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Biomedical subjects

P Scanu

Publications and source records attributed to P Scanu.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Nicardipine does not significantly affect serum digoxin concentrations at the steady state of patients with congestive heart failure.

Twenty patients in a stable condition suffering from congestive heart failure were treated with digoxin for at least three weeks and then with nicardipine concomitantly for five days. No statistically significant variation in serum digoxin concentrations determined at seven control times during a 24-hour period or in its mean concentration was found in the two groups of values examined before and after the concurrent nicardipine treatment. The mean increase of 6.8% in the AUC0----24h was not significant either. Since the maximum increase in serum digoxin concentrations at the steady state never exceeded 0.5 ng/ml, a toxic effect is not likely to occur in patients whose digoxin levels are normally monitored.

Aged↗

Post-radiotherapeutic left main coronary ostial stenosis: clinical and histological study.

Pericardial abnormalities remain the most common manifestation of radiation-induced cardiac disease, but coronary artery lesions are not rare. In this report we describe a left coronary ostial stenosis which appeared five years after mediastinal irradiation for breast carcinoma in a 50-year-old woman. The patient underwent coronary angiography. A pressure drop was observed as the left catheter tip engaged the left coronary ostium; so, only nonselective coronary opacifications were performed showing an isolated, marked narrowing of the left coronary ostia. During surgery, a circumferential aortotomy allowed the examination of the left coronary ostium which appeared severely stenosed. The coronary tree was otherwise normal. A termino-terminal saphenous vein graft was anastomosed on the left stem and its proximal part was implanted on the ascending aorta. The coronary ostium and the proximal part of the left main stem were excised and the macroscopic examination of the proximal part of the left coronary artery confirmed the diagnosis of severe ostial stenosis. Microscopic examination of the coronary ostium showed a severe intimal thickening without any evident lesion of the media. This intimal thickening consisted of fibrous tissue without extracellular lipid deposit. Microscopic examination of the aorta near the coronary ostium also demonstrated an intimal thickening without any lesion of the media. Coronary ostial stenosis appears to be a rare lesion; its incidence has varied between 0.13 and 2.7% in angiographic studies and there is co-existing disease in multiple coronary vessels in the majority of cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Coronary Disease↗

[Acute renal insufficiency and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs].

Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs cause an increasing number of renal disorders because of their increasing use. In addition to a toxic or immuno-allergic mechanism common to many medications, the side-effects are essentially related to the inhibition of prostaglandins biosynthesis which play a major role as soon as the renal blood flow is compromised. Acute renal failure of hemodynamic origin, interstitial nephropathy with or without nephrotic syndrome are the most characteristic manifestations of the renal toxicity of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

[Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic effects of digoxin in dilated cardiomyopathies. Influence of nicardipine].

Numerous studies have been devoted to the effect of slow calcium channel inhibitors on plasma digoxin concentrations. The principal drugs tested, verapamil and nifedipine, were found to increase significantly plasma digoxin levels mainly by reducing digoxin total clearance. Very few studies on the nicardipine-digoxin interaction have been reported. The dual purpose of the present study was to evaluate the influence of orally administered nicardipine on plasma digoxin concentrations over 24 hours and to measure possible variations in the pharmacodynamic effects of digoxin in 9 patients with chronic congestive heart failure. The pharmacodynamic assessment involved simple and cross-sectional echocardiography, systolic time interval measurements and cardiac catheterization. In these patients under chronic digoxin treatment, oral nicardipine had little effect on plasma digoxin concentrations which increased but not significantly; no sign of digitalis toxicity was observed. Nicardipine improved left ventricular function and myocardial contractility by reducing after-load, the nicardipine-induced peripheral vasodilatation tending to counteract the digoxin-induced vasoconstriction.

Aged↗

Role of coronary spasm in the genesis of myocardial infarction: study of a case treated by isosorbide dinitrate in situ then by transluminal angioplasty.

