Cardiac tamponade following stent implantation with adjuvant platelet IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor administration.

This case report describes a previously unreported complication of stent implantation in association with the use of adjuvant platelet IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor administration. Following stent implantation, the patient developed cardiac tamponade, treated successfully with percutaneous pericardiocentesis and autologous platelet administration.

High-speed rotational ablation for in-stent restenosis.

High-speed rotational ablation was used to treat in-stent restenosis in 10 consecutive patients with a total of 12 in-stent restenosis lesions. Seven lesions required adjunctive PTCA and five were stand alone results. No patient experienced a complication of the procedure. This small consecutive series demonstrates the feasibility of the technique and its potential application to the management of this increasingly common clinical problem.

Reduction of myocardial infarction after emergency coronary artery bypass grafting for failed coronary angioplasty with use of a normothermic reperfusion cardioplegia protocol.

Emergency coronary artery bypass grafting is necessary in 2.7% to 13.5% of patients undergoing elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Myocardial infarction develops in 11% to 49% of these patients, with 18% to 46% of infarcts resulting in new Q waves. Since February 1987 a revised protocol for myocardial preservation has been used in 19 patients undergoing emergency bypass grafting for failed angioplasty. Cardioplegia is induced with a normothermic blood cardioplegic solution. Multiple maintenance doses of cold (4 degrees C) blood cardioplegic solution are then delivered through the aortic root and vein grafts. Before the aortic crossclamp is removed, normothermic reperfusion cardioplegic solution is delivered through the aortic root and vein grafts. This group was compared with all patients undergoing emergency bypass grafting for failed angioplasty before February 1987. These 45 patients received cold induction of cardioplegic solution, multiple maintenance doses of cold cardioplegic solution, and no reperfusion cardioplegic solution. The prevalence of myocardial infarction in the group receiving cold cardioplegic solution was 65% versus 26% in the group receiving normothermic cardioplegic solution (p less than 0.007). Multivariate analysis identified the use of the normothermic cardioplegia protocol (p less than 0.005), nontotal occlusion of the angioplasty vessel (p less than 0.03), and presence of collateral flow to the angioplasty vessel (p less than 0.04) as being independently associated with absence of myocardial infarction.

Relation of stenosis resolution pressure to long-term clinical outcome after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

Variables associated with a poor long-term prognosis after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) include a short duration of symptoms before PTCA, unstable angina and the presence of thrombus at the PTCA site. These imply a component of transient or dynamic obstruction as opposed to a pure fixed obstruction. It is postulated that resolution pressure (i.e., the pressure at which complete balloon inflation occurs) may also correlate with prognosis after successful PTCA. In 173 consecutive patients undergoing successful, elective, single-lesion PTCA, 48 (28%) were found to have narrowings that resolved at less than or equal to 2 atm (group 1) and 125 (72%) were found to have narrowings resolved at greater than 2 atm (group 2). There were no significant differences in baseline, anatomic or procedural variables between the 2 groups, except that angiographic coronary dissection occurred in 17% of group 1 patients versus 40% of group 2 patients (p less than 0.007). During a mean follow-up of 12.0 +/- 6.1 months, the incidence of cardiac events (repeat PTCA, coronary artery bypass grafting or myocardial infarction) was 29% in group 1 versus 15% in group 2 (p less than 0.05). The overall incidence of angina was similar between the groups (25 vs 28%), but Canadian Cardiovascular Association class 4 angina occurred significantly more frequently in group 1 than group 2 (21 vs 8%) (p less than 0.04). These data suggest that a low resolution pressure is associated with a higher incidence of unstable angina and recurrent cardiac events during follow-up than higher resolution pressures.

The portable programmable microprocessor-driven real-time 12-lead electrocardiographic monitor: a preliminary report of a new device for the noninvasive detection of successful reperfusion or silent coronary reocclusion.

Successful intravenous thrombolytic therapy early in myocardial infraction has the potential to reduce patient mortality without the additional risk and cost of aggressive invasive therapy. Noninvasive detection of successful reperfusion using resolution of chest pain, ST-segment changes assessed on static electrocardiograms, arrhythmia evolution, early isoenzyme peaking or changes in ventricular perfusion or function has been hampered by poor sensitivity or specificity, or inability to provide timely information. A newly available portable programmable microprocessor-driven real-time 12-lead electrocardiographic monitor has been introduced that may address these limitations. A continuously updated precise digital record of ST-segment activity at the bedside provides valuable information both in monitoring patients during reperfusion therapy to determine the efficacy of such treatment and in the subsequent hours to signal threatened reocclusion. This report describes the salient features of the monitor and presents 4 distinct situations in which the monitor detected timely information regarding coronary patency after reperfusion.

