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Biomedical subjects

T Pop

Publications and source records attributed to T Pop.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

[PTCA and intracoronary lysis in acute myocardial infarct].

In 76% of all patients in whom thrombolysis was successful a residual stenosis exceeding 75% luminal diameter was found. Some patients suffered from single, others from multi-vessel disease. In single vessel diseases immediate intracoronary balloon dilatation of the residual stenosis is feasible. In multi-vessel diseases an aortocoronary bypass operation may follow. In a non-randomized study of 411 patients treated successfully with thrombolysis the best prognosis during the hospital phase and the subsequent 12 months was found in those who had had bypass surgery; patients treated with PTCA had the next best prognosis, and those treated with medical therapy had the worst. In a randomized study 95 patients were treated with thrombolysis alone and another 95 patients with thrombolysis plus immediate PTCA. PTCA diminished the degree of stenosis significantly (78 +/- 16% vs. 33 +/- 21%; p less than 0.001). This value remained constant during the following four weeks (30 +/- 26%). The clinical course, segmental wall motion and myocardial perfusion were more favourable in the PTCA group. No differences were found regarding spontaneous and inducible ventricular electrical vulnerability. Immediate PTCA without prior thrombolysis was performed in 27 patients with overt cardiogenic shock. The clinical mortality was significantly lower than in comparative studies. Recanalisation was successful in 24 of 27 patients. PTCA is complementary to successful thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction to improve the prognosis and myocardial perfusion.

Aged↗

[Sudden cardiac death in long-term electrocardiography].

An analysis has been made of long-term ECG recordings in 11 patients, 9 men and 2 women, mean age 69 +/- 7 years, who were carrying ECG recording equipment at the time of sudden death. Nine patients had coronary heart disease, one patient a dilatative cardiomyopathy and another one a combined aortic valve defect. Seven patients had a history of syncope. All patients had signs of cardiac insufficiency (NYHA index 3.0 +/- 0.6, heart-thorax quotient 0.55 +/- 0.05). Sudden death occurred predominantly whilst resting. In one patient it was due to bradyarrhythmia, in 10 to tachyarrhythmia, mostly ventricular tachycardia (initial heart rate 198 +/- 43/min; n = 8) which degenerated into ventricular fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation was present in 8 patients at the time of sudden death. Premonitory warning arrhythmias were not consistently detectable: comparison of arrhythmias in the first and last hour showed significant increases only in single ventricular extrasystoles (135 vs. 278 VES/h, P less than 0.05), not however in repetitive arrhythmias. An R-on-T phenomenon, as trigger mechanism of ventricular tachycardia, occurred in 5 cases. A synopsis of the published reports on approximately 110 patients with sudden death during long-term electrocardiographic monitoring confirmed that acute death is caused by bradyarrhythmias in approximately 15% (17 patients), and by tachyarrhythmias in 85% (94 patients). An increase in ventricular arrhythmias in the hour prior to death was observed in about 50% of patients and the R-on-T phenomenon, as the initiating mechanism for ventricular tachycardia, in 42%.

Aged↗

Determinants of prognosis in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy as determined by programmed electrical stimulation.

The incidence and prognostic significance of electrically induced ventricular arrhythmias were prospectively assessed in 42 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. All patients underwent 24-hour, long-term electrocardiographic (Holter) monitoring and 30 were analyzed by a signal-averaging vectorcardiographic procedure at entry into the study. Their response to programmed electrical stimulation during basic right ventricular pacing was investigated using 1 and 2 ventricular extrastimuli. A monomorphic tachycardia was not induced in any patient. In 36 patients (86%) polymorphic ventricular arrhythmias were initiated. Three or more induced consecutive ventricular premature complexes occurred in 9 patients (21%), nonsustained polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in 2 (4.8%) and ventricular fibrillation in 1 patient (2.4%). There was no association between electrically induced polymorphic ventricular arrhythmias and the degree of impairment of left ventricular function. Furthermore, the incidence of induced ventricular arrhythmias was not related to the Lown grade or to the total number of ventricular premature complexes during Holter monitoring. A late potential was detected by the averaged vectorcardiogram in only 1 of the 30 patients. During follow-up (mean 16 +/- 7 months) 7 patients died, 5 from chronic congestive heart failure and 2 from sudden cardiac death. No patient had an electrically induced arrhythmia of 3 or more ventricular premature complexes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Combined medical and mechanical recanalization in acute myocardial infarction.

