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Biomedical subjects

Thomas M Bashore

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas M Bashore.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A nitric oxide processing defect of red blood cells created by hypoxia: deficiency of S-nitrosohemoglobin in pulmonary hypertension.

The mechanism by which hypoxia [low partial pressure of O(2) (pO(2))] elicits signaling to regulate pulmonary arterial pressure is incompletely understood. We considered the possibility that, in addition to its effects on smooth muscle, hypoxia may influence pulmonary vascular tone through an effect on RBCs. We report that exposure of native RBCs to sustained hypoxia is accompanied by a buildup of heme iron-nitrosyl (FeNO) species that are deficient in pO(2-)governed intramolecular transfer of NO to cysteine thiol, yielding a deficiency in the vasodilator S-nitrosohemoglobin (SNO-Hb). S-nitrosothiol (SNO)-deficient RBCs produce impaired vasodilator responses in vitro and exaggerated pulmonary vasoconstrictor responses in vivo and are defective in oxygenating the blood. RBCs from hypoxemic patients with elevated pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) exhibit a similar FeNO/SNO imbalance and are thus deficient in pO(2)-coupled vasoregulation. Chemical restoration of SNO-Hb levels in both animals and patients restores the vasodilator activity of RBCs, and this activity is associated with improved oxygenation and lower PAPs.

Animals↗

The response to inhaled nitric oxide in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension is not masked by baseline vasodilator use.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of pulmonary vasodilator responsiveness is important in determining the prognosis and management of patients with pulmonary hypertension. Many patients, however, are already on vasodilators at the time of testing. It is unclear if these agents should be temporarily discontinued to improve the sensitivity of testing. METHODS: We examined the hemodynamic effects of nitric oxide (NO) inhalation in 60 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Thirty-one of these patients were receiving medications with vasodilating properties. Vasodilator testing was performed with invasive measurement of pressure of the right side of the heart at baseline and during inhalation of 40 ppm NO. RESULTS: No significant demographic differences were seen between patients receiving and not receiving vasodilators. Similar reductions in mean pulmonary artery pressure (19 +/- 12% vs 20 +/- 12%, P = .734) and pulmonary vascular resistance (31 +/- 18 vs 32 +/- 16, P = .967) were seen in patients receiving and not receiving vasodilators. Using the definition of positive vasodilator response (> or = 20% drop in mean pulmonary artery pressure), 55% (17/31) of patients in the baseline vasodilator group had a positive response compared with 62% (18/29) of the patients not on vasodilators (P = .570). CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent use of oral vasodilators does not appear to mask a significant response to inhaled NO on the pulmonary vasculature. Therefore, routine discontinuation of pulmonary vasodilators is likely unnecessary before vasodilator testing in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Administration, Inhalation↗

The emerging role of percutaneous intervention in adults with congenital heart disease.

Adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) constitute a patient population that has grown rapidly, due to advances in diagnosis and treatment of children with CHD. Though ideally served by cardiologists with advanced training in congenital conditions, adults with CHD often receive the majority of their care from primary care physicians and general cardiologists. These patients often have unique clinical presentations. An understanding of available therapeutic modalities can assist clinicians in the timing of subspecialty referral. This review focuses on the unique challenges of cardiac catheterization and the role of percutaneous interventions in adults with CHD.

Adult↗

Usefulness of percutaneous balloon mitral commissurotomy in preventing the development of atrial fibrillation in patients with mitral stenosis.

A prospective cohort of patients with mitral stenosis and no history of atrial arrhythmias showed no decrease in the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful versus unsuccessful Inoue balloon percutaneous balloon mitral valve commissurotomy. Advanced age and left atrial dimension best predicted which patients developed AF during follow-up, whereas percutaneous balloon mitral valve commissurotomy procedural success and left atrial pressure reduction did not have an impact on incidence of AF.

Adult↗

Five-year clinical and echocardiographic evaluation of the Das AngelWings atrial septal occluder.

BACKGROUND: The late outcome of patients treated with atrial septal occluder devices remains incompletely defined. The purpose of this study was to assess the late outcome (range 4-7 years postprocedure) of patients in whom the Das AngelWings septal occluder device was implanted in the atrial septum. We report the clinical and echocardiographic outcome, at an average of 5 years following the procedure, of patients treated with the Das AngelWings device used to close either a secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) or a patent foramen ovale (PFO). METHODS: Thirty-two patients underwent successful percutaneous closure of an atrial septal closure, patent foramen ovale, or fenestration in the lateral tunnel of their Fontan with the Das AngelWings device between June 1995 and March 1998 at Duke University Medical Center. Two of the 32 patients were lost to follow-up. The remaining 30 patients were divided into 3 groups based on indication for device implantation. Group 1 consisted of 14 patients with a secundum ASD and predominantly left-to-right atrial shunting. Group 2 consisted of 8 patients who had a PFO and who suffered a thromboembolic event. Group 3 (compassionate use) consisted of 10 patients with multiple comorbid medical problems with predominantly right-to-left shunting at the atrial level causing hypoxemia. Eight of the patients in group 3 were severely ill at the time of device implantation. The 2 remaining patients in group 3 underwent AngelWings implantation for closure of right-to-left shunting through a Fontan fenestration. Mean follow-up was 59 months. RESULTS: There was no device embolization. No patient in the ASD or PFO/stroke group had a clinical complication. By radiographic examination, 2 of 27 patients had evidence of fracture of the nitinol framework at 2-year follow-up. Residual shunting was present in 44% at 24 hours, 20% at 1 year, and 18.8% at 2 years by use of Doppler color flow imaging and/or microcavitation echocardiographic studies. Mild mitral regurgitation caused by the AngelWings device occurred in 1 patient. One patient in the compassionate use group had a subsequent neurologic event. Five of the 10 patients in the compassionate use group died of comorbid illnesses in follow-up, none directly related to device complications. CONCLUSION: The late clinical outcome of secundum ASD and PFO/stroke patients in this study demonstrates that Das AngelWings closure of the atrial septum is effective and safe. These data are encouraging with respect to the expanding use of other percutaneously implanted ASD occlusion devices, although late clinical safety and efficacy data are needed for the specific devices being implanted.