Recurrent ischemia more than 1 year after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. An analysis of the extent and anatomic pattern of coronary disease.

Of 1,181 consecutive patients who underwent successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) as an initial revascularization procedure and who had at least 1 year of asymptomatic follow-up, 66 (6%) underwent repeat angiography because of recurrent symptoms or evidence of exercise-induced ischemia. Patients who had revascularization procedures within 1 year of PTCA were not included in the analysis. Mean time to recurrent ischemia was 30.8 +/- 17.4 months (range 12-89 months). At follow-up, 47 patients had angina, 13 had atypical chest pain, two had acute myocardial infarction, and four had positive exercise tests without symptoms. No patient showed spontaneous regression in the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD). As compared with the extent of CAD immediately after PTCA, the extent of CAD at follow-up did not change in 26 patients (39%); it increased by one vessel in 30 (45%), by two vessels in seven (11%), and by three vessels in three (5%). The pattern of CAD seen at follow-up compared with that seen after PTCA was as follows: 18 patients (27%), no change; seven (11%), restenosis only; 30 (45%), progression of CAD at other sites only; and 11 (17%), a combination of restenosis and progression of CAD at other sites. The time to recurrence of ischemia was significantly different between those with restenosis only versus those with progression only (20.1 +/- 9.2 vs. 38.3 +/- 18.5 months) (p less than 0.009). Progression of CAD was equally distributed between dilated and nondilated vessels; however, when progression occurred in the PTCA vessel, it was significantly more likely to be distal to the PTCA site (p less than 0.008).

Transient alterations of the QRS complex and ST segment during percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

Using continuous 3-lead electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings in 19 patients undergoing elective percutaneous transluminal coronary artery angioplasty (PTCA) of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, this study described the dynamic changes of the ST segment and the R- and S-wave amplitudes that occur during transient myocardial ischemia. The waveforms from lead V2 were quantified at 10-second intervals during the length of the balloon inflation that produced the greatest extent of ST-segment deviation. The simultaneous changes that occurred in leads aVF and V5 were also observed, but not quantified. Measurements of R- and S-wave amplitudes were performed during maximal ischemia from both the PR- and the J-ST-segment baselines to determine which of these most nearly maintained its control position during ischemia. The results indicate that the R-wave amplitude is best determined from the PR-segment baseline (p = 0.0007), while the S wave is best determined from the J-ST-segment baseline (p = 0.03). However, only a portion of the QRS changes observed during PTCA could be accounted for by the baseline shift. There were additional QRS changes during ischemia in 11 of the patients (58%) suggestive of conduction disturbances in 3 endocardial sites: left septal, right septal and left anterosuperior. It is hypothesized that these changes may represent ischemia-induced delay in conduction ("periischemic block") previously thought to occur only with myocardial infarction.

Stability of multilead ST-segment "fingerprints" over time after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and its usefulness in detecting reocclusion.

Multilead ST-segment recordings taken during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) could function as an individualized noninvasive template or "fingerprint," useful in evaluating transient ischemic episodes after leaving the catheterization laboratory. To evaluate the reproducibility of such ST-segment patterns over time, these changes were analyzed in patients grouped according to the time between occlusion and reocclusion. For the patients in group 1, the study required comparing their "fingerprints" in repeat balloon inflation during PTCA (reocclusion in less than 1 hour), for those in group 2, comparing ST "fingerprints" during PTCA with ST changes during spontaneous early myocardial infarction (reocclusion in 24 hours) and in group 3, comparing ST "fingerprints" with ST changes during repeat PTCA for restenosis greater than 1 month after the initial PTCA. The ST "fingerprints" among the 20 patients in group 1 were identical in 14 cases (70%) and clearly related in another 4 (20%). Of the 23 patients in group 2, 12 (52%) had the same and 8 (35%) had related patterns. Of 19 patients in group 3, 8 (42% had the same pattern and 8 (42%) had related patterns. Thus, ST fingerprints were the same or clearly related with reocclusion in the same patient from less than 1 hour to greater than 1 month after initial occlusion in 87% of patients overall, in 90% in less than 1 hour, in 87% in less than 24 hours and in 84% greater than 1 month later. Multilead pattern ST-segment "fingerprints" may serve as a noninvasive marker for detecting site-specific reocclusion.