A technique of combined medical and mechanical recanalization was employed in 96 patients with acute transmural myocardial infarction. The mean time between onset of symptoms and admission to hospital was 170 +/- 65 min (X +/- SD). After 10 +/- 16 min, 250,000 U streptokinase was administered intravenously for 20 min. Intracoronary thrombolysis was commenced within 38 +/- 14 min. First coronary angiograms demonstrated reperfusion, an open vessel in 25/96 patients (26%). In 15/71 patients (21%) reperfusion occurred during thrombolysis therapy, before mechanical recanalization could be performed. Recanalization was achieved mechanically in 37/71 patients (52%) with occluded coronary vessels. In 8/71 patients (11%) mechanical recanalization failed but the vessel opened during thrombolysis. In 12/96 patients (12%), the coronary vessel remained occluded. Thus, reperfusion could be achieved in 88% of the patients. Reperfusion rate was 76% in the first 38 patients and 95% subsequently. After reperfusion, coronary thrombi were found in 25/96 patients (26%) but dissolved during thrombolysis in 16/25 patients (64%). Peripheral coronary embolism was observed in 3/25 patients (12%). For the whole group, reocclusion occurred in 8/84 patients (10%). By combined medical and mechanical recanalization, the recanalization rate could be increased with low reocclusion rate. Trends showed an improvement in regional and global left ventricular function in patients with anterior myocardial infarction.

Aged↗

Prognostic significance of repetitive ventricular response in chronic coronary artery disease.

A prospective study was conducted in 267 patients with angiographically defined coronary artery disease without documented ventricular tachycardia to determine the prognostic significance of repetitive ventricular response (RVR) after programmed electrical stimulation (PES). The patients were classified inducible if RVR with 3 or more echo beats (RVR greater than or equal to 3) could be induced. 89 patients without previous myocardial infarction (MI), 61 survivors of MI occurring between 6 weeks and 3 months before and 117 patients who had survived longer than 3 months after MI were studied. A standardized stimulation protocol with single (S1S2) and double (S1S2S3) extrastimuli during ventricular drive at a cycle length of 600, 500 and 430 ms with a current strength below 5 mA at the right ventricular apex was employed. Ventricular responses with 3 to 5 echo beats (RVR3-5) and with 6 and more echo beats (RVR greater than or equal to 6) were distinguished. In 68 (25%) patients RVR3-5 and in 38 (14%) patients RVR greater than or equal to 6 was observed; in 11 patients with RVR greater than or equal to 6 sustained VT was initiated which was monomorphic in 5 of them. The occurrence of RVR greater than or equal to 6 was related to the time interval to prior MI and most frequently found within 3 months of MI. A higher incidence of RVR greater than or equal to 6 was observed in more advanced CAD, although the angiographic findings were unable to predict the results of PES. During a mean follow up of 20 months 11 patients died, 8 suddenly, 3 in cardiac failure. Those who died had more extensive CAD, RVR greater than or equal to 3 was found in 4 of them and nonsustained VT in one. The sensitivity of RVR greater than or equal to 3 as a predictor of sudden death (SD) was 36% and the specifity 60%. The predictive value of inducibility of RVR greater than or equal to 3 as indicator of SD was 4% and the predictive value of noninducibility was 98%. It is concluded that in patients with chronic CAD without spontaneous VT, RVR with 3 more echo beats does not identify a predisposition to die suddenly.

Adult↗

Effect of intravenous flecainide on atrial vulnerability in man.

Sixteen patients were investigated by means of programmed atrial stimulation at 2 different driving rates: 100/min and 120/min. All patients had an increased atrial vulnerability at both driving rates. After the administration of intravenous flecainide (1 mg/kg bodyweight as a bolus, followed by the same amount infused over a period of 20 minutes), the increased vulnerability was abolished in 11 and 9 patients, respectively. In the remaining patients the rate of induced atrial tachyarrhythmia decreased. These findings correlate with a significant prolongation of the effective refractory period of the right atrium and a corresponding significant shortening of its relative refractory period. It is concluded that flecainide may be effective in the treatment of atrial arrhythmias in humans.

