Prevention of no flow/slow reflow phenomenon in primary PCI by Nicorandil.

AIM: To investigate the efficacy of Nicorandil in preventing no-flow/slow reflow phenomenon in patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing primary PCI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From September 2004 to October 2005, 29 patients underwent a primary percutaneous coronary intervention and stenting with nicor-andil as a protocol drug at a dose of 1 mg/hour - this drug was titrated upwards to maximum tolerated dose, with a 2 mg intracoronary bolus given after balloon inflation during PCI. LAD was the infarct related artery in 62% of cases. 72.4% of them had a TIMI thrombus grade of 5. The corrected TIMI frame count following primary percutaneous intervention in the Nicorandil arm was 19.54 + 8.7. None of the patients had a no flow or slow reflow phenomenon with this protocol. One patient developed a subacute stent thrombosis necessitating a revascularization. At a mean follow up of 251 +/- 96.7% days, MACE was not reported in the other patients. Thirty four patients underwent a primary percutaneous coronary intervention and stenting without nicorandil as an adjuvant drug. Some of these patients were retrospectively assessed. They have been followed up for 285.4 +/- 264.6 days. LAD was the infarct related artery in 61.8% of cases while 79.5% of them had a TIMI thrombus grade of 5. The corrected TIMI frame count in this group was 23.9 +/- 17.5 (p <0.56). MACE was reported in 5 of these patients. The mean TIMI frame count for these 5 patients was 40.5 +/- 29.2. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors were given to all patients in both groups. The choice of the agent used was left to the discretion of the operator. CONCLUSION: Nicorandil prevents no-flow/slow reflow phenomenon in patients undergoing primary PCI for acute myocardial infarction. This is shown by a lower corrected TIMI frame count in the nicorandil arm (p < 0.56). Reduction in the incidence of no-flow/slow reflow phenomenon translates into a lower MACE. The drug is safe and does not require intensive monitoring. It must be started early and electively in patients undergoing a primary PCI as a strategy to prevent no-flow rather than to treat this phenomenon.

Curso de Atualização em Cardiologia: aula 2: Angina estável crônica / Actualization in Cargiology: class 2: stable chronic angina

A doença cardiovascular ainda é altamente prevalente no mundo inteiro, e a angina estável é uma de suas apresentações mais comuns. Três controvérsias principais são o manejo dos fatores de risco, o tratamento clínico e a intervenção. Com relação ao tratamento clínico, alé, de aspirina, inibidores da enzina conversora da angiotensina e betabloqueadores. A intervenção coronária percutânea alivia os sintomas sem prolongar a sobrevida além do tratamento clínico. Porém, dados de mortalidade favorecem a cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica em indivíduos com doença bivascular ou trivascular. Novas opções de tratamento sob investigação incluem drogas antianginosas, assim como a terapia celular. Assim, a angina de esforço precisa de uma ampla avaliação, mudanças no estilo de vida e tratamento individualizado para cada paciente.

Congenital Long QT Syndrome presenting as epilepsy.

Epilepsy can sometimes be mimicked in children by other organic conditions. We present a 11 year old boy with the congenital long QT syndrome who had recurrent "seizures" for five years which had been treated as epilepsy.