Limited value of 99mTc depreotide single photon emission CT compared with CT for the evaluation of pulmonary lesions.

OBJECTIVES: A contrast-enhanced multidetector CT (MDCT) scan is the first choice examination when evaluating patients with suspected lung cancer. However, while the clinical focus is on CT, research focus is on molecular biological methods whereby radiolabelled pharmaceuticals are injected into participants and target malignant lung tumours. We examined whether a contrast-enhanced MDCT scan supplied with an additional non-contrast enhanced high-resolution CT scan, or a newer but more expensive (99m)Tc depreotide single photon emission CT (SPECT) scan, was the better first-choice examination for the work-up of pulmonary lesions. Furthermore, we examined whether a (99m)Tc depreotide SPECT scan was an appropriate second-choice examination for patients with indeterminate lesions. METHODS: 140 participants were included in the analysis. CT images were given a malignancy potential rating of 1, 2 or 3 with higher rating being indicative of disease. (99m)Tc depreotide SPECT images were graded either positive or negative. Histopathology and CT follow-up were used as reference standard. Sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy were calculated. RESULTS: Overall sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of CT were 97%, 30% and 84%, respectively. Overall sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of (99m)Tc depreotide SPECT were 94%, 58% and 76%, respectively. For indeterminate lesions sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of (99m)Tc depreotide SPECT were 71%, 68% and 69%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Both CT and (99m)Tc depreotide SPECT made valuable contributions to the evaluation of pulmonary lesions. (99m)Tc depreotide SPECT results were not superior to CT results and did not contribute further to the diagnostic work-up. Regarding indeterminate lesions,( 99m)Tc depreotide SPECT sensitivity was too low.

Enforcing centralization for gastric cancer in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: Population-based data on the early postoperative outcome after surgery for gastric cancer are very sparse. We examined the development in the quality of surgery and early postoperative outcomes in Denmark following centralization of gastric cancer surgery and implementation of national clinical guidelines. METHODS: All patients in Denmark who underwent resection with curative intent for gastric cancer between 1st July 2003 and 31st December 2008 in one of five university hospitals were registered in a national database. Data on surgical quality and mortality were obtained from the database and compared with the results from the period before centralization (1999-2003). RESULTS: A total of 416 patients underwent resection in the study period. The risk of anastomotic leakages for the whole period was 5.0% (95%CI; 3.2-7.7) compared to 6.1% (95%CI; 4.3-8.6) before centralization, whereas the 30-days hospital mortality was 2.4% (95%CI; 1.2-4.4) compared to 8.2% (95%CI; 6.0-10.4) before centralization. In addition, the percentage of patients with at least 15 lymph nodes removed increased during the study period from 19 in 2003 to 76 in 2008. CONCLUSIONS: Centralization of gastric cancer surgery in Denmark and implementation of national clinical guidelines monitored by a national database was associated with improvements in surgical quality and substantially lower in-hospital mortality.

Health-related quality of life in children and adolescents undergoing surgery for pectus excavatum.

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents undergoing cosmetic surgery for pectus excavatum (PE) compared to a group of healthy children. METHODS: The Intervention Group consisted of 172 children and adolescents undergoing surgery for PE between 2003 and 2005, aged 8-20 years; 86% were males. A postoperative follow-up study was conducted one to three years after surgery. None of the children had had the metal bar removed when they answered the questionnaires. The Control Group consisted of healthy schoolchildren (n=387), 201 females and 186 males (9-20 years).The generic health-related quality of life questionnaires, the Child Health Questionnaire CHQ-CF87 (child version), and CHQ-PF50 (parent version) were used in both groups. A Nuss assessment questionnaire modified for Adults (NQ-mA) and a single-step questionnaire (SSQ) on quality of life and health status were only used in the Intervention Group; these questionnaires also included questions about the remembered preoperative status. The response rates in the Intervention and Control Groups were 69% and 70%, respectively. RESULTS: The HRQol was significantly better in the Intervention Group compared to the Control Group in 9 out of 14 subscales (CHQ-CF 87): General Health (p<0.05), Physical Functioning, Self-Esteem, Emotional Role, Role Functioning-Physical (p<0.01) and Mental Health, Family Activities, Bodily Pain, Role Functioning-Behavioral (p<0.001). The scores of the children and the parents correlated well in all subscales (rho range from 0.19-0.55, p<0.05-0.001) except for the Role Functioning-Physical scale (rho=0.17). Significant differences between the parent and child scores were found in six scales. The children reported significantly lower scores in Global Behavior, Global Health, Behavior (p<0.05), Bodily Pain (p<0.01), and Mental Health (p<0.001). The parents reported significantly lower scores in the Self Esteem scale (p<0.01). Self-esteem and body concept scored significantly higher postoperatively (p<0.001) in NQ-mA and SSQ. CONCLUSION: HRQol was significantly better in the Intervention Group compared to healthy controls at the same age. In five subscales Self-Esteem, Behavior, Emotional Role, Mental Health and Family Activities, the PE group had a better HRQoL.

