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Biomedical subjects

L Artusi

Publications and source records attributed to L Artusi.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

[The behavior of the arterial pressure at rest and under exertion in normotensive and hypertensive subjects exposed to acute hypoxia at a median altitude].

In order to evaluate blood pressure changes at rest and during effort in response to moderate altitude acute hypoxia, we performed noninvasive blood pressure monitoring and maximal bicycle stress testing in 10 normotensive and 13 untreated mild hypertensive subjects at sea-level and in a mountain resort (m. 2572). Blood pressure was measured every 10 minutes by the Spacelabs 5200 pressurometer and bicycle stress test was performed at initial workload of 50 watts and steps of 50 watts every 3 minutes until exhaustion. Mean systolic blood pressure resulted unchanged in the normotensive subjects (120.8 +/- 10.6 vs 121.5 +/- 6.9 NS) while in the hypertensive ones it increased slightly at 2572 m. (131.0 +/- 12.3 vs 137.0 +/- 13.1 NS). Mean diastolic blood pressure did not increase significantly at 2572 m in either group (respectively from 74.5 +/- 90 to 80.1 +/- 7.9 NS and from 88.3 +/- 10.2 to 94.7 +/- 10.7 NS) even if blood pressure increase was relevant in some hypertensive subjects. During the monitoring, heart rate increased at 2752 m in both groups, even if this difference was significant in the hypertensive group only (respectively 82.8 +/- 11.8 vs 94.3 +/- 13.2 in normotensive subjects-NS-and 88.0 +/- 6.3 vs 104.0 +/- 7.8 in hypertensive subjects-p less than 0.001). During the ergometric test submaximal systolic blood pressure (100 and 150 watts) increased slightly in both groups, but this difference was significant in hypertensive subjects at a workload of 150 watts only (208.3 +/- 18.2 vs 219.3 +/- 19.2 p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗

Effects of oral calcium-antagonists in spontaneous angina. Verapamil and nifedipine in a double-blind cross-over trial.

Verapamil and nifedipine, two calcium-antagonist drugs, were evaluated in a double-blind cross-over trial. The study was performed in 15 patients admitted to our Coronary Care Unit for spontaneous angina. Before and after a 24 hours placebo period, oral verapamil 480 mg daily and oral nifedipine 60 mg daily were administered alternatively. Symptomatic as well as asymptomatic ischemic episodes with ST segment elevation or depression and ventricular and supraventricular ectopic beats were documented by continuous electrocardiographic Holter monitoring. The average number of attacks during the placebo periods was 243; the number of attacks decreased to 129 during verapamil treatment (P less than 0.05) and to 57 during nifedipine treatment (P less than 0.01). Ventricular ectopic beats decreased with both drugs while supraventricular ectopic beats decreased only during verapamil treatment. The difference was not statistically significant because of a small number of observations. In conclusion the two drugs appear to be effective in the management of patients with unstable angina at rest, especially in the variant form.

Angina Pectoris↗

The anterior displacement of the QRS loop as a right ventricular conduction disturbance. Electrophysiologic and vectorcardiographic study in man.

Anterior displacement (AD) of the QRS horizontal loop (Frank VCG method) was induced by programmed right atrial stimulation (PRAS) in 15 cases. When AD occurred we noticed changes of the terminal QRS vectors and of the T loop similar to those observed in incomplete right bundle branch block (RBBB). The increasingly anticipated extrastimuli induced progressively the AD and then progressive degrees of RBBB. The anterior shifting of the efferent limb never appeared after the induction of RBBB. A left conduction disturbance never appeared after the AD. In cases of supposed incomplete left bundle branch block (i.e. left ventricular hypertrophy) the QRS duration decreased when the AD was induced. Therefore, the AD induced by PRAS and probably those observed in some clinical cases are due to a right ventricular conduction disturbance.

Adult↗

[Evolutive study of the vectorcardiogram from the 14th day to the 6th month of life on the normal infant].

With the purpose of a better evaluation of the changes of cardiac potentials during the early hemodynamic arrangement of the normal heart, the authors analyze the VCG of 10 normal children periodically recorded from the 14th day to the 6th month from birth. Rotation of QRS, T and P loops in the three planes, direction and voltage of principal planar and spatial vectors were analyzed. The QRS loop showed a balanced distribution between right and left ventricular forces in the second week and developed a leftward orientation from the 4th week to the 3rd month, as demonstrated both by the loss of clockwise rotation of horizontal QRS loop and by the progressive leftward and backward direction of intermediate vectors. The initial vectors were sketched or absent in the 14th day and increased successively until the typical Q loop. The voltage of terminal vectors did not change in the course of time, but the S loop in the horizontal plane lost its original clockwise rotation and shifted to middle posterior line. The T loop progressively shifted backward so that it was always posterior after the 30th day. The P loop in the frontal plane was similar to the adult's one while in the horizontal plane it often presented a figure-of-eight. The semeiological aspects and the electrogenic considerations of these changes were discussed.

Age Factors↗

[The mechanism of the chronic supraventricular tachycardia: an intracavitary electrophysiological study (author's transl)].

Chronic Supraventricular Tachycardia (CST) or Chronic Atrial Tachycardia is a relatively rare arrhythmia. Because of very poor number of cases studied with electrophysiologic techniques its mechanism is still debated. Three cases of CST, one of persistent type and two of repetitive type, are reported. His bundle electrogram, high and low right atrial electrograms and atrial stimulation were performed in every case, ventricular stimulation in only one case. The Amiodarone, Pindolol, Verapamil and vagal manoeuvres effects were evaluated in all cases. The site of origin of tachycardia, atrial in cases 1 and 3 and junctional in case 2, was estabished by atrial map. The electrophysiologic findings suggested the presence of an ectopic focus in cases 1 and 3 and of an AV nodal re-entry circuit in case 2. Our results and those of the literature indicate that the site and the mechanism of CST, as in paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, is not univocal. Their electrophysiologic evaluation by means of endocavitary techniques can allow a more satisfactory therapeutic approach.

Adolescent↗

[Morphological aspects and electrophysiological evaluation of the vectorcardiogram in inferior myocardial infarction (author's transl)].

The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the vectorcardiographic characteristics of the QRS in inferior myocardial infarction, now extended and modified in the light of recent advances in electrophysiology. The VCGs (Frank system) of 70 patients with old inferior myocardial infarction were analyzed. The most important parameters previously considered by others and the behaviour of the different vectorial groups were considered. The results of the analysis of these parameters were concordant with those obtained by others. The morphologic evaluation of the QRS on different planes allowed our cases to be divided into five vectorcardiographic groups. The evaluation of the morphological aspects of the QRS for a more sure diagnosis of myocardial infarction, specially considering false positive cases, was considered from the semeiological point of view. Moreover, it was shown that some alterations of VCG cannot be apparent electrocardiographically. The electrogenetic meaning of vectorcardiographic alterations, probably related with depth and width of necrosis and with conduction disturbances in the subdivisions of left bundle branch, were evaluated.

Adult↗