Adolescent↗

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) following thrombolysis.

After successful intracoronary and intravenous thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction in about 90% of all cases highgrade organic stenoses of the diseased vessels can be found. These obstructions may impede coronary blood flow and be the reason for recurrent angina in the rehabilitation phase. In a prospective, controlled, randomized study with 127 patients (pts) with acute myocardial infarction 64 pts were treated with streptokinase (group I) and 63 pts were treated with streptokinase and additional PTCA procedures (group II). The patients of both groups did not differ with respect to age, distribution of sex and diseased vessels, time between onset of symptoms and start of lysis or time to maximum of CPK-curve. In group I 59 out of 64 pts had recanalized vessels (92%), in group II 56 out of 63 pts (89%). In 55/56 pts PTCA was attempted (success rate 65%) with an artificial reocclusion in two pts (4%). After four weeks in group I 47 pts were controlled angiographically. The stenosis rate did not differ between the acute phase and the control study (78.6 +/- 11.8% vs. 78.0 +/- 15.2%). Five reocclusions had occurred. In group II the resting stenosis after thrombolysis (81.7 +/- 6.6%) was diminished by PTCA to 33.0 +/- 18.2%. In the control study the remaining stenosis was 31.9 +/- 24.4%. The difference between groups I and II at the four week control was highly significant (p less than 0.001). In group I there were ten deaths during the hospital phase, nine of them of cardiac origin. In group II nine pts died, three from shock lung and five from cardiac causes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

Atrioventricular dissociation detected by suprasternal M-mode echocardiography: a clue to the diagnosis of ventricular tachycardia.

Twenty-two patients were studied by suprasternal M-mode echocardiography during ventricular tachycardia (VT). Adequate echocardiograms were obtained from 19 patients. Thirteen patients showed atrioventricular (AV) dissociation and 6 patients a ventriculoatrial contraction pattern according to the left atrial (LA) contraction obtained from the suprasternal notch. In 1 of these 6 patients, a 2:1 block retrograde was found by echocardiography. In another patient, an intermittent block occurred in the retrograde direction. In 4 patients, a constant relation between the QRS complex and LA contraction soon after the beginning of the QRS complex was seen, demonstrating a 1:1 ventriculoatrial conduction. According to the LA contraction obtained from the suprasternal echocardiogram, 13 patients showed AV dissociation and 6 patients a retrograde conduction to the LA. From the analysis of the 12-lead standard electrocardiogram obtained simultaneously during VT, AV dissociation could be recognized in only 3 patients. Thus, AV dissociation during VT is more easily diagnosed with suprasternal M-mode echocardiography than with the standard electrocardiogram.

Adult↗

Long-term antiarrhythmic therapy with flecainide.

The antiarrhythmic efficacy and safety of oral flecainide were assessed during a controlled 2-week and a subsequent 48-week long-term trial. Fifteen patients with frequent (more than 30 per hour) and complex ventricular arrhythmias (Lown grade IVA or IVB) who had been resistant or intolerant to 2 or more antiarrhythmic agents, were included in the study. Antiarrhythmic efficacy was controlled by 24-hour Holter monitoring at 2, 12, 24 and 48 weeks. The administration of 100 to 200 mg flecainide twice daily resulted in more than 90% suppression of VPCs and of complex ventricular arrhythmias in 14 of 15 patients. The minimum effective therapeutic dose could be titrated in 9 of 14 patients to 100 mg twice daily, in 3 of 14 patients to 150 mg twice daily and in 2 of 14 patients to 200 mg twice daily. During this therapy and a mean plasma concentration of 886 +/- 103 ng/ml, PQ and QRS duration, as well as QTc time and JTc interval were not significantly changed. Side effects (gastrointestinal complaints, nausea, obstipation, dizziness, visual disturbances, headache and impaired potency) were seen in 5 of 14 patients after 12 weeks, in 3 of 4 patients after 24 weeks and in only 2 of 14 patients after 48 weeks. Side effects were described as mild and tolerable and did not limit flecainide therapy except in 1 patient, who had discontinued therapy with flecainide after 3 days because of intense gastrointestinal symptoms. In conclusion, flecainide is highly effective and well tolerated in the long-term treatment of serious ventricular arrhythmias.