Outcome after transthoracic resection of carcinoma of the oesophagus and oesophago-gastric junction.

AIMS: To assess the postoperative morbidity and mortality, length of stay and long-term survival after resection of carcinoma of the oesophagus and gastro-oesophageal junction, after establishment of a new surgical team unit between thoracic and gastroenterologic surgeons. METHODS: We analysed the prospective collected data of 166 consecutive patients who underwent a transthoracic oesophageal resection between June 1997 and December 2003. RESULTS: There were 119 men and 47 women. The median age was 63 years (range 36-81). Fifty-five patients (33%) had squamous cell carcinoma and 111 (67%) had adenocarcinoma. Postoperative complications occurred in a total of 60 patients (36%). Ten patients (6%) died postoperatively, eight (4.8%) due to medical and two (1.2 %) due to surgical complications. The median postoperative length of stay was 11 days (range 6-75). The overall 3- and 5- years survival was 35.6% and 30.6% respectively. Survival was adversely affected by patient age and tumor stage. CONCLUSIONS: Concentrating resection for carcinoma of the oesophagus and oesophagogastric junction to a dedicated team of specialists, including both gastrointestinal and thoracic surgeons as well as thoracic-anaesthesiological know-how, results in acceptable complication rates as well as low mortality rates especially due to surgical complications.

Self-management of oral anticoagulant therapy for mechanical heart valve patients.

OBJECTIVE: Self-management of oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) has shown good results on a short-term basis. We hypothesize that self-management of OAT provides a better quality of treatment than conventional management also on a long-term basis. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of self-management of OAT in patients with mechanical heart valve prostheses on a 4-year perspective in a prospective, non-randomized study. DESIGN: Twenty-four patients with mechanical heart valves and on self-managed OAT were followed for up to 4 years. A matched, retrospectively selected group of conventionally managed heart valve patients (control group) was used as reference. RESULTS: The median observation time was 1175 days (range: 174-1428 days). The self-managed patients were within therapeutic INR target range for a mean of 78.0% (range: 36.1%-93.9%) of the time compared with 61.0% (range 37.4%-2.9%) for the control group. CONCLUSION: Self-management of OAT is a feasible and safe concept for selected patients with mechanical heart valve prostheses also on a long-term basis. It provides at least as good and most likely better quality of anticoagulant therapy than conventional management assessed by time within the therapeutic International Normalized Ratio (INR) target range.

[St Jude's bi-leaflet aortic valve prosthesis throughout two decades. Quality profile and risk factors]. / St. Judes dobbeltskive-aortaklapprotese igennem to årtier. Kvalitetsprofil og risikofaktorer.

INTRODUCTION: The St Jude standard aortic bi-leaflet disc valve is still the most widespread. With almost 20 years of follow-up, the present material may describe the quality profile of the valve and the relevant risk factors throughout the remainder of most patients' lives. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 100% complete follow-up was conducted of 694 adult patients who had an aortic valve replacement with the St Jude valve during 1980-1993. The Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors. RESULTS: Survival was 79%, 58%, 39%, and 37% at 5, 10, 15, and 18 years, respectively. Only 12% of the deaths (0.60%/patient-year) were valve-related with a 15-year freedom of 91%. Embolism (1.18%/patient-year) and anticoagulant-related bleeding (2.24%/patient-year) were the dominant complications with 15-year freedoms of 80% and 72%. Valve thrombosis was noted in two patients (0.04%/patient-year) who were off anticoagulation. Mechanical failure was not observed. Endocarditis (0.42%/patient-year) had a 15-year freedom of 92% compared with 72% and 54%, respectively, for major valve (2.33%/patient-year) and all valve-related complications together (4.33%/patient-year) and 96% for aortic valve reoperation (0.36%/patient-year). Age of the patient and heart-related variables were identified as independent risk factors for mortality and valve-related complications. CONCLUSION: With a follow-up of almost two decades showing a low incidence of valve-related deaths, acceptable thrombogenicity, and absence of mechanical failure, the St Jude bi-leaflet aortic disc valve sets the standard for contemporary mechanical valves.

