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Biomedical subjects

R Spurrell

Publications and source records attributed to R Spurrell.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1984

Temporal evolution of changes in left ventricular function induced by cold pressor stimulation. An assessment with radionuclide angiography and gold 195m.

The evolutionary changes in left ventricular function induced by cold pressor stimulation were investigated at 90 second intervals by rapid sequential first pass radionuclide angiography using the short half life tracer gold 195m. The results in 12 subjects with normal coronary arteries were compared with those in 12 patients with coronary artery disease. Left ventricular ejection fraction fell significantly from resting values in both groups after 1 minute of cold pressor, but only in patients with coronary disease was the significant fall maintained at 2.5 and 4 minutes. In both groups, the maximum decrease in ejection fraction occurred after 1 minute, whereas the maximum rise in systolic blood pressure occurred after 2.5 minutes. New abnormalities of regional ventricular function developed in 10 normal subjects after 1 minute of cold, with a total of 12 new abnormal segments. Only two such segments were seen at the later stages of imaging. Twenty one new segments developed after 1 minute in the coronary disease group, and 13 segments remained abnormal after 4 minutes. Three patients, two of whom had left main stem stenoses, showed persistent abnormalities of ventricular function after 2 minutes of recovery from cold stimulation. Thus left ventricular function changes rapidly during a period of cold stimulation in both those without and those with coronary disease. When the cold pressor test is used with multiple gated equilibrium imaging, the timing of imaging may be crucial to the results and interpretation of the test. The discordance between functional changes and rise in blood pressure is further evidence that alterations in afterload are not solely responsible for cold induced abnormalities.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Rate-related accelerating (autodecremental) atrial pacing for reversion of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

Twenty consecutive patients with paroxysmal intra A-V nodal or atrio-ventricular tachycardia had a new tachycardia reversion pacing modality evaluated during routine electrophysiological study. The pacing was controlled by a micropressor interfaced with a stimulator connected to a right atrial pacing electrode. On detection of tachycardia the first pacing cycle interval is equal to the tachycardia cycle length minus a decrement value D. Each subsequent pacing cycle is further reduced by the same value of D, thus accelerating the pacing burst until a plateau of 100 beats/min faster than tachycardia (with an absolute lower limit of 275 beats/min) is reached. Seven different values of D (2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 34, 50 msec) were assessed in combination with three different durations of pacing P (500, 5000 msec). With P:500, only 2/20 tachycardias were terminated, but with P:1000, 16/20 were terminated. With P:5000 all were terminated and the combination successful in all patients was P:5000 and D:16. No unwanted arrhythmias were induced. In contrast, competitive constant rate overdrive atrial pacing accomplished tachycardia termination in all cases, but in four instances resulted in atrial flutter or fibrillation. Autodecremental pacing, which tends to avoid stimulation in the vulnerable period, allowed safe and successful termination of all tachycardias evaluated in this study.

Atrial Fibrillation↗
PubMed1982

Clinical evaluation of an adaptive tachycardia intervention pacemaker with automatic cycle length adjustment.

An external version of a new pacemaker designed for automatic tachycardia termination is described. In response to a tachycardia, defined as four successive beats occurring at a rate faster than a variable preset value, a number of stimuli (1-15) are generated. The initial coupling interval and subsequent pacing cycle intervals (where applicable) are always the same. Failure to terminate tachycardia results in the reduction of the pacing cycle length by 6 ms before termination of tachycardia is re-attempted. Pacing cycle length reduction may be repeated up to 16 times. If all coupling intervals of a single extrastimulus fail to achieve tachycardia termination, a second stimulus is scanned with the first through the same range of decrements. Additional stimuli, to a total of 15, could be used. A memory function is incorporated to retain and re-use a successful sequence. The pacemaker was evaluated in 16 patients with recurrent "supraventricular" (atrioventricular and intra A-V nodal) tachycardia, using right ventricular pacing. Termination was successful in all patients. More than two stimuli were necessary in only two patients, one of whom required five, and the other six stimuli. No unwanted arrhythmias were induced.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Factors that affect the reproducibility of measurements of left ventricular function from first-pass radionuclide ventriculograms.