Quantitative ST-segment recovery following angiographically successful angioplasty: a useful warning of early complications.

The angiographic/anatomic appearance of the TCA site and transstenotic gradient trending are two available intraprocedural variables that help to identify patients at high risk for early complications after successful angioplasty. We have reported on an additional variable, the rate of ST recovery following the final balloon deflation as a physiologic marker to identify patients at risk for early complications. Slow ST recovery was present in 52% of patients with early complications of myocardial infarction, urgent or emergent coronary bypass surgery, and/or death, whereas normal ST recovery was seen in 97% of patients with uncomplicated courses. ST trending is a non-invasive modality that is available in all patients undergoing TCA and should be a useful adjunct in identifying patients at high and low risk for early major complications following angiographically successful angioplasty. A prospective study of ST recovery during TCA deserves consideration.

Computer-assisted ST-segment monitoring: experience during and after brief coronary occlusion.

As the technology of computer-assisted ECG analysis continues to advance the frontier of multi-lead acquisition and real time analysis, conceptual approaches to the research applications as well as to the electrical and clinical validity of changes in the ECG signal amongst heterogeneous patient groups need to be continually reassessed. Comparisons between different devices, lead configurations, rates of acquisition, approaches to analysis, and patient populations may have large gaps that will require cautious extrapolation and careful investigation.

Quantitation of ischemia during total coronary occlusion with computer-assisted high resolution ST-segment monitoring: effect of collateral flow.

The effect of increasing grades of collateral flow to the distal target vessel on the clinical and electrocardiographic manifestations of ischemia was evaluated in 118 patients undergoing transluminal coronary angioplasty (TCA). A qualitative scoring system for collateralization was defined as follows: 0--no visible collaterals; 1--visualization of collateral vessels only with no filling of the distal TCA vessel; 2--partial filling of the distal TCA vessel, and; 3--complete filling of the distal TCA vessel. All patients underwent computerized ST-segment monitoring using 3-channel Holter recorders. Criteria for an ischemic ST-segment response was 1.0 mm ST-segment deviation from ST baseline measured 60 msec after the J-point. Episodes of chest pain during and after the procedure were noted. Patients with collateral filling (collateral scores 2 and 3) of the distal TCA vessel had a significantly decreased incidence of angina and diagnostic ischemic ST-segment changes (42% and 15% respectively) as compared to patients without collateral filling (collateral scores 0 and 1) (83% and 74%) (p less than .001). Fifty-eight percent of patients without collateral filling had ischemic ST-segment responses on every balloon inflation as opposed to only 9% with collateral filling (p less than .0001). After TCA, the incidence of angina and ischemic ST-segment changes was similar in both groups (20% and 17% without collateral filling vs. 9% and 9%). We conclude that: 1. increasing qualitative collateralization protects against the development of myocardial ischemia during TCA, but; 2. the similar incidence of late episodes of ischemia after successful TCA suggests that collateral flow may no longer be adequate.

[Aftercare of patients operated on for goiter (author's transl)]. / Strumadispensaire unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Rezidivs und seiner Prophylaxe.

Between 1966 to 1976 2122 patients underwent a partial thyroidectomy for goiter. All patients received special aftercare in the outpatient department of the hospital. Without hormonal substitution there were 5,9% relapses.

[State after pancreatitis--as a clinico-pathological term (author's transl)]. / Zustand nach Pankreatitis (Narbenpankreas) als klinisch-pathologischer Begriff.

Up to now, little attention has been paid in the clinical as well as in clinico-pathological systematics to the fibrotic "state after pancreatitis" (in its severest form called "cicatrical pancreas"). This state is of interest not only as an increased risk of a recurrent pancreatitis (including acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis), but as well as because of the severe pancreatographic changes, as they occur in (chronic) pancreatitis. In biopsy diagnoses of the pancreas the "cicatrical pancreas" also has to be taken into consideration as a life-long frequently inactive pancreatic disease. With respect to these questions 264 pancreases, among these a series of 144 random autopsy cases, were examined histologically and pancreatographically.

[Time of disablement after partial gastrectomy for peptic ulcer (author's transl)]. / Erkrankungsdauer nach Magenresektion mit und ohne Komplikationen.

From 1966 to 1975 1169 patients underwent a partial gastrectomy (Billroth-II). 944 patients (80%) were followed up by their surgeons in a so call "gastric after-care". On the average these patients were pstoperatively out of work for 58 days. This time depends on postoperative complications, disturbed gastric function but finally on the patient himself.