Standard aortic St. Jude valve at 18 years: performance profile and determinants of outcome.

BACKGROUND: The standard St. Jude disc valve has been in use for 20 years and remains the dominant mechanical valve of today. With nearly 19 years of follow-up, the present large series could indicate the performance profile and its determinants in the very long term. METHODS: A detailed follow-up was performed to a maximum of 18.6 years in 694 patients aged 15 to 83 years who undervent aortic valve replacement (AVR) with the standard St. Jude valve during 1980 to 1993. The Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent determinants of outcome in the aortic stenosis (n = 490) and regurgitation (n = 204) groups. RESULTS: Overall survival was 58%, 39%, and 37% at 10, 15, and 18 years, respectively. Only 12% of deaths (0.60%/ patient-year) were related to the valve with a 15-year freedom of 91%. Embolism (1.18%/patient-year) and anticoagulant-related bleeding (2.24%/patient-year) were the dominant complications with 10-year/15-year freedoms of 90%/80% and 85%/72%, respectively. Only 24% of bleeding events were classified as major. Valve thrombosis occurred in 2 patients (0.04%/patient-year): 1 did not receive vitamin K antagonist treatment and International Normalized Ratio was below target level in the other. There were no mechanical failures. Endocarditis (0.42%/patient-year) and paravalvular leak (0.42%/ patient-year) occurred with 15-year freedoms of 92% and 96%, respectively, with a relation between the latter (but not the former) and preoperative endocarditis in the regurgitation group. Freedom from serious complications (2.33%/patient-year) and all complications joined (4.33%/ patient-year) were 72% and 54%, respectively, at 15 years with a 96% freedom from redo AVR (0.36%/patient-year). Age- and heart-related variables were independent risk factors for mortality, thromboembolism, bleeding, serious complications, and all complications joined. Small valve (19 and 21 mm) adversely affected serious and all complications in the regurgitation group. CONCLUSIONS: With a follow-up approaching 2 decades and exhibiting a low rate of valve-related deaths, acceptable low thrombogenicity, and absence of mechanical failure, the standard aortic St. Jude disc valve sets the standard for contemporary mechanical valves.

Nitric oxide, prostanoid and non-NO, non-prostanoid involvement in acetylcholine relaxation of isolated human small arteries.

The main purpose of the study was to clarify to which extent nitric oxide (NO) contributes to acetylcholine (ACh) induced relaxation of human subcutaneous small arteries. Arterial segments were mounted in myographs for recording of isometric tension, NO concentration and smooth muscle membrane potential. In noradrenaline-contracted arteries, ACh induced endothelium-dependent relaxations. The NO synthase inhibitor, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG) had a small significant effect on the concentration-response curves for ACh, and in the presence of L-NOARG, indomethacin only caused a small additional rightward shift in the ACh relaxation. The NO scavenger, oxyhaemoglobin attenuated relaxations for ACh and for the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP). Inhibition of guanylyl cyclase with 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxaline-1-one (ODQ), and inhibition of protein kinase G with beta-phenyl-1, N2-etheno-8-bromoguanosine- 3', 5'- cyclic monophosphorothioate, Rp-isomer, slightly attenuated ACh relaxation, but abolished SNAP induced relaxation. ACh induced relaxation without increases in the free NO concentration. In contrast, for equivalent relaxation, SNAP increased the NO concentration 32+/-8 nM. ACh hyperpolarized the arterial smooth muscle cells with 11.4+/-1.3 mV and 10.5+/-1.3 mV in the absence and presence of L-NOARG, respectively. SNAP only elicited a hyperpolarization of 1.6+/-0.9 mV. In the presence of indomethacin and L-NOARG, ACh relaxation was almost unaffected by lipoxygenase inhibition with nordihydroguaiaretic acid, or cytochrome P450 inhibition with 17-octadecynoic acid or econazole. ACh relaxation was strongly reduced by the combination of charybdotoxin and apamin, but small increments in the extracellular potassium concentration induced no relaxations. The study demonstrates that the NO/L-arginine pathway is present in human subcutaneous small arteries and to a limited extent is involved in ACh induced relaxation. The study also suggests a small contribution of arachidonic acid metabolites. However, ACh relaxation is mainly dependent on a non-NO, non-prostanoid endothelium dependent hyperpolarization. British Journal of Pharmacology (2000) 129, 184 - 192

Performance profile of the Starr-Edwards aortic cloth covered valve, track valve, and silastic ball valve.

