Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M F Rattes.
A patient developed a tear of the anterior mitral leaflet following surgical resection of a stenotic subaortic membrane. This complication was diagnosed by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography leading to successful repair of the mitral leaflet tear.
Cardiac pacing is often considered in patients with recurrent syncope after repeated attempts to document the cause have failed. To assess the results of this tactic we reviewed the records of 104 patients who had received pacemakers for known or suspected bradycardia between September 1973 and March 1985. The patients were classified retrospectively into three groups: group 1 (31 patients with a mean age of 73 years) had unequivocal documentation of bradycardia during syncope, group 2 (42 patients with a mean age of 71 years) had electrocardiographic or electrophysiologic evidence of potential bradycardia but no documentation during spontaneous syncope, and group 3 (31 patients with a mean age of 69 years) had a history "suggestive of" bradycardia-related syncope but no other evidence to support the diagnosis. The rates of recurrence of syncope during follow-up were 6.3%, 7.3% and 32.2% in groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively (p less than 0.01). In group 3 recurrence was more probable in patients with loss of consciousness for more than 2 minutes than in those who were unconscious for 2 minutes or less (p less than 0.05). The results suggest that pacemaker implantation is justified for recurrent syncope after extensive attempts to document a spell have failed if abnormal diagnostic test results suggest bradycardia as a possible cause. Empirical pacing is less satisfactory in patients with normal results of evaluation but may arguably be justified when patients have recurrent syncope with injury.
A sequential pulse system for internal cardiac defibrillation incorporating catheter and patch electrodes with two current pathways has been shown to reduce defibrillation threshold in comparison to the single pulse technique. The relative advantage of the sequential pulse over the single pulse technique with other lead systems is not known. We compared defibrillation thresholds using sequential and single pulses delivered to a variety of lead orientations with the same electrode surface areas, when possible. Defibrillation threshold totals determined in halothane-anesthetized open-chest pigs averaged: For the single pulse shock passed between (1) superior vena cava (SVC) and left ventricular apical patch (LVA), 27.2 +/- 9.1 joules (J) and (2) LV epicardial patch (LVE) to right ventricular epicardial (RVE) patch leads, 16.5 +/- 2.1 J; and for the sequential pulse shock with two pulses passed between: (1) the SVC to RV intracavitary apex (RVA) and a quadripolar catheter in the coronary sinus to the RVA, 11.6 +/- 1.0 J; (2) the SVC to LVA and the LVE to RVE, 9.6 +/- 1.3 J and (3) the SVC to RVA and the LVE to RVA, 8.9 +/- 0.4 J. Defibrillation thresholds for sequential pulse shocks were all significantly lower than either of the defibrillation thresholds for single pulse shocks (p less than 0.001). We conclude that the sequential pulse system provides a substantial reduction in defibrillation threshold over the single pulse regardless of the lead system when the surface area and pulse characteristics are controlled. Sequential pulse technique may be valuable in the design of an implantable automatic defibrillator.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Electrophysiologic testing is warranted in patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome presenting with rapid atrial fibrillation (AF) or ventricular fibrillation. Indications are less clear in patients presenting only with atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (ART). A knowledge of propensity of this latter group to show a rapid ventricular response in the event of AF and the ability of electrophysiologic testing to reproduce the type and rate of clinical arrhythmias are relevant to this decision. The records of 126 symptomatic patients with manifest WPW syndrome were reviewed and separated into 4 groups according to presentation: group 1--AF; group 2--ART; group 3--palpitations suggesting ART; and group 4--AF and ART. All patients except those in group 3 had electrocardiographically documented clinical arrhythmias, and these arrhythmias were compared with those induced during electrophysiologic testing. The shortest RR interval during induced AF and the cycle length of induced ART correlated well with those occurring clinically (r = 0.72, p less than 0.00001), as did the cycle length of induced ART (r = 0.79, p less than 0.00001). Patients presenting with AF (65%) had a higher incidence of atrial vulnerability (48%) and sustained AF at electrophysiologic testing than those presenting with ART (16% and 5%) or undocumented palpitations (27% and 21%). Forty-one percent of patients with ART and 51% with undocumented palpitations had potentially lethal rates (shortest RR interval less than 250 ms) during induced AF. The ability to reproduce clinical arrhythmias and the frequency of rapid rates during AF induced in patients presenting with only ART or undocumented palpitations supports the recommendation for electrophysiologic testing in symptomatic patients with WPW.
