine induce myocardial ischaemia if significant coronary artery obstruction is present. Regional ischaemia produces regional wall motion abnormalities which can be detected by echocardiography. Most dobutamine stress protocols start at an infusion rate of 5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 and increase to a peak dose of 40 or 50 micrograms.kg-1.min-1; to further increase heart rate, a bolus injection of 0.25-1.0 mg atropine is added. Test endpoints are the detection of new wall motion abnormalities, the occurrence of severe complications or achievement of the target heart rate. Viable myocardial regions have a positive inotropic reserve, which can be stimulated by dobutamine and detected by echocardiography. Indications for the use of dobutamine stress echocardiography are to prove stress-inducible myocardial ischaemia and to detect myocardial viability. The test should only be performed for the detection of stress-induced myocardial ischaemia if patients are unable to undergo exercise echocardiography, or if patients fail to reach their required test level in exercise echocardiography.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1996

-Value of activated blood coagulation time in monitoring anticoagulation during coronary angioplasty-.

Accurate heparin anticoagulation assessment is important to prevent complications (hemorrhage, thrombotic coronary occlusion) during and after coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Paired ACT-, aPTT- and prothrombin time (PT) measurements have not been studied after PTCA using a high dose heparin management. For that reason we analyzed in 150 consecutive patients (115 m., 35 f., 61 +/- 10 y.) immediately after PTCA and at the time of arterial sheath removal aPTT-(Neothromtin, Behring), PT- (Thromborel S, Behring) and ACT-(HR-ACT, HemoTec) values after application of 20,000 U of heparin (5,000 U intravenous, 15,000 U intracoronary) followed by a heparin-infusion (15,000-25,000 U/24 h). Immediately after PTCA in all patients a aPTT above the upper limit of >180 s was found. The average postprocedural ACT was 330 +/- 82 s. Only 9 patients showed an ACT below 200 s. All coronary reocclusions (n = 3) immediately after PTCA occurred in this group. Arterial sheaths were removed 13 +/- 3 h after PTCA. The incidence of minor peripheral bleeding complications at that time was 21% and was related to the anticoagulation level. Major bleeding complications requiring transfusion were noted in only one case. Our findings suggest that after high dose heparinization for PTCA the ACT test provides a reliable and broad range for the assessment of heparin anticoagulation. In contrast to the aPTT the ACT is ideally suited to determine the dosage of heparin infusion and the time of arterial sheath removal after PTCA. ACT measurements are superior to aPTT measurements in heparin anticoagulation assessment during and direct after PTCA.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

[Successful high frequency current catheter ablation of an accessory conduction pathway in the "neck region" of a coronary sinus aneurysm. A case report].

In this case report the electrophysiological findings in a 24 year old female patient are demonstrated. For about 12 years she suffered from recurrent atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia with a rate of 230 beats per minute. Electrophysiological study resulted in diagnosis of a posteroseptal accessory pathway. Ablation was attempted primarily from a left ventricular access, but the pathway could not be reached from this position. After contrasting the coronary sinus a large coronary sinus aneurysm could be diagnosed. The accessory pathway was located in the "neck"-region of the aneurysm. By application of radiofrequency current in this location the bypass tract could be ablated. This case report shows that accessory pathways in coronary sinus aneurysms can be ablated without complications in this location.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Ventricular bigeminy with fixed with fixed coupling at rest and during exercise as the cause of recurrent dizziness and syncope--successful anti-arrhythmic therapy by high frequency current catheter ablation of a right ventricular arrhythmogenic focus. A case report].

In a 52-year-old patient with beginning dilatative cardiomyopathy dizziness and syncopes could be observed due to a ventricular bigeminy at rest and under exercise conditions. The patient also showed a marked reduction of exercise capacity and was handicapped in his profession as electrician and unable to work for more than 10 months. Antiarrhythmic drug therapy including the subsequent use of all available antiarrhythmic agents failed in suppressing this arrhythmia. In an electrophysiological study the arrhythmogenic focus could be localized in the right ventricular outflow tract. Application of radiofrequency current resulted in instantaneous termination of the extrasystoly; this result could be documented in repeat Holter monitorings over 12 weeks to present. This case report shows that radiofrequency catheter ablation can in special cases be applied for therapy of extrasystolic phenomena when clinical symptoms necessitate treatment and antiarrhythmic drug therapy fails.

