Noninvasive cardiac monitoring in pregnancy: impedance cardiography versus echocardiography.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to report thoracic impedance cardiography (ICG) measurements and compare them with echocardiography (echo) measurements throughout pregnancy and in varied maternal positions. METHOD: A prospective cohort study involving 28 healthy parturients was performed using ICG and echo at three time points and in two maternal positions. Pearson's correlations, Bland-Altman plots and paired t-tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULT: Significant agreements between many but not all ICG and echo contractility, flow and resistance measurements were demonstrated. Differences in stroke volume (SV) due to maternal position were also detected by ICG in the antepartum (AP) period. Significant trends were observed by ICG for cardiac output and thoracic fluid content (TFC; P<0.025) with advancing pregnancy stages. CONCLUSION: ICG and echo demonstrate significant correlations in some but not all measurements of cardiac function. ICG has the ability to detect small changes in SV associated with maternal position change. ICG measurements reflected maximal cardiac contractility in the a AP period yet reflected a decrease in contractility and an increase in TFC in the postpartum period.

Endometrial adenocarcinoma following endometrial ablation for postmenopausal bleeding.

A case of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the endometrium following endometrial ablation is described. A discussion of the development and evolution of endometrial ablation procedures is presented. Recommendations for patient selection and postablation surveillance are suggested. The authors believe this case report to be the third described in the literature. (Background. A case of endometrial adenocarcinoma developing after transcervical endometrial ablation with a resectoscope was recently reported (A. B. Copperman, A. H. DeCherney, and D. L. Olive, Obstet. Gynecol. 82, 640-642 (1993)). It is recognized that functional residual islands of endometrial tissue remain in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients following ablation. There is only limited experience using endometrial ablation in postmenopausal patients and in others at high risk for endometrial cancer. Case. A patient presented who developed metastatic adenocarcinoma of the endometrium after endometrial ablation for postmenopausal bleeding. Conclusion. With endometrial ablation procedures, the potential exists for missed areas or buried nests of functional endometrial tissue that may later undergo malignant transformation or have already become metaplastic and invaded the myometrium. Therefore, close postoperative surveillance, including thorough evaluation of postoperative bleeding, is indicated. Further studies with long-term follow-up are needed in order to define the safety and efficacy of endometrial ablation in the high-risk patient.

PTCA following myocardial infarction: use of bailout fibrinolysis to improve results.

The results of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in 307 lesions in 235 patients within 60 days of myocardial infarction (MI) were compared with the PTCA results in 591 lesions in 489 patients without recent MI, and the effect of fibrinolysis to treat recurring occlusive clot during angioplasty was studied. In 210 lesions in patients with MI who did not receive fibrinolysis during the MI (group A), 58 lesions were categorized as primary failures; bailout fibrinolysis brought the final failure incidence to 42 lesions (20%). In 97 lesions in patients with MI who received fibrinolysis during the acute MI (group B), 22 lesions were categorized as primary failures; bailout fibrinolysis resulted in final failures of 16 lesions (16.5%). In 591 lesions in patients without a recent MI (group C), there were 85 primary failures and 81 final failures after bailout fibrinolysis. Analysis of the PTCA results in each group with respect to whether the lesions were totally or partially occluded showed that more of the lesions attempted in the groups with MI (groups A and B) were totally occluded (TO) and that with use of bailout fibrinolysis the success rate of PTCA in TO lesions was the same in all groups. Similarly, with use of fibinolytic bailout during PTCA the success rate in partially occlusive lesions was not different between the groups. We conclude that bailout thrombolysis during PTCA is usually effective, especially in those who have recently had an MI, and that with availability of bailout fibrinolysis, PTCA in those with recent MI is not any less sucessful than in those without recent MI.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)