We report the observation of a 62-year-old patient who was admitted for unstable angina. A prolonged chest pain (more than two hours) with a major electrocardiographic lesion in the posterior leads needed an urgent coronary arteriography in order to attempt a recanalization. Antecedents of arteriopathy of the lower limbs with aortobifemoral bypass required an axillary artery right side approach. A selective right coronary opacification showed complete occlusion at the junction of segments 1 and 2. An intracoronary injection of isosorbide dinitrate relieved a coronary spasm and allowed a complete visualization of the right coronary artery. This appeared to be very atherosclerotic with several severe narrowings, and a subocclusive lesion at the site of the initial occlusion. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties (PTCA) were performed and led to real 'restructuring' of the right coronary artery. The clinical outcome was excellent without recurrent angina pectoris. An angiographic control performed 6 months after PTCA demonstrated the persistence of the coronary recanalization and an evident improvement of the segmental contractility. This report emphasizes the role of coronary spasm in the genesis of myocardial infarction and shows that PTCA may be performed as a first approach at the acute phase of myocardial infarction; to our knowledge it is the first PTCA performed by an axillary approach at the acute stage of myocardial infarction.

Angina Pectoris, Variant↗

[A possible application of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty: remodelling of an occluded aortocoronary bypass].

The authors report the case of a 53 year old patient who had undergone triple coronary bypass surgery for unstable angina. Recurrence of chest pain 4 months after surgery led to control coronary angiography which showed severe stenosis of the proximal and distal parts of the aorto-right coronary graft. Endoluminal dilatation was performed a few days later but, during angiography, complete occlusion of the graft was observed. This was repermeabilised without difficulty and a "remodelling" of the graft was carried out. The outcome was favourable with the complete regression of symptoms. The following alternatives to surgery are discussed: in cases of thrombosis which usually occur in the month following surgery, fibrinolysis may be attempted with a high success rate but a significant risk of haemo-pericardium: in cases of fibrous proliferation of the intima leading to stenosis or occlusion, endoluminal dilatation seems to be the procedure of choice, but this must always be carried out under surgical cover.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗

[Cardiac insufficiency in acromegaly. Apropos of a case].

The authors report the case of a patient with acromegaly. The clinical history was dominated by left ventricular failure, for which acromegaly was the only evident cause. The cardiac index, pulmonary arterial pressure and the average pulmonary capillary pressure were measured before ablation of the hypophyseal tumour; the measurements were repeated 3 months and 8 years later. The postoperative course followed two phases: transient improvement of the haemodynamic parameters, then relapse of cardiac failure. This case confirms the possibility of a true cardiomyopathy during acromegaly; but the fact that the cardiac failure did not regress despite the decreased growth hormone levels was unusual and raises several physiopathological hypotheses.

Acromegaly↗

[Rare mechanical complications of right ventricle infarction. Value of two-dimensional echocardiography].

Two rare mechanical complications of right ventricular infarction are reported: myocardial dissection and rupture of the RV free wall. The diagnosis was made by 2D echocardiography in both cases. Myocardial dissection resulted in the formation of an oblong, expansive, intraparietal space. The rupture of the RV free wall was visualised as a breach of the continuity of the ventricular wall. These cases underline the importance of 2D echocardiography in the acute phase of myocardial infarction for the diagnosis of these complications.

Aged↗

[Infectious endocarditis on native valves. Report of a series of 142 surgically treated cases].

The results obtained in a series of 142 patients operated upon, between December 1978 and December 1987, for infective endocarditis on native valve are reported. 61 patients (group 1) had acute progressive endocarditis and 81 patients (group 2) had subacute old-standing endocarditis. In group 1 patients, hospital mortality (i.e. occurring during the first 30 post-operative days) was 11.5 p. 100. During a mean follow-up period of 37.6 months (1.5 to 104.5 months), the survival rates were 52 p. 100 at 72 months and 37.4 p. 100 at 104.5 months. Mechanical desinsertion without persistence or relapse of the infective process, and recurrent endocarditis accounted for 27.8 p. 100 of deaths of known cause. Prognosis was better in group 2 patients. Hospital mortality was 4.9 p. 100, and during a mean follow-up period of 58 months (2 to 124 months) the survival rates were 84 p. 100 at 72 months and 73.4 p. 100 at 124 months. 60 p. 100 of late deaths of known cause were due to heart failure. In native valve infective endocarditis the post-operative diagnosis depends upon the pre-operative haemodynamic status, and the assessment of this status (notably with echocardiography) is a crucial element in the decision to operate.

Adolescent↗