Adult↗

Supernormal conduction in the right bundle branch: lack of influence of autonomic blockade.

A programmed atrial stimulation at a driving rate of 100/min was performed in a 47-year-old woman with left bundle branch block. Supernormal conduction lasting 40 ms was revealed within the right bundle branch. After autonomic blockade (0.2 mg propranolol/kg body weight and 0.04 mg atropine/kg body weight) the position and duration of the supernormal conduction did not change. This suggests that the autonomic nervous system has no influence on the supernormal phase of conduction in the human intraventricular conduction system.

Atropine↗

Significance of ventricular arrhythmias in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

The incidence and prognostic significance of ventricular arrhythmias identified by 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography (Holter) was prospectively assessed in 74 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC). The criteria for diagnosis of IDC were based on clinical and cardiac catheterization findings. Holter monitoring was performed at the time of entry into the study. Patients were followed for 2 to 21 months (mean 11 +/- 3). Frequent ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) (greater than 1,000/24 hours) were seen in 35%, and complex VPCs (Lown grade III and IV) in 87% of the patients. Forty-nine percent of the patients had nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) consisting of 3 to 32 beats with rates from 110 to 230 beats/min, and 20% had ventricular pairs. No correlation was found between clinical symptoms or the degree of left ventricular (LV) impairment and the number of ventricular pairs or episodes of VT. During follow-up, 19 patients died, 7 from congestive heart failure (CHF) and 12 suddenly. Patients who died suddenly had significantly more episodes of VT, ventricular pairs or total VPCs (p less than 0.01 each) compared with survivors and those who died from CHF. No significant differences were found between patients who died from CHF or suddenly with respect to LV end-diastolic pressure, LV end-diastolic volume index, LV ejection fraction (EF) and cardiac index. A linear stepwise discriminant function analysis using hemodynamic (LVEF and cardiac index) and arrhythmic (number of VT episodes and ventricular pairs) variables resulted in a meaningful separation between survivors and patients who died from CHF or suddenly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗

[Functional autonomic blockade in the diagnosis of functional sinus node disorders].

The influence of the autonomic nervous system on sinus node automatism was assessed in 61 patients with suspect sinus node dysfunction. Cardiac frequency and corrected sinus node recovery time (CSNRT) were determined before and after functional autonomic blockade with intravenously administered propranolol (0,2 mg/kg) and atropine (0,04 mg/kg). A pathologic CSNRT was found in 59% of patients before and in 54% after autonomic blockade. In 44% pathologic CSNRT occurred during both conditions. In these patients intrinsic sinus node disease can be assumed. In 15% of patients an initially pathologic CSNRT became normal after blockade. In these patients sinus node dysfunction is caused by autonomic dysregulation. In 10% of patients pathologic CSNRT was seen for the first time after blockade. In such patients an altered autonomic balance seems to camouflage the primary intrinsic sinus node disease. Abnormal intrinsic cardiac frequency (cardiac frequency after autonomic blockade) was observed in pathologic prolongation of CSNRT after blockade, however not in normal CSNRT. On the other hand only 39% of patients with prolonged CSNRT after blockade had at the same time an abnormal intrinsic cardiac frequency. Autonomic blockade improves the diagnosis of the sick sinus node syndrome. Demonstration of abnormal intrinsic cardiac frequency is highly specific of intrinsic sinus node disease. Normal intrinsic cardiac frequency does, however, not exclude intrinsic sinus node disease.

Adolescent↗

Incidence and clinical significance of repetitive ventricular response in patients without identifiable organic heart disease.