Intraoperative modification of the atrioventricular (AV) node to prolong refractoriness could be an alternative to His bundle ablation in patients with refractory supraventricular arrhythmias. It was postulated that a cryosurgical lesion at the posterior interatrial septum in the closed heart could achieve this. An electrophysiologic study was performed in anesthetized dogs. The AV fat pad was mobilized to expose the posteroseptal region. A cryoprobe cooled to 0 to -10 degrees C was moved in the exposed region until reversible AV block indicated proximity of the AV node. The probe was then cooled to -70 degrees C for 30 seconds. Four weeks later, five dogs had a favorable result with a mean prolongation of Wenckebach cycle length of 45 +/- 7% (p less than 0.05). Two dogs had complete heart block. Decreased (one dog) or increased (one dog) duration of freezing resulted in no change and complete heart block, respectively. Histologic examination verified partial damage to the AV node with preservation of the His bundle. Thus, controlled cryoinjury to modify AV node function is feasible in the closed heart; preservation of AV conduction provides an advantage over His bundle ablation.
Although ventricular fibrillation is a well known sequel to atrial fibrillation in the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, ventricular fibrillation is not generally associated with supraventricular tachycardia in the presence of enhanced atrioventricular (AV) node conduction without pre-excitation. It was hypothesized that the ventricular response during atrial fibrillation may be less in patients with enhanced AV node conduction than in their counterparts with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome matched for anterograde effective refractory period. Slower ventricular rates during atrial fibrillation would suggest an increased propensity for concealed conduction in the enhanced AV node conduction group than in the group with an accessory pathway. Three groups of patients aged 16 to 65 years underwent electrophysiologic testing for supraventricular tachycardia or after surgical correction of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Sixteen patients had enhanced AV node conduction, 16 had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and 16 had normal AV node conduction. Patients with enhanced AV node conduction and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome were well matched for anterograde effective refractory period (245 +/- 22 versus 258 +/- 25 ms) and minimal cycle length, maintaining 1:1 anterograde conduction (261 +/- 21 versus 260 +/- 40). There was no difference in intervals during atrial fibrillation (average RR interval = 372 +/- 37 versus 346 +/- 66) or shortest RR interval (266 +/- 27 versus 243 +/- 51). Thus, patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and those with enhanced AV node conduction matched for anterograde refractory period exhibit similar ventricular rates during atrial fibrillation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
It has recently been shown that the probability of successful defibrillation as a function of energy has a sigmoidal dose-response relationship. Determination of a defibrillation "dose-response curve" is time consuming and requires multiple defibrillation attempts. On the other hand, determination of a defibrillation threshold is achieved rapidly and would be better suited to study the effect of interventions on the ability to defibrillate patients. We assessed the relationship of defibrillation threshold to the defibrillation "dose-response curve" in twelve open chest, halothane anesthetized pigs. Ventricular fibrillation was induced electrically, and defibrillation was attempted by passing sequential pulse shocks through an indwelling catheter and plaque electrodes. Defibrillation threshold was determined by decreasing the stored voltage of the initial shock until it failed to defibrillate the heart. Five different stored voltage levels distributed around defibrillation threshold were then randomly administered, six times for each level. A "dose-response curve" was obtained for each animal. Defibrillation threshold superimposed on the "dose-response curve" at 76 +/- 7.2 percent (mean +/- SEM) defibrillation success. Energy delivered at 1.5 times average defibrillation threshold was predicted to achieve 100 percent defibrillation success for a single shock in all animals. We conclude that defibrillation threshold provides a simple and quantitative estimate of the ability to defibrillate with a predictable relationship to the "dose-response curve."
