The American journal of cardiology
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Intravenous diltiazem for the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation or flutter and moderate to severe congestive heart failure.
The objective of this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to determine the safety and efficacy of intravenous diltiazem in the treatment of 37 patients with rapid (ventricular rate, mean +/- SD 142 +/- 17 beats/min) atrial fibrillation or flutter and moderate to severe congestive heart failure (ejection fraction, mean +/- SD 36 +/- 14%; New York Heart Association class III [23 patients], class IV [14 patients]). During the double-blind portion of the study, patients received either intravenous diltiazem, 0.25 mg/kg over 2 minutes, or placebo followed 15 minutes later by diltiazem or placebo, 0.35 mg/kg over 2 minutes, if the first dose was tolerated but ineffective. Placebo nonresponders were given open-label intravenous diltiazem in a similar fashion as in the double-blind portion of the study. ⋯ All 15 patients (13 with 0.25 mg/kg and 2 with an additional 0.35 mg/kg) who received placebo during the double-blind period had a therapeutic response to diltiazem during open-label therapy. Overall, 36 of 37 patients (97%) had a therapeutic response to intravenous diltiazem. Heart rate response to diltiazem after the 2-minute bolus infusions consisted of a > or = 20% decrease in heart rate from baseline in 36 patients; in addition, 17 patients also had heart rates decreased to < 100 beats/min, whereas no patient had conversion to sinus rhythm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
-
Retrograde coil embolization of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) has been reported for ducts < 3.3 mm in diameter using 5 to 5.5Fr catheters. Our objective was to assess the immediate and short-term results of anterograde transcatheter closure of the PDA using single or multiple Gianturco coils. Thirty-three patients (11 males and 22 females) underwent an attempt at transcatheter closure of the PDA anterogradely at a median age of 2.8 years (range 0.1 to 19) and median weight of 14 kg (range 2.3 to 64). ⋯ The 2 unsuccessful attempts were in 2 patients with a large ductus measuring > or = 4.3 mm and of angiographic type B. For all 13 patients in whom a single coil and in 17 patients in whom multiple coils were placed, there was immediate complete closure that persisted at a median follow-up period of 3.8 months. The median fluoroscopy time was 24 minutes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)