We determined the incidence of repetitive ventricular response (RVR) after programmed electrical stimulation and the incidence of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias during 24 hr Holter monitoring in 38 patients in whom extensive non-invasive and invasive diagnostic tests had excluded abnormalities suggestive of organic heart disease. A standardized stimulation protocol with single (S1S2) and double (S1S2S3) extrastimuli during ventricular drive at cycle lengths of 600, 500 and 430 msec with a current strength below 5 mA at the right ventricular apex was employed. RVR occurred in 20 patients (58%) after S1S2 and in 30 patients (79%) after S1S2S3 stimulation. Eighteen patients (47%) showed RVR with 2 echo beats and 1 patient had 3 echo beats. RVR was due to bundle branch reentry (BBR) in 20 patients independent of the mode of stimulation. RVR due to intraventricular reentry (IVR) was found in 17 patients (47%) only after S1S2S3 stimulation. The incidence of both BBR and IVR was influenced by the basic ventricular driving rate, decreasing with shorter basic cycle lengths. 17 patients had no ventricular premature depolarizations (VPDs), 12 patients had uniform, 4 multiform (Lown III), 2 consecutive (Lown IVA) VPDs, and 1 patient had parasystolic rhythm. There was no relation to the incidence of repetitive ventricular response. We conclude that in patients without identifiable organic heart disease RVR with more than 2 consecutive beats is rarely found if single and double extrastimuli are employed during ventricular drive. Both bundle branch and intraventricular reentry with one or two echo beats are a common finding in this population without relation to the incidence of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias.

Adult↗

Intracoronary thrombolysis with an acylated streptokinase-plasminogen activator (BRL 26921) in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

The fibrinolytic efficacy and systemic effects on coagulation variables of intracoronary administration of an acylated streptokinase-plasminogen complex (BRL 26921) were assessed in 23 patients with an acute transmural myocardial infarction. The infarct vessel was totally occluded in 22 patients and subtotally stenosed in 1 patient. Reperfusion was achieved in a total of 17 patients (74%), in 2 patients with the use of a guide wire. Reperfusion time in those patients treated with BRL 26921 alone amounted to 42 +/- 37 minutes. Reocclusion occurred in two patients subsequently. Four patients died; in two of these, intracoronary thrombolysis was unsuccessful. Reptilase time increased from 13 +/- 3 to 49 +/- 31 seconds (p less than 0.001), fibrinogen levels decreased from 280 +/- 65 to 126 +/- 76 mg% (p less than 0.001). Factor V decreased from 96 +/- 11 to 53 +/- 26% (p less than 0.001), and factor VIII from 99 +/- 1 to 55 +/- 36% (p less than 0.001). Peripheral hyperplasminemia, defined as a reduction of fibrinogen (less than 100 mg%) with a reduction of factor V and VIII (less than 75%) simultaneously occurred in eight patients. Six (75%) of these 8 patients demonstrated reperfusion, whereas 9 (64%) of 14 patients without peripheral hyperplasminemia were also successfully reperfused. Bleeding complications occurred in two patients who demonstrated hyperplasminemia. Thus, effective intracoronary thrombolysis could be achieved with only minor effects on peripheral coagulation variables in the majority of patients.

Aged↗

[Transluminal angioplasty--unstable angina, fresh infarct].

Transluminal coronary angioplasty is successfully used in stable and unstable angina. Out of 107 patients admitted with unstable angina 28% were treated medically, 24% operatively and 48% by angioplasty. In a total of 116 patients the stenosis diameter was enlarged from 75.0 +/- 11.0% obstruction to 25.1 +/- 16.4% (improvement 49.9 +/- 16.5%) without differences between concentric and eccentric or right and left coronary stenosis. In 11 out of 22 patients with total coronary occlusion of recent origin the vessel was reopened by the balloon and enlarged to a resting stenosis of 22.3 +/- 16.4%. There were no differences in the success- and the complication rate between stable and unstable angina. After successful thrombolysis residual stenoses greater than 50% are dilated during the same session. In a randomized prospective study 51 patients were dilated immediately (group I) and 48 patients (group II) treated conservatively. In group I the reinfarction- and the cardiac death-rate was two patients compared to seven patients in group II. After four weeks there was one reocclusion (3%) compared to five (17%) and a residual stenosis of 31.9 +/- 24.4% versus 78.0 +/- 15.2%. Angioplasty can be used with good results and a low complication rate in unstable angina and following successful thrombolysis.

Aged↗