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Biomedical subjects

Panagiotis Korantzopoulos

Publications and source records attributed to Panagiotis Korantzopoulos.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Oral vitamin C administration reduces early recurrence rates after electrical cardioversion of persistent atrial fibrillation and attenuates associated inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation and oxidative stress have been recently implicated in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to examine the potential benefit of vitamin C on the early recurrence rates and on inflammatory indices after successful cardioversion of persistent AF, as well as to investigate the time course of changes in these indices post-cardioversion. METHODS: We prospectively studied 44 consecutive patients after successful electrical cardioversion of persistent AF. All patients received standard treatment and were randomised in one to one fashion to either oral vitamin C administration or no additional therapy. We followed-up the patients for 7 days performing successive measurements of white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and ferritin levels. RESULTS: One week after successful cardioversion, AF recurred in 4.5% of patients in the vitamin C group and in 36.3% of patients in the control group (p=0.024). Compared to baseline values, inflammatory indices decreased after cardioversion in patients receiving vitamin C but did not change significantly in the control group. A significant variance was found in the serial measurements of WBC counts (F=5.86, p=0.001) and of fibrinogen levels (F=4.10, p=0.0084) in the two groups. In the vitamin C group CRP levels were lower on the seventh day (p<0.05). CRP and fibrinogen levels were higher in patients who relapsed into AF compared to patients who maintained sinus rhythm (F=2.77, p=0.044 and F=3.51, p=0.017, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that vitamin C reduces the early recurrence rates after cardioversion of persistent AF and attenuates the associated low-level inflammation. These effects indicate that therapeutic approaches targeting at inflammation and oxidative stress may exert favourable effects on atrial electrical remodeling.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2005

Drug-induced QT interval prolongation after ciprofloxacin administration in a patient receiving olanzapine.

Several non-antiarrhythmic drugs including antibiotic and antipsychotic agents have been shown to prolong cardiac repolarization predisposing to torsade de pointes ventricular tachycardia. Blockade of the delayed rectifier (repolarising) potassium current and drug interactions with inhibitors of the CYP-mediated metabolism are the most common underlying mechanisms. In the present case report, an elderly woman receiving a long-term medication with azathioprine, olanzapine and valsartan developed a marked QT interval prolongation after intravenous administration of ciprofloxacin.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Kearns-Sayre syndrome associated with trifascicular block and QT prolongation.

Patients suffering from Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS) often develop conduction defects that may lead to syncope or sudden cardiac death. The association of conduction abnormalities with prolonged QT interval in these patients is very rare. We describe a patient with KSS and diabetes mellitus who suffered a torsades de pointes-induced syncopal attack, in the presence of trifascicular block and QT prolongation (QTc: 574 ms). The patient was successfully treated with permanent pacing. This case highlights that torsades de pointes represents a potential mechanism of syncope or sudden cardiac death in patients with KSS.

Bundle-Branch Block↗
PubMed2005

Acute low back pain during intravenous administration of amiodarone: a report of two cases.

Amiodarone represents an effective antiarrhythmic drug for cardioversion of recent-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) and maintenance of sinus rhythm. We briefly describe two patients suffering from recent-onset atrial fibrillation, who experienced an acute devastating low back pain a few minutes after initiation of intravenous amiodarone loading. Notably, this side effect has not been ever reported in the medical literature. Clinicians should be aware of this reaction since prompt termination of parenteral administration leads to complete resolution.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

High prevalence of subclinical peripheral artery disease in Greek hospitalized patients.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) represents a common manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis that is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death and ischemic events but one that may be underdiagnosed in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to identify PAD using the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in hospitalized patients from a Department of Internal Medicine and to further investigate the association of this index with traditional cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: We measured ABI in 990 consecutive patients (400 men and 590 women) aged 50 years or older (71.2+/-9.1) without a history or symptoms suggestive of PAD. ABI values below 0.90 were considered abnormal. RESULTS: PAD was detected in 356 patients (36%), and men had a higher prevalence than women (p<0.001). Hypertension (p<0.001), smoking (p<0.001), diabetes (p<0.05), male sex (p<0.001), and dyslipidemia (p<0.05) were statistically more frequent in patients with PAD, whereas obesity had no significant relation to PAD in our series. In a stepwise, logistic regression analysis, hypertension, male sex, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and dyslipidemia were found to be independent risk factors with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 2.46 (1.85-3.27), 2.25 (1.66-3.05), 1.80 (1.32-2.47), 1.78 (1.31-2.42), and 1.64 (1.22-2.19), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A simple ABI measurement revealed a large number of patients with unrecognized PAD. It is, therefore, recommended that ABI measurement should be included in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk in hospitalized patients aged 50 years or older.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Coxsackievirus infection associated with acute pancreatitis.

CONTEXT: A variety of infectious agents have been reported as rare causes of acute pancreatitis. CASE REPORT: We briefly describe a 36-year-old man who presented with acute pancreatitis and a maculopapular rash. The marked elevation in antibody titer against coxsackievirus B, as well as the skin biopsy, was compatible with acute coxsackievirus B viral infection. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the fact that an appropriate investigation for viral infections should be performed in patients having acute pancreatitis and no classical risk factors.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

The heart in Wegener's granulomatosis.

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a necrotizing vasculitis that mainly affects the respiratory tract and kidneys. Of note, involvement of the heart is being increasingly recognized in these patients. Cardiac manifestations can arise from the coronary arteries, pericardium, myocardium, endocardium, valves, conduction system and great vessels, but in most cases cardiac involvement is clinically silent. Consequently, a regular cardiovascular evaluation, including echocardiography, should be performed in every patient with WG, while patients with WG flare should be closely monitored for cardiac complications even in the absence of specific symptoms.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed2004

Usefulness of predischarge exercise electrocardiographic testing in detecting the late patency status of the infarct-related artery.

Predischarge exercise electrocardiographic testing (PEET) represents a widely accepted clinical tool for prognostic and functional assessment of patients who experience an uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, there are no data suggesting any relation between PEET results and patency status of the infarct-related artery (IRA). The aim of this study was to investigate whether ST and/or QT-dispersion (QTD) changes induced by a low-level PEET, after uncomplicated ST-elevation AMI, are related to the late patency status of the IRA. We prospectively evaluated 61 consecutive patients who had suffered a first uncomplicated ST-elevation AMI. All of them successfully carried out four stages of the modified Bruce protocol exercise testing before discharge, and thereafter were subjected to coronary angiography. Exercise-induced ST elevation and QTD shortening were found significantly more frequently in patients with persistently occluded IRA, as compared to patients with patent IRA (ST elevation 65% vs 27%, P = 0.006; QTD shortening 80% vs 29%, P < 0.0001). The coexistence of the two variables predicted the presence of occluded IRA with a positive predictive value of 75%, whereas the absence of both predicted the patency of IRA with a negative predictive value of 100%. These results indicate that ST-elevation and QT-dispersion changes induced by a predischarge exercise testing after a first ST-elevation AMI may effectively predict the late patency status of the infarct-related artery.

Coronary Vessels↗