Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Aug 1985
Comparative StudyTomographic gated blood pool radionuclide ventriculography: analysis of wall motion and left ventricular volumes in patients with coronary artery disease.
The use of planar radionuclide ventriculography to evaluate global and segmental ventricular function is limited by the superimposition of structures in some projections and the gross segmental resolution of the planar technique. Preliminary reports have suggested the feasibility of tomographic gated radionuclide ventriculography with rotating detector systems. This study tested the hypotheses that 1) tomographic radionuclide ventriculography detects segmental dysfunction at rest not identified with multiview planar studies and single plane contrast ventriculography, and 2) ventricular volumes and ejection fraction calculated from these studies provide data similar to those obtained with angiography and planar radionuclide ventriculography. ⋯ Compared with both planar radionuclide and contrast ventriculography, tomographic radionuclide ventriculography also detected more noninfarcted left ventricular segments supplied by stenosed coronary arteries (81 versus 39 and 32%, respectively, p less than 0.01). Tomographic radionuclide ventriculographic measurements of left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction showed close correlations with angiographic and planar radionuclide determinations. Gated blood pool tomography is a sensitive method for the evaluation of segmental wall motion and an accurate method for the measurement of global left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Aug 1985
A possible increase in the incidence of congenital heart defects among the offspring of affected parents.
The incidence of congenital heart disease in the children of 219 probands was determined. Each of these probands had one of four selected defects: atrial septal defect, coarctation of the aorta, aortic valve stenosis or complex dextrocardia. ⋯ The difference is highly significant statistically and therefore is likely to be genuine. The cause of the high recurrence is probably environmental.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jul 1985
Comparative StudyDynamic subaortic obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: analysis by pulsed Doppler echocardiography.
To determine whether true obstruction to left ventricular ejection exists in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a subaortic gradient, pulsed Doppler echocardiography was used to analyze the patterns of left ventricular emptying in 50 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (20 with and 30 without evidence of obstruction) and in 20 normal subjects. In obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, left ventricular ejection was characterized by early and rapid emptying (76 +/- 14% of aortic flow velocity in the initial one-third of systole). The proportion of forward flow velocity occurring before initial mitral-septal contact (and hence, by inference before the onset of the subaortic gradient) was variable, but averaged 58%. ⋯ Since marked systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve was still present, the late systolic portion of forward flow velocity also appeared to be largely ejected during imposition of a mechanical impediment to outflow. In contrast, patients with nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy showed no evidence of impedance to left ventricular ejection. Aortic flow velocity waveforms were similar to those of normal subjects, with flow persisting to aortic valve closure; significant mitral systolic anterior motion and partial mid-systolic aortic valve closure were absent, and the systolic ejection period was normal (303 +/- 27 ms).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jul 1985
Importance of the duration of inadequate coronary perfusion pressure on resuscitation from cardiac arrest.
The effect of the duration of inadequate coronary perfusion pressure on resuscitation from cardiac arrest was examined in 32 mongrel dogs with a mean weight of 22 +/- 5 kg. In all dogs, the heart was electrically fibrillated and closed chest compression with assisted ventilation was performed for 15 minutes. At this time, all dogs had an inadequate coronary perfusion pressure (mean 7 +/- 9 mm Hg) and were randomized to a control group (group 1) with continued closed chest compression or to one of the three groups with open chest cardiac massage. ⋯ In group 2, six of eight dogs were resuscitated (p less than 0.05 compared with the control group); in group 3, three of eight dogs were resuscitated and in group 4 none of the eight dogs was resuscitated. The resuscitation rate was significantly (p less than 0.05) greater in group 2 than in group 4. These findings indicate that techniques that improve coronary perfusion pressure during cardiopulmonary resuscitation must be applied before extensive myocardial cellular dysfunction occurs if the probability of successful resuscitation is to be improved.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jun 1985
Esmolol: a new ultrashort-acting beta-adrenergic blocking agent for rapid control of heart rate in postoperative supraventricular tachyarrhythmias.
Prompt control of heart rate is important for successful treatment of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias early after open heart surgery when sympathetic tone is high and ventricular response rates may be rapid. Esmolol, a new ultrashort-acting (9 minute half-life) beta-receptor blocking agent, was given by continuous intravenous infusion for up to 24 hours in 24 patients (21 with isolated coronary bypass surgery and 3 with valve replacement) 1 to 7 days after surgery. Atrial fibrillation was present in 9 patients, atrial flutter in 2 and sinus tachycardia in 13. ⋯ Within 5 to 18 minutes after initiation of therapy, all patients had achieved a 15% reduction in heart rate at a maintenance dose of 150 micrograms/kg per min or less. A 20% reduction in heart rate was attained in 19 of the 24 patients, and conversion to sinus rhythm occurred during esmolol infusion in 5 of the 11 patients with atrial flutter or fibrillation. Transient asymptomatic hypotension (less than 90/50 mm Hg) was seen in 13 patients, requiring cessation of esmolol therapy in 2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)