Adolescent↗

Valvular heart disease.

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Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗

Trained and supervised physician assistants can safely perform diagnostic cardiac catheterization with coronary angiography.

Using a prospectively collected database of patients undergoing cardiac catheterization, we sought to compare the outcomes of procedures performed by supervised physician assistants (PAs) with those performed by supervised cardiology fellows-in-training. Outcome measures included procedural length, fluoroscopy use, volume of contrast media, and complications including myocardial infarction, stroke, arrhythmia requiring defibrillation or pacemaker placement, pulmonary edema requiring intubation, and vascular complications. Class 3 and 4 congestive heart failure was more common in patients who underwent procedures by fellows compared with those undergoing procedures by PAs (P = 0.001). PA cases tended to be slightly faster (P = 0.05) with less fluoroscopic time (P < 0.001). The incidence of major complications within 24 hr of the procedure was similar between the two groups (0.54% in PA cases and 0.58% in fellow cases). Under the supervision of experienced attending cardiologists, trained PAs can perform diagnostic cardiac catheterization, including coronary angiography, with complication rates similar to those of cardiology fellows-in-training.

Aged↗

Quantitative regional wall motion analysis with early contrast ventriculography for the assessment of myocardium at risk in acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Several techniques have been used to quantify the myocardium at risk, including measurement of regional ventricular function with contrast ventriculography and measurement of perfusion defect size with tomographic technetium-99m-sestamibi imaging. This study evaluates the correlation between these 2 techniques. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with angiographically documented coronary occlusion and acute myocardial infarctions (10 anterior, 13 inferior) were studied. All patients had contrast left ventriculography at the time of their acute angiogram before any revascularization therapy. Regional wall motion parameters measured with the centerline method were the severity, circumferential extent, and global circumferential extent of hypokinesis and the mean standardized motion in predefined areas. Technetium-99m-sestamibi was injected before reperfusion therapy with measurement of the myocardium at risk using single photon emission computed tomography imaging. RESULTS: The tomographic sestamibi-measured myocardium at risk was significantly greater for anterior infarctions compared with inferior infarctions (40% +/- 18% vs 14.0 +/- 8.5%, P =.0001). The only parameter of regional wall motion to show a significant difference by infarct location was global circumferential extent of hypokinesis (43% +/- 25% vs 22% +/- 15%, P =.02). The other parameters were not significantly different between anterior and inferior myocardial infarctions. For anterior infarctions, these parameters of regional wall motion correlated with myocardium at risk assessed with sestamibi: global circumferential extent of hypokinesis (r =.88, P <.01), circumferential extent of hypokinesis (r =.78, P <.01), mean standardized motion in predefined areas (r = -.74, P <.05), and severity of hypokinesis (r = -.70, P <.05). For inferior infarctions, there was no significant correlation between any of these parameters of regional wall motion and myocardium at risk assessed with sestamibi imaging. CONCLUSION: The assessment of regional ventricular function with contrast ventriculography correlates with the area of myocardium at risk measured with tomographic technetium-99m-sestamibi for anterior, but not for inferior, myocardial infarctions. Therefore, these parameters of regional wall motion are a poor measure of the efficacy of reperfusion therapies.

Coronary Angiography↗

C-reactive protein elevation independently influences the procedural success of percutaneous balloon mitral valve commissurotomy.

BACKGROUND: Markers of systemic inflammation including C-reactive protein (CRP) appear to predict morbidity and mortality in various clinical conditions. The presence of systemic inflammation and its impact on the procedural success of percutaneous balloon mitral valve commissurotomy (PBMC) in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis has not been previously demonstrated. METHODS: Measurements of CRP with a high-sensitivity assay were performed at the time of PBMC or during post-procedural follow-up in 119 patients with mitral stenosis of rheumatic morphology. Patients were questioned to exclude confounders of CRP elevation and categorized into undetectable (< or =0.10 mg/L) and detectable (>0.10 mg/L) CRP levels. Detectable levels were further classified into assay range (>0.10 and < or =6.0 mg/L) and elevated (>6.0 mg/L). RESULTS: CRP was detectable in 76% of patients and elevated (>6.0 mg/L) in 36% of patients studied. Procedural success occurred in 89% of patients with undetectable CRP, as compared with only 67% in patients with detectable CRP (P =.028). This effect remained after controlling for age and valve score (previously described predictors of PBMC success). CONCLUSIONS: Systemic inflammation is common in patients with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis, and the relationship between procedural success and CRP suggests persistent inflammation may affect the results of PBMC.

Aged↗