OBJECTIVE: The Starr-Edwards aortic ball valve has passed 30 years of clinical follow-up. A detailed account of the long-term performance from a large series could thus give valuable guidance in managing patients who are still alive, depict the total remaining life-span after aortic valve replacement (AVR) for the average patient, and set a record yet to be matched by modern disc valves. METHODS: A detailed follow-up to a maximum of 31.1 years was performed for 717 patients who underwent their first AVR during 1965-1993 with a Starr-Edwards silastic ball valve (N = 355), a cloth covered valve (N = 164) or a track valve (N = 198) with a total of 7254 patient-years at risk. RESULTS: Patients who received a silastic ball valve were older (average 60 vs. 58 years), had more endocarditis (9%) and more secondary kidney failure (24%) preoperatively than the other patients. The three valve types did not differ as regards long-term survival or freedom from complications and only 15% of late deaths were related to the valve. For the silastic ball valve cumulative freedoms at 10 and 25 years were 59 and 20% from all deaths (crude survival), 85 and 80% from thromboembolism, 87 and 70% from bleeding, 98 and 94% from endocarditis, 96 and 95% from redo AVR and 68 and 51% from all valve related complications joined. There were no instances of structural failure apart from wear of the cloth covering the cage struts of the cloth covered valves. Incidences of haemolysis (0.10%/patient-year) and valve thrombosis (0.06%/patient-year) were low for the silastic ball valve. Analysis of relative survival for the silastic ball valve indicated excess mortality relative to a matched background population only during 1st and 13th postoperative year. Apart from heart related factors and age, independent incremental risk factors for mortality and the various complications included, not valve type, but valve size index (valve size divided by body surface area) < or = 13 mm/m2. CONCLUSIONS: The Starr-Edwards aortic ball valves, not least the currently available silastic ball valve, are durable through the remaining life time of the patients and able to secure near normal age and sex specific survival provided valve and patient size mismatch is avoided.

[Self management of peroral anticoagulant therapy in patients with artificial heart valves]. / Selvstyring af peroral antikoagulationsbehandling hos patienter med kunstige hjerteklapper.

Twenty-one heart valve operated patients (age 19-70 years) were trained in self-managed oral anticoagulant therapy using a home coagulometer (CoaguChek). Twenty patients accomplished between eight and 29 (median 24) months of self management and were fully capable of self management after 30 weeks of training. No patients experienced major bleeds or thrombo-embolic events. A control group of 20 patients from our department was matched, retrospectively, to the study group. The self-managing patients were within the therapeutic INR range 78% of the study period compared to 54% for the control patients. All self-managing patients had their median INR-value within the therapeutic range, versus only 14 in the control group. Self-management of oral anticoagulant therapy seems feasible for selected patients.

Myocardial structure as a determinant of pre- and postoperative ventricular function and long-term prognosis after valve replacement for aortic stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Long-term results after aortic value replacement for aortic stenosis can be correlated to a cardiac-related pre-operative risk profile. This predictability indicates that there is a common basis in subtle or overt structural abnormalities of left ventricular myocardium. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-nine patients aged 24-82 (mean 61) years, with aortic stenosis had a full wall thickness transmural biopsy of the left ventricular antero-lateral free wall during aortic valve replacement. Echocardiography and radionuclide ventriculography were performed prior to, and 18 months (n = 41) after, the operation. Postoperative follow-up to a maximum of 7.7 years was 100% complete. Pre-operatively, all patients had an increase in both the left ventricular mass index (202 +/- 67 g.m-2) and the muscle cell diameter (41 +/- 8 microns); other morphological data included a muscle cell nucleus volume of 752 +/- 192 microns3, a muscle cell mass index of 163 +/- 54.m-2, and a fibrous tissue mass index of 39 +/- 16 g.m-2. Patients with a pre-operative episode of clinical left ventricular failure (n = 19) had significantly greater morphological variables than those without. Pre-operative ejection fraction and other measures of systolic function correlated inversely with the morphological data, except for the fibrous tissue mass index; diastolic function indices correlated inversely with all the morphological variables. At the 18-month re-study, the same general picture was noted, but with an underlying strengthening, especially of the muscle cell mass index. Overall, the mass index dropped to 152 +/- 51 g.m-2 (P < 0.0001), but in 17% of the patients it became normal; the mass index at 18 months was directly correlated to morphological variables. A high muscle cell nucleus volume was identified as an independent predictor of early and late mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormalities of the hypertrophied left ventricular muscle cell and the degree of muscle hypertrophy are, to some degree, underlying determinants of pre-operative symptomatology, pre- and postoperative ventricular function, and early and late mortality after valve replacement for aortic stenosis. Incomplete hypertrophy impaired results, was related to pre-operative myocardial structural abnormalities.