Cardiac Complexes, Premature↗
PubMed1995

Cardiogenic shock in acute myocardial infarction. Improving survival rates by primary coronary angioplasty.

This study reports on 16 patients suffering from cardiogenic shock in the setting of acute myocardial infarction (11 men, five women; average age: 52.5 +/- 14 years) treated by means of primary coronary angioplasty: These 16 patients were part of a total population of 261 patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction at the time of admittance to the Wuppertal Heart Center, who were consecutively treated during the period from 1/90 to 6/94 by primary coronary angioplasty without having received any prior thrombolytic therapy. For all patients, primary re-opening of the vessel infarcted was successful. The period of time between onset of pain until re-opening of the vessel averaged 176 +/- 49 min. Eleven patients suffered from multi-vessel coronary artery disease. Prior to re-opening, systolic blood pressures averaged 66 +/- 10 mm Hg; average biplan left ventricular ejection fraction, 40 +/- 12%; left ventricular end-diastolic pressures (LVEDP), 26 +/- 7 mm Hg. In 63% of the cases evaluated, it proved possible to document collaterals to the infarcted vessel. Thirteen patients survived acute coronary occlusion. Two patients died due to protracted myocardial pumping failure, despite re-opened arteries that effectively re-established coronary flows. Showing symptoms of re-occlusion, one patient developed electromechanical decoupling. Thirteen patients were discharged from the hospital for normal life or subsequent treatment. Overall, this corresponds to an in-hospital survival rate of 81%. During follow-up examinations performed over 14 +/- 8 months (range 3 to 30 months), all of the patients are alive. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction increased to 56% +/- 17%; mean left ventricular end-diastolic pressure dropped to 14 mm Hg +/- 5 mm Hg. In the infarct-related artery there was no recurrence of stenoses exceeding 50%. By now, one of the patients has received elective aorto-coronary bypass grafting; for another one, multi-vessel PTCA of non-infarcted arteries is being employed; 77% of the patients state that they are satisfied with the quality of their lives. These results demonstrate that rapid revascularization using coronary angioplasty in cardiogenic shock following acute myocardial infarction substantially improves the prognosis for survival and favorably influences long-term outcome. Thus, primary PTCA is the method of choice for treating cardiogenic shock; any patient-and particularly those resistant to lyse therapy-should immediately receive this treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Primary mechanical recanalization of occluded coronary arteries without prior thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction. A single-center study reporting acute results and complications.

This study reports on 261 consecutive patients admitted to the Wuppertal Heart Center with acute myocardial infarction (186 men, 75 women; average age: 58.2 +/- 11.6 years) and then treated by primary coronary artery angioplasty. Sixteen patients with cardiogenic shock were included, as well as 42 patients aged > or = 70 years, 51 patients with contraindications for thrombolysis, and 13 patients with prior coronary bypass surgery. All patients were treated between 12/89 to 6/94 and had not received prior thrombolytic therapy. The period of time between onset of pain and revascularization of the infarct-related vessel averaged 224 +/- 205 min. Half of the patients had multi-vessel disease, and about 31% had had a prior myocardial infarction. 100 patients suffered from an anterior wall infarction, 109 patients from an inferior wall infarction, 50 patients from a posterolateral infarction, and in two cases the infarct localization could not be determined from the ECG. Mean biplane left ventricular ejection fraction averaged 56 +/- 13%, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure 20 +/- 7 mm Hg. In about 50% of the patients collaterals to the infarct-related coronary artery could be documented. With the first contrast injection into the infarct-related vessel TIMI flow 0/I was demonstrated in 94.9%, TIMI flow II in 5.7% and TIMI flow III in 0.4%. Reopening of the infarct-related coronary artery with establishment of TIMI-flow III was primarily successful in 91.9%. Average time for coronary angiography and angioplasty in the cathlab was 69 +/- 28 min. In 29 patients an autoperfusion balloon catheter was used to treat manifest or threatening reocclusion. Thirty-day-mortality in the total study group was 3.4%. In patients aged > or = 70 years mortality raised to 14.3%; in patients in cardiogenic shock mortality increased to 18.7%, in patients with inferior wall infarction up to 5.5%, and in cases with multi-vessel disease up to 5.0%. The in-hospital and 30-day course were complicated by major peripheral bleeding in seven patients (2.7%) requiring blood transfusions and surgical femoral vascular repair, and in another two patients with a false aneurysm which was treated by surgical means. No hemorrhagic stroke occurred, but three ischemic strokes with complete restitutio ad integrum within the 30-day-observation period were registered. As major cardiac complication early re-occlusion of the initially reopened infarct-related coronary artery was diagnosed in 10 patients; 11 patients developed a re-infarction within the first 30-days, in three cases leading to a fatal outcome.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Inpatient length of stay and physical capacity after aortocoronary bypass operation, after heart valve replacement and myocardial infarct].