To examine which factors affect the reproducibility of ejection fraction (EF), pulmonary transit time (PTT) and segmental wall motion assessed from first-pass radionuclide angiograms (FPRA), 32 patients who had FPRA were randomized for site of injection of isotope (right or left arm) and projection (right or left anterior oblique [RAO or LAO]). The quality of injected bolus was measured from the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the bolus time-activity curve in the superior vena cava. All patients had two sequential studies on each of two consecutive days, and each study was analyzed independently by two observers. For EF, inter- and intraobserver correlations ranged from 0.94-0.98. EF was higher in the RAO than the LAO projection (mean 47.4% vs 40.3%, p less than 0.001), but neither injection site nor bolus FWHM affected the results. For PTT, interobserver correlations ranged from 0.75-0.93 and intraobserver correlations from 0.61-0.85. Variability in PTT was large, and inter- and intraobserver variabilities were directly related to bolus FWHM (mean 0.60 +/- 0.21 second for interobserver differences in PTT of less than 2.0 seconds, mean 1.55 +/- 0.86 seconds for interobserver differences in PTT of greater than 2 seconds [p less than 0.005]). Differences in FWHM between sequential studies were 0.28 +/- 0.29 second when intraobserver differences in PTT were less than 2 seconds and 1.04 +/- 0.67 seconds when differences in PTT were greater than 2.0 seconds (p less than 0.005). Variations in PTT were not related to differences in projection or injection site. Wall motion was highly reproducible for both projections. In the RAO projection, one of 116 anterior segments (0.9%), one of 116 apical segments (0.9%), and four of 116 inferior segments (3%) were judged normal from one observer's images and abnormal from another. In the LAO view, discrepancies occurred in one of 126 septal segments (0.8%), two of 126 apical segments (1.6%) and four of 126 posterolateral segments (3%). This study shows that EF and wall motion are highly reproducible in any projection, but the choice of projection significantly affects the values for EF from FPRA. PTT measurements are less reliable, highly bolus dependent, and their use in clinical practice depends on quality control of the bolus of injected radionuclide.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Dual isotope stress testing in congenital atresia of left coronary ostium. Applications before and after surgical treatment.

A 38-year-old women presented with an 11-year history of angina pectoris. Coronary arteriography disclosed a large right coronary artery which filled the entire left coronary tree retrogradely. The left main coronary artery ended blindly and was not connected to the aortic root. There were no atherosclerotic lesions in any vessel. Exercise thallium-20l scintigrams showed a perfusion defect in the anterior region of the left ventricle and exercise first pass radionuclide ventriculography showed anterior hypokinesis of the left ventricle with an ejection fraction of 54 per cent, compared with 60 per cent at rest. An aortocoronary saphenous vein graft was constructed to the left coronary artery. Four months after operation the patient is free from symptoms. Repeat thallium scintigrams were normal. Exercise radionuclide ventriculography after operation disclosed no wall motion abnormality, and ejection fraction on exercise was 70 per cent. The mechanism of angina in this patient is unclear but may have been related to the abnormal timing of delivery of blood to the left ventricular myocardium. Dual radionuclide stress testing showed abnormalities after operation. This non-invasive approach may be useful in the assessment of the physiological significance of coronary anomalies and of the value of corrective surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Response of atrial flutter to overdrive atrial pacing and intravenous disopyramide phosphate, singly and in combination.

Ten patients who suffered spontaneous paroxysms of atrial flutter were investigated by electrophysiological techniques. Two had overt Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome; three Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome; and one a concealed accessory atrioventricular connection. Atrial flutter was initiated, at study, by right atrial pacing and electrograms from the right atrium and coronary sinus were observed for at least five minutes to ensure stable flutter in both atria. Atrial flutter was terminated by 2.5 s or 5 s bursts of atrial pacing at rates 10, 50, or 100 beats/min faster than the intrinsic flutter rate in only two patients. Atrial flutter, which was reinitiated in two patients, was then treated with intravenous disopyramide phosphate, 2 mg/kg body weight, infused over five minutes. In all 10 patients the atrial rate slowed from a mean of 310 +/- 39 beats/min to 217 +/- 27 beats/min and atrial flutter terminated in one case. Though the mean ventricular rate fell from 161 +/- 52 beats/min to 156 +/- 45 beats/min the atrioventricular conduction ratio fell from 2.17 +/- 0.86 to 1.55 +/- 0.59 and four patients were left with symptomatically significant increases of ventricular rate. In seven of nine patients overdrive atrial pacing, repeated after disopryamide, resulted in the conversion of atrial flutter to sinus rhythm. In this study, overdrive atrial pacing and intravenous disopyramide, singly and in combination, terminated atrial flutter in nine of the 10 patients and it is suggested that this method may provide an effective alternative to direct current cardioversion.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Haemodynamic effects of dobutamine with special reference to myocardial blood flow. A comparison with dopamine and isoprenaline.