[Mortality and worsening of prognosis for patients with aortic stenosis while on the waiting list]. / Mortalitet og prognoseforringelse for patienter med aortastenose på kirurgisk venteliste.

In a prospective study, 99 consecutive patients with an operative indication due to severe aortic stenosis (AS) were put on a surgical waiting list. The waiting time to aortic valve replacement (AVR) averaged 6.3 months (0.5-19 months). There were 58 men and 41 women with a mean age of 61 years (21-82 years). The patients were divided into three groups: group 1 (N = 81) with an uneventful stay on the waiting list; group 2 (N = 11) with significant worsening of a prognostic index; and group 3 (N = 7) with patients who died during the waiting time. The waiting list death rate was 13.5%/patient-year compared with a post-AVR death rate of 4.9% patient-year (p < 0.05) with a mean post-AVR follow-up of 5.7 years. According to a prognostic index (Cox regression model) at inclusion, group 2 patients had a predicted 7-year post-AVR survival probability of 72%, but only of 61% according to their prognostic index immediately preoperatively; their observed 7-year post-AVR survival was 60%. Logistic regression analysis identified high age, short duration of symptoms, signs of severe hypertrophy and strain in the ECG, female gender, and deranged left ventricular diastolic function (related to severely increased left ventricular muscle mass) as independent predictors of prognostic worsening and death while on the waiting list. The predictive models did not allow sufficiently accurate identification of the patients at risk during the waiting period. The consequences of a surgical waiting period averaging 6 months are serious for AS patients. The death rate is high and a subgroup worsens its prognostic profile with a significantly reduced post-AVR long-term survival as the result.

[Inflammatory pseudotumor--differential diagnosis in lung tumor in a child]. / Inflammatorisk pseudotumor--en differentialdiagnose ved lungetumor hos b|rn.

A case of a twelve-year-old girl with a big solid tumour in the right lung is presented. As malignancy could not be excluded, she was operated. A lobectomy was performed. Frozen section showed no malignancy. Histology showed inflammatory pseudotumour, which is a rare but important benign lung tumour in childhood. The recommended treatment is conservative resection.

Self management of oral anticoagulant therapy after heart valve replacement.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with mechanical heart valves require lifelong oral anticoagulant treatment which entails frequent blood sampling and dosage adjustment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of letting heart valve operated patients manage blood specimen analysis and dosage adjustment themselves. METHODS: A total of 21 patients were enrolled in the study and followed for at least 9 months postoperatively. Immediately after the heart valve operation they were trained in operating a CoaguChek international normal ratio (INR) monitor to analyze capillary whole blood samples. Subsequently training in dosage adjustment was accomplished and all patients were considered fully capable of self management after 30 weeks. In the training period, parallel laboratory INR measurements were made at 3-4 week intervals for reference. A control group of 20 patients was matched, respectively, to the study group. The INR target range was 2.0-3.0. RESULTS: Out of the 21 study patients 19 continued self management beyond 9 months. The median INR value obtained with the monitor was within therapeutic target range for all study patients and only 15 out of 20 control patients were within this range. The mean systematic deviation between laboratory and CoaguChek INR was 7.8% but each patient had a constant characteristic deviation from -11 to +21%. The study patients were within therapeutic target range 77% of the time compared with 53% for the control patients. CONCLUSIONS: Self management of oral anticoagulation is feasible for selected patients and constitutes a significant service improvement compared with conventional management. The CoaguChek monitor seems sufficiently accurate and reliable for self testing and the treatment quality is comparable or even better than conventional management. Assessment of the rate of bleeding and thrombo-embolic events shall be settled in studies comprising larger number of patients.

