[ electrocardiogram findings in patients with LVOT and RVOT ventricular tachycardia]

Distinguishing the origin of ventricular tachycardia [VT] by electrocardiogram [ECG] which is performed in all patients, helps to diagnose the cause of VT before trying invasive procedures. The aim of this study was to compare the ECG findings in patients with VT originating from Right or Left Ventricular Outflow Tracts [RVOT or LVOT]. Fifty nine patients with VT originating from LVOT or RVOT were selected for this cross-sectional study. The patients were recruited while they were attending Shahid Rajaei Hospital in Tehran, Iran in 2009-2010 for catheter ablation. The participants were evaluated for the prevalence of LVOT and RVOT and were compared for the success rate of radiofrequency catheter ablation. Out of 59 patients, 44.1% were male and 55.9% were female. The mean age of the participants was 41.67 [SD=13.76] years. QRS transition and notch in ECGs were significantly different [respectively, P=0.027 and P=0.007] between patients with LVOT and RVOT. R-to-QRS duration in precordial leads was significantly longer in patients with LVOT than those with RVOT [0.81 [SD=0.06] ms vs. 0.69 [SD=0.16], P=0.015]. Successful ablation was performed in 73.2% of patients with RVOT versus 93.3% of those with LVOT, but despite a higher rate the differences were not statistically significant [P=0.215]. In this study, RF catheter ablation was successful like other studies on patients with ventricular tachycardia and RVOT VT and LVOT VT had significant differences in notch, QRS transition and R-to-QRS duration in precordial leads which are important in differentiating between the two conditions

[Comparison of the baseline, waking and sleep EEGs after sleep deprivation in patients with sleep seizure]

Sleep and sleep deprivation plays a major role in EEG abnormalities and also idiopathic and symptomatic seizures. The aims of this study were to compare baseline EEG findings with waking and sleep EEGs after sleep deprivation in patients with sleep seizure. In this cross-sectional study, 33 patients with sleep seizure attending the Neurology Clinic of Sina Hospital in Tehran, Iran, during year 2009 were enrolled. After a baseline EEG, patients were asked to remain awake for 24 hours before taking a waking and a sleep EEG. Finally, the baseline EEGs were compared with findings from waking and sleep EEGs after sleep deprivation. From 33 patients with sleep seizure, sixteen [48.5%] patients were female and seventeen [51.5%] were male. Patients aged from 7 to 49 years and the mean age of the participants was 26.83 [SD=10.69] years. Twenty patients had no family histories of seizure contrary to 13 patients with a positive history for the disease. There was statistically significant differences between the baseline and waking EEGs after sleep deprivation [P=0.042] as there was between baseline and sleep EEGs [P=0.041]. Moreover, there was significant differences between waking and sleep EEGs after sleep deprivation [P=0.048]. This study demonstrated the effects of sleep deprivation on EEG findings in patients with sleep seizure. In patients with sleep seizure, waking and sleep EEGs could be better demonstrated after sleep deprivation than routine waking EEGs. According to the results of this study, waking EEGs taken after a period of sleep deprivation is superior to sleep EEGs after the deprivation

[ operation duration and short-term complications of laparoscopic transabdominal prepritoneal hernia repair: trendelenburg versus reverse-trendelenburg positions]

The aim of this study was to compare operating time and short-term complications of laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair during reperitonealization in Trendelenburg versus reverse-Trendelenburg positions. Thirty-nine patients with inguinal hernia were enrolled in this clinical trial. Study was done in Milad and Rasoul Akram hospitals in Tehran, Iran, during 2008-2010. The patients neither were pregnant nor did they have any signs of peritonitis, strangulation, perforation or infection. Moreover, they had a Body Mass Index [BMI] below 35 kg/m2 and were physically fit for general anesthesia. The participants were divided into two groups by block randomization. The first [20] and the second [19] groups of patients underwent laparoscopic herniorrhaphy in Trendelenburg and reverse-Trendelenburg positions. Respectively all the operations were performed by one surgeon. The patients were visited one day and one week after the surgery. Most frequent complications were rupture in peritoneal repair in 9 patients [23%], skin site bleeding in one patient [2.6%], and peritoneal tension in 33 patients [84.6%] patients. Duration of surgery and peritoneal repair took a significantly longer time in Trendelenburg versus the reverse-Trendelenburg position. There were no differences in duration for returning to work or resumption of daily activities between the two groups. Pain in the first day following surgery was statistically more severe in the Trendelenburg group. This study demonstrated that reverse-Trendelenburg position took less time for herniorrhaphy and peritoneal repair than Trendelenburg position, although the complications were the same