The haemodynamic effects of dobutamine (2.5 to 10 micrograms/min per kg) were determined in 5 patients without cardiac failure who were undergoing cardiac catheterisation for suspected coronary disease. Myocardial blood flow was determined by the coronary sinus thermodilution technique. Data were compared with those from two groups of 5 patients who received dopamine (4-8 micrograms/min per kg) and isoprenaline (0.005-0.025 micrograms/min per kg). Each drug was given in a lower and a higher dose, and all increased mean cardiac index (dobutamine, 18% and 39%; dopamine, 11% and 23%; isoprenaline, 15% and 44%). These increases were associated with significant increases in mean myocardial oxygen consumption (dobutamine, 38% and 61%; dopamine, 25% and 62%; isoprenaline, 20% and 45%). Mean myocardial blood flow was increased by each drug but mean myocardial oxygen extraction was decreased by isoprenaline, was increased by dopamine, and was unchanged by dobutamine. Each inotropic agent has a similar effect on myocardial oxygen consumption, but isoprenaline has a direct coronary vasodilator action while dopamine has a coronary vasoconstrictor action. Dobutamine has no direct effect upon coronary vascular tone.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Improvement in exercise haemodynamics by isosorbide dinitrate in patients with severe congestive cardiac failure secondary to ischaemic heart disease.

Seven patients with severe chronic congestive cardiac failure secondary to ischaemic heart disease performed submaximal supine exercise before and after 5 mg sublingual isosorbide dinitrate at the time of cardiac catheterisation. Exercise before isosorbide dinitrate produced a poor response in left ventricular performance. After isosorbide dinitrate this response was significantly improved. Compared with the control exercise period, cardiac index increased from mean 2.6 to 3.1 1/min per m2 (P less than 0.0025), stroke volume index from mean 22 to 27 ml/m2 (P less than 0.0025), and left ventricular stroke work index from mean 21 to 30 g m/m2 (P less than 0.01). Mean left ventricular filling pressure fell from 37 to 26 mmHg (P less than 0.01). Although isosorbide dinitrate reduced left ventricular filling pressure at rest from mean 26 to 17 mmHg (P less than 0.005), there was no significant change in mean cardiac index or stroke volume index, while left ventricular stroke work index decreased from mean 29 to 22 g m/m2 (P less than 0.05). Isosorbide dinitrate effectively reduces left ventricular filling pressure in the resting patient with congestive cardiac failure but produces a more comprehensive improvement in left ventricular performance during exercise.

Aged↗
PubMed1978

Effects of selective and non-selective beta-adrenergic blockade on coronary dynamics in man assessed by rapid atrial pacing.

The effects on coronary dynamics of propranolol and atenolol were studied in 12 patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation for suspected coronary artery disease. Myocardial blood flow was measured using the coronary sinus continuous thermodilution technique. Data were obtained immediately after drug administration and during rapid atrial pacing. The immediate effects were similar for both drugs. A significant reduction in heart rate was accompanied by a small reduction in myocardial oxygen consumption. Changes in coronary sinus flow induced by rapid pacing were closely related to changes in tension-time index. This relation was not modified by propranolol or atenolol. Neither propranolol nor atenolol therefore has significant coronary vasoconstrictor properties. Cardioselectivity appears to be unimportant with respect to beta-adrenergic blockade and the coronary circulation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Is the waiting list a safe place for outpatients awaiting coronary bypass surgery?

This study was undertaken to identify the safety of outpatients awaiting coronary bypass surgery. An audit of the outcome of 92 such outpatients at one Regional centre was undertaken by a retrospective review of medical records. Outcome measures were: time on the waiting list, anti-ischaemic medications, readmission for unstable angina, myocardial infarction and death. Almost half of the patients underwent surgery within three months, and three-quarters waited less than six months. No outpatient death occurred. However, 4 of the 7 adverse events occurred within this period. Despite advanced disease, the safety of outpatients awaiting coronary surgery within such a short time frame appeared to be acceptable, the only adverse events being non-fatal and occurring unpredictably.

Adult↗