Impact of size mismatch and left ventricular function on performance of the St. Jude disc valve after aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: The hemodynamic function of the St. Jude valve may change relative to changes in left ventricular function after aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis. From theoretical reasons one may hypothesize that prosthetic valve hemodynamic function is related to left ventricular failure and mismatch between valve size and patient/ventricular chamber size. METHODS: Forty patients aged 24 to 82 years who survived aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis with a standard St. Jude disc valve (mean size, 23.5 mm; range, 19 to 29 mm) were followed up prospectively with Doppler echocardiography and radionuclide left ventriculography preoperatively and 9 days, 3 months, and 18 months after the operation with assessment of intravascular hemolysis at 18 months. Follow-up to a maximum of 7.4 years (mean, 6.3 years) was 100% complete. RESULTS: Left ventricular muscle mass index decreased from 198 +/- 62 g.m-2 preoperatively to 153 +/- 53 g.m-2 at 18 months (p < 0.001), paralleled by a significant increase in left ventricular ejection fraction, peak ejection rate, and peak filling rate; only 18% of the patients had normal left ventricular muscle mass index and only 32% normal ventricular function (normal left ventricular ejection fraction, peak ejection rate, peak filling rate, early filling fraction, and late filling fraction during atrial contraction) at 18 months. Prosthetic valve peak Doppler gradient dropped from 20 +/- 6 mm Hg at 9 days to 17 +/- 5 mm Hg at 18 months (p < 0.05). Reduction of left ventricular muscle mass index was unrelated to peak gradient and size of the valve. Peak gradient at 18 months rose with valve orifice diameter of 17 mm or less (by 6 mm Hg), orifice diameter/body surface area of 9 mm.m-2 or less (by 5 mm Hg), left ventricular enddiastolic dimension (by 23 mm Hg per 10 mm increase), and impaired ventricular function (by 3 mm Hg). All but 2 patients (5%) had intravascular hemolysis; none had anemia. Two patients with moderate paravalvular leak had the highest serum lactic dehydrogenase levels; 4 patients with trivial leak had higher serum lactic dehydrogenase levels than those without leak. Serum lactic dehydrogenase levels rose with moderate paravalvular leak, impaired ventricular function, and valve orifice diameter. Six patients with trivial or moderate paravalvular leak had a cumulative 7-year freedom from bleeding and thromboembolism of 44% +/- 22% compared with 87% +/- 5% for those without leak (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The peak gradient of the St. Jude aortic valve dropped marginally over the first 18 postoperative months in association with incomplete left ventricular hypertrophy regression and marginal improvement of ventricular function. Mismatch between valve size and ventricular cavity size or patient size and impaired function of a dilated ventricle significantly compromised the performance of the St. Jude valve. Probably explained by platelet destruction or activation, paravalvular leak was related to bleeding and thromboembolic complications.

Practicability of patient self-testing of oral anticoagulant therapy by the international normalized ratio (INR) using a portable whole blood monitor. A pilot investigation.

The prophylactic efficacy of long-term oral anticoagulant treatment (OAT) has been demonstrated in a number of clinical conditions with increased tendency to thromboembolism, and the number of individuals subjected to OAT in the industrialised world has increased substantially in recent years. Since this therapy requires considerable resources from both the health care system and the patients, the feasibility of patients' self-monitoring and self-management of OAT has been investigated (1,2,3). The anticipated advantages of this approach include improved convenience and compliance for the patient, who may increase his apprehension for managing the treatment. In addition, self-testing allows for more frequent control compared to the conventional out-patient approach. Importantly, a prerequisite for conceiving a safe and operational concept for patient self-management (PSM) is the availability of a portable INR monitoring system with an accuracy, precision, reproducibility, and long-term reliability comparable to standard coagulometric equipment. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of a commercially available INR-monitor. CoaguChek, for patient self-testing, through a step-wise investigation of the performance characteristics of the equipment in the laboratory, in command of the patient, and during self-testing and self-adjustment of treatment at home. Laboratory INR values were used as reference.

Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in aortic stenosis. Prognostic value after valve replacement and underlying mechanisms.