Autonomic neural tone modulates arrhythmias and could affect the efficacy of an implantable defibrillator if defibrillation threshold is also altered by changes in neural activity. We determined the effects of alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists on the energy requirement for defibrillation using a sequential-pulse technique in anesthetized pigs. The doses for each drug were selected based on the results of dose-response curves. The mean defibrillation threshold was 10.2 +/- 0.65 J (mean +/- SE) in control and 10.0 +/- 0.84, 9.4 +/- 0.87 and 8.9 +/- 0.89 J during phenylephrine infusions of 0.7, 1.35, and 2.0-4.0 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1 [n = 8, P = not significant (NS)]. Phenylephrine at all infusion rates increased the ventricular fibrillation threshold, indicating that effects on the ventricular fibrillation threshold may occur independent of changes in defibrillation threshold. No significant change was observed in the defibrillation threshold before and after administration of isoproterenol (6.5 +/- 0.72 and 6.7 +/- 0.93 J, n = 8, P = NS). Similarly, no change in defibrillation thresholds was observed after 1.5-2.0 mg/kg phentolamine (8.5 +/- 0.85 and 7.9 +/- 0.93 J, n = 8, P = NS) or 3.0-6.0 mg/kg atenolol (10.0 +/- 1.7 and 10.3 +/- 2.6 J, n = 8, P = NS). However, when defibrillation threshold was determined using a single-pulse method, isoproterenol infusion produced a significant decrease (17.3 +/- 1.5 vs. 14.6 +/- 1.9 J, n = 7, P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A 12-year-old girl presented with recurrent episodes of supraventricular tachycardia. A 12 lead electrocardiogram showed normal sinus rhythm with a normal PR interval and no evidence of preexcitation. A 24 h Holter monitor showed intermittent preexcitation. Both phase 3 and phase 4 block in the accessory pathway were demonstrated with introduction of atrial extrastimuli during sinus rhythm at electrophysiology study. However, Holter recording failed to reveal a consistent relationship between coupling intervals and accessory pathway conduction. The discrepancy between the Holter monitor and the electrophysiologic study can be explained by variability of factors such as autonomic tone during the Holter recording. This case illustrates a potential mechanism for intermittent preexcitation in the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
The development of the automatic implantable defibrillator has created the need to assess the effects of interventions on defibrillation success. However, first it is important to determine the spontaneous variability of defibrillation threshold (DFT) over time. We repeatedly determined DFT over a maximum of 2-1/2 hours in open-chested, halothane-anesthetized pigs. Ten seconds after induction of fibrillation, defibrillation was attempted by passing a sequential pulse shock through an indwelling catheter and patch electrodes. Ninety-seven fibrillation episodes (FEs) were induced in eight pigs, with a maximum of 30 shocks in an animal. DFT remained stable and fitted a flat least-squares regression equation (y = 6.35 + 0.0055x, where x is the ventricular FE number and y is the DFT, r = 0.0115, p = NS). The mean DFT over time for the eight animals was 7.6 +/- 1.9 J (range 4.8 to 16.3 J). The inter-animal variability for DFT was 3.7 J and the mean intra-animal DFT variability over time was 3.6 +/- 2.3 J (range 0 to 6.8 J). We conclude that, using our methodology, DFT is reproducible and consistent over at least 2 hours. This model provides the basis to assess the effects of acute interventions on the ability to defibrillate.
The aim of this study was to determine the relative sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and tolerance of dobutamine and dipyridamole stress echocardiography in patients with a lower likelihood of severe coronary artery disease. Previous comparative studies, which included patients with a history of myocardial infarction or a high incidence of coronary artery disease, showed both methods to have similar and acceptable diagnostic accuracy. To assess the role of these agents in evaluating patients with a lower likelihood of significant coronary artery disease, a lower-risk group was selected by excluding patients with known coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or strongly positive stress test results. Dobutamine and dipyridamole stress echocardiographic studies were performed in random order, before coronary angiography. Of the 46 patients enrolled (31 men and 15 women), 24 had atypical chest pain or none at all. Coronary angiography revealed no significant disease in 22 (48%), single-vessel disease in 11 (24%), and multivessel disease in only 13 patients (28%). Dobutamine and dipyridamole stress echocardiography were equally well tolerated, with identical accuracy (76%) that was maintained in patients with atypical symptoms. This confirms the usefulness of both dobutamine and dipyridamole stress echocardiography in evaluating patients with suspected coronary artery disease and extends this role to a lower-risk group for severe disease who often have atypical symptoms. The choice of which agent is used should reflect an institution's experience.