The present investigation was performed to determine the dependence of the length of stay in community hospitals and rehabilitation clinics from patient characteristics and physical activity at the end of treatment. Comparing age, end-diastolic volume index, left ventricular ejection fraction, number of stenosed coronary arteries, number of bypass grafts, levels of physical exercise, body mass index and the ratio total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol, no significant differences were found in patients, who reached the rehabilitation clinic in the early postoperative period (7.4 +/- 2.0 days, n = 98), after 15-28 days (n = 74) or later than 28 days (n = 156) after bypass-surgery. Similar results were observed in 103 patients after heart-valve replacement, who arrived at the rehabilitation clinic after a corresponding length of hospital care like the bypass patients. Also, no significant differences in the clinical characteristics and physical activity appeared in patients who were admitted in the early phase (9.2 +/- 4.5 days) after transmural myocardial infarction (n = 37) and those entering the rehabilitation clinic after 26.7 +/- 9.4 days of hospital stay (n = 32). The absence of any relationship between the length of stay in hospitals on the one hand and severity of the heart disease on the other hand points out that the whole duration of stay in community hospitals and rehabilitation clinics after surgical intervention and also after transmural myocardial infarction could be drastically shortened by an optimal cooperation of both, hospitals and rehabilitation clinics, without any impairment of clinical results.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

Left ventricular malposition of a transvenous cardioverter defibrillator lead: a case report.

A case of left ventricular endocardial malposition of a transvenous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) lead through a patent foramen ovale is presented. Diagnostic modalities include lateral chest radiography, echocardiography, and electrocardiographic analysis during lead placement. The operative therapy consists of open lead replacement. Measures to avoid lead misplacement are suggested.

Defibrillators, Implantable↗
PubMed1992

Nd:YAG laser-photocoagulation: acute electrophysiological, hemodynamic, and morphological effects in large irradiated areas.

Laser-photocoagulation (LPC) of arrhythmogenic myocardium has been reported to successfully ablate ventricular tachycardia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute hemodynamic and electrophysiological effect of continuous laser energy (Nd:YAG, 1060 nm) applied via a 0.4-mm quartz fiberoptic on the epicardial surface of the heart in nine dogs. A total of 51 +/- 2.3 pulses was delivered in each animal to induce homogeneous tissue necrosis. Applied energy was 12.3 +/- 2.7 J/mm2, irradiated surface measured 12.6 +/- 3.0 cm2, lesion depth was 6.3 +/- 1.2 mm (range: 5.0-8.1 mm), lesion volume was 8.1 +/- 2.8 cm3 (6.8% of left ventricular [LV] mass). After LPC, epicardial stimulation threshold significantly rose from 1.0 +/- 0.3 to 10.2 +/- 4.9 mA in the border zone to nontreated tissue and from 0.9 +/- 0.4 to 32 +/- 15.7 mA in the center of the lesions. Loss of epicardial activation in the irradiated areas could be demonstrated by epicardial mapping. Ventricular extrasystoles during LPC were seen in all dogs, ventricular tachycardia in seven, and ventricular fibrillation in two dogs. After LPC, cardiac output and LV dP/dtmax significantly decreased by 14.2% and 11.2%. LPC induced predictable homogeneous tissue edema, eosinophilic staining, contraction band necrosis, and sharp demarcated hemorrhagic border zones with a sharp electrical border zone to nontreated tissue and loss of epicardial activation. During LPC, various arrhythmogenic effects could be observed. However, no persistent arrhythmic activity developed after LPC. The results confirm the feasibility of epicardial LPC of the myocardium. Although not rested in this study, LPC of arrhythmogenic tissue may also be feasible as a treatment modality of ventricular tachycardia.

Animals↗