AIMS: The aims of the study were to examine the prognostic value of pre-operative left ventricular systolic and diastolic function on early, and late mortality after valve replacement for aortic stenosis, and to identify possible underlying mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ninety-one prospectively recruited consecutive patients with a mean age of 61 years underwent valve replacement for aortic stenosis with concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting in 32 and a minimum postoperative observation period of 5.4 years. There were six early (< or = 30 days postoperatively) and 19 late deaths, and 18 deaths from specific causes (cardiac and prosthetic valve related). Early mortality occurred exclusively among patients with a combined subnormal left ventricular systolic function (subnormal ejection fraction or peak ejection rate, or supranormal time-to-peak ejection--duration of systole ratio) and a subnormal fast filling fraction. In Cox regression models on crude mortality and specific deaths, a subnormal ejection fraction and a fast filling fraction of < or = 45% were the only independent risk factors. Patients with none of these risk factors had normal sex- and age-specific survival, those with any one factor had an early, and those with both factors a massive early and a late excess mortality, with 5-year crude survival of 92%, 77%, and 50%, respectively (P < 0.0001). Systolic wall stress was without prognostic value. Further analyses indicated that impairment of left ventricular function occurred with increasing muscle mass over two phases: (1) diastolic dysfunction characterized by a pattern of severe relative concentric hypertrophy; (2) the addition of systolic dysfunction characterized by a more dilated, less concentric chamber geometry. Coronary artery disease seemed to provoke the latter development sooner. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired systolic and diastolic left ventricular function, irrespective of afterload, were decisive independent pre-operative risk factors for early as well as late mortality after aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis. The adverse influence of concentric hypertrophy was the main underlying mechanism. Operative intervention, before impairment of diastolic and systolic function, should be advocated.

Mortality and worsening of prognostic profile during waiting time for valve replacement in aortic stenosis.

In a prospective study 99 consecutive patients with operative indication due to severe aortic stenosis (AS) were put on a surgical waiting list. The waiting-time to aortic valve replacement (AVR) averaged 6.3 months (0.5-19 months). There were 58 men and 41 women with a mean age of 61 years (21-82 years). The patients were divided into three groups: group I (n = 81) with an uneventful stay on the waiting list (including one patient who declined the AVR offer); group II (n = 11) with significant worsening of a prognostic index; and group III (n = 7) with patients who died during the waiting-time. The waiting-list death rate was 13.5 +/- 5.0% patient-year-1 compared with a post-AVR death rate of 4.9 +/- 0.9%. patient-year-1 (p < 0.05) with a mean post-AVR follow-up of 5.7 years. According to their prognostic index at inclusion, group II patients had a predicted (by a Cox model) 7-year post-AVR survival probability of 72%, but only of 61% according to their prognostic index immediately preoperatively; their observed 7-year post-AVR survival was 60%. Logistic regression analysis identified high age, short duration of symptoms, severe hypertrophy and strain in the ECG, female sex, and deranged left-ventricular diastolic function (related to severely increased left-ventricular muscle mass) as independent predictors of death on the waiting-list and prognosis worsening. From a clinical viewpoint, the predictive models did not allow sufficiently accurate identification of the patients at risk during the waiting-time. The consequences of a surgical waiting-time averaging 6 months are serious for AS patients. The death rate is high and a subgroup worsen their prognostic profile, with significantly reduced post-AVR long-term survival as the result.

[Overlooked bronchial rupture after blunt thoracic injury]. / Overset bronkieruptur efter stumt thoraxtraume.

A 72-year-old man developed a total atelectasis of the right lung six weeks after a blunt trauma in a motor vehicle accident. Bronchoscopy demonstrated a total fibrotic occlusion of the right main bronchus. By re-examination of earlier case sheets and chest x-rays it was suspected that the patient had suffered a partiel bronchial rupture from the accident. One and a half centimetres of the bronchus were resected with a good result. Findings and treatment of this rare complication are discussed.

[Benign esophago-bronchial fistula in a 52-year-old woman]. / Benign øsofagobronkial fistel hos en 52-årig kvinde.

The case of a 52-year-old woman with an oesophagobronchial fistula is presented. The diagnosis was not made preoperatively. The patient was operated twice, with resection of a diverticulum of the oesophagus at the last operation. The congenital or acquired origin of the fistula is discussed.