Marianne Berhouet | PubMed Health

PubMed2006

Global and regional myocardial function quantification by two-dimensional strain: application in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVES: Recently, a novel method to measure strain from standard two-dimensional images has been developed. Our goal was to characterize global and regional systolic function abnormalities using this technique in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). BACKGROUND: Strain has been proposed as a sensitive tool to detect early systolic function abnormalities in HCM. However, the clinical application of conventional Doppler-derived strain has been limited by poor reproducibility and angle dependency. METHODS: Echocardiographic examinations were performed in 26 patients with nonobstructive HCM and 45 healthy subjects. Using a dedicated software package, bidimensional acquisitions were analyzed to measure longitudinal and transverse strain in apical views and circumferential and radial strain in parasternal short-axis view. RESULTS: Despite apparently normal left ventricular systolic function, all components of strain were significantly reduced in HCM. Average longitudinal, transverse, circumferential, and radial strain in patients with HCM and controls were -15.1 +/- 6.2% versus -20.3 +/- 5.6%, 23.3 +/- 17.0% versus 27.2 +/- 14.9%, -16.8 +/- 7.1% versus 19.6 +/- 5.2%, and 25.2 +/- 13.9% versus 36.8 +/- 17.2%, respectively (all p < 0.001). In patients with asymmetrical HCM, longitudinal septal strain was significantly lower than for other left ventricular segments combined: -9.2 +/- 4.7% versus -12.7 +/- 7.1% (p = 0.001). Average interobserver and intraobserver variabilities were 11% and 11.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Two-dimensional strain is a new simple, rapid, and reproducible method to measure different components of systolic strain. This technique identified early abnormalities in patients with HCM that have apparently normal left ventricular systolic function.

Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic↗

PubMed2006

Prehospital administration of enoxaparin before primary angioplasty for ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction.

We hypothesized that primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) could be performed with prehospital injections of enoxaparin for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Enoxaparin has been studied in combination with fibrinolysis in STEMI, but has not been evaluated as anticoagulant regimen for primary PCI. In a prospective registry, 143 consecutive patients with STEMI received prehospital 0.5 mg/kg intravenous (i.v.) bolus followed by 1 mg/kg subcutaneous enoxaparin before immediate transport for PCI. We focused on anti-Xa activities before and after PCI, bleedings, infarct-related artery patency, and major adverse cardiac events at day 30. Anti-Xa activity was at the target level (>0.5 IU/ml) in 99% of patients during PCI, and in 100% 4 hr after injections; over-anticoagulation (>1.5 IU/ml) was noted in 9 and 2%, respectively at start and 4 hr after injections. Bleeding complications with enoxaparin were rare: major in 1.4% (no intracranial hemorrhages), minor in 2.1%. A patent infarct-related artery (TIMI 2 + 3) was observed in 40.6% of the patients before PCI. TIMI 3 flow was obtained in 88.1% of the cases after PCI. Major adverse cardiac events at 30 days occurred in 5.6% of cases: death 2.8%, reinfarction 3.5%, and target lesion revascularisation 3.5%. Prehospital i.v. and subcutaneous enoxaparin provides simple and rapid anticoagulation for PCI in STEMI patients. Enoxaparin dose needs to be reduced regarding the 9% of over-anticoagulation. This study suggests the potential of enoxaparin as an alternative anticoagulant regimen for primary PCI.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