Early diagnosis of subacute free wall rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction.

Of 2608 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction, 24 developed subacute free wall rupture (= 0.92%; 95% C.I. = 0.6-1.4). Clinical manifestations varied widely (shock on admission; 25% of cases; severe arrhythmias followed by shock: 17%; shock during hospital stay: 42%; symptoms suggestive of infarct extension without shock: 17%). The electrocardiograms were confusing rather than revealing: 56% of patients showed new ST segment elevations of 0.2 to 1 mV in the infarct-related leads, while autopsy or creatinine phosphokinase evidence of infarct extension was missing. In the first 21 cases, therefore, no definitive diagnosis was made before autopsy. Using 197 infarct patients in cardiogenic shock or with infarct extension during the acute stage, i.e. a patient group with comparable clinical manifestations, as control group, a logistic regression model was generated in which the variables age, lateral wall involvement and history of hypertension were used for estimating the probability of subacute rupture. In fact, probability may rise to more than 40% in major subgroups. As death occurred after a median interval of 8 h (45 min-6.5 weeks) following the onset of rupture symptoms, echocardiography must be performed urgently in all cases presenting symptoms of shock or infarct extension. Pretest probability which can be roughly estimated from our model as well as sensitivity and specificity of individual echocardiographic or clinical parameters are indispensable for correct therapeutic decisions. The routine application of this algorithm in our department contributed to a timely diagnosis in the last three consecutive cases of whom one patient survived.

[Presumed "successful" fibrinolysis in unrecognized acute aortic dissection]. / Vermeintlich "erfolgreiche" Fibrinolyse bei nicht-erkannter akuter Aortendissektion.

Thrombolysis (1,500,000 IU streptokinase during 60 minutes and 500 mg acetylsalicylic acid was started in a 43-year-old woman with Turner's syndrome who had chest pain lasting for more than 45 min accompanied by ST elevations of 0.2 mV or more in leads II, III, aVF and V1-V5. Pain disappeared within an hour and the ST segments became isoelectric. Severe back and upper abdominal pain occurred 24 hours later. Computed tomography revealed an aortic dissection from the aortic valve to the descending aorta. Intraoperatively the rupture was found to extend to an apparently single left coronary ostium. The aortic valve was bicuspid and incompetent. After aortic valve replacement, resection of the ascending aorta and implantation of a vascular prosthesis the patient's condition gradually improved and she was discharged from hospital.

Are admission plasma fibrinogen levels useful in the characterization of risk groups after myocardial infarction treated with fibrinolysis?

The aim of our study was to prove or disprove the independent prognostic importance of fibrinogen after myocardial infarction. Plasma fibrinogen levels were determined on admission in 135 patients with an acute myocardial infarction and symptoms up to 4 h (mean: 1.8 h) immediately before starting fibrinolytic treatment with 1.5 mio U. streptokinase i.v. All patients were free from other diseases which are known to cause elevated fibrinogen levels. Coronary angiography was carried out in 87%. During a mean follow-up period of 26.2 months 31 coronary events could be observed in 26 patients: 18 reinfarctions, 6 cases of sudden death, and 7 coronary artery bypass graft surgeries because of new symptoms. While plasma fibrinogen levels were higher in smokers than in non-smokers (3.30 vs 2.94 g/l p = 0.011) and correlated with the number of involved coronary arteries (p = 0.08), values were similar in patients with and without coronary events during follow-up (3.07 vs 3.16 g/l, p = 0.70). This applied as well to univariate analysis as to multivariate Cox's regression model. We conclude that plasma fibrinogen levels determined very early in patients with acute myocardial infarction do correlate with other important prognostic variables, but have no independent prognostic importance.

Influence of minimal angiographic visible collateral circulation on myocardial function during PTCA.

The potential protective role of angiographically visible minimal collateral circulation in diagnostic angiograms, not reaching or filling the target vessel (RENTROP class 1), on myocardial function during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), was studied in two groups of patients undergoing elective PTCA of the left anterior descending artery (LAD). In the first study group consisting of 22 patients, influence of collateral circulation class 1 on left ventricular regional function was evaluated. In this group, 14 patients showed no angiographic collaterals and 8 patients showed collateral circulation class 1 in diagnostic angiograms. Increase of end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indices as well as decrease of global left ventricular function was not significantly different inpatients with and without such minimal collateral circulation. In patients without collaterals, the decrease of regional left ventricular function was significantly more pronounced in the left anterior length segment (p less than 0.05) and a trend was observed in the anterolateral (p = 0.059) and apical (p = 0.053) segments. In a second group, consisting of 29 patients, hemodynamic parameters were measured and, in addition to grading of collateral circulation in diagnostic angiograms, angiographically visible collateral circulation was estimated during occlusion of the LAD by injecting contrast materials into the right coronary artery. An increase of angiographically visible collaterals during the ischemic period of various degrees was documented in 26 (90%) of 29 patients. Combining patients of both study groups, increase in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure during ischemia was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) in patients without collaterals on diagnostic angiography (n = 34) than in patients with collateral circulation class 1 (n = 14).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Rapid changes of atrial natriuretic peptide concentration during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

In 34 patients undergoing routine coronary angioplasty, concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), plasma renin (PR), and plasma aldosterone (PA) were estimated before, during, and after vessel occlusion and were correlated with hemodynamic changes. For the group as a whole, averaged right atrial pressure rose significantly (p less than 0.001) from 4.4 +/- 1.8 mm Hg at baseline to 6.7 +/- 3.0 mm Hg during vessel occlusion, and average right atrial ANP concentrations increased significantly (p less than 0.005) from 50.1 +/- 18.8 pg/ml to 59.7 +/- 21.4 pg/ml during balloon inflation. Data analysis of subgroups did not show any differences in right atrial pressure elevations between patients with left anterior descending artery (LAD) or right coronary artery (RCA) disease; ANP elevation was significant only in patients with LAD occlusion (p less than 0.001). In individual patients no statistically significant correlations were found to be present between changes in right atrial pressures and changes in atrial ANP concentrations. During vessel occlusion, PR dropped from 0.86 +/- 1.11 ng/ml/hr to 0.65 +/- 0.85 ng/ml/hr (p less than 0.001) in all patients, and PA decreased from 63.0 +/- 50.9 ng/ml to 52.2 +/- 43.4 ng/ml (p less than 0.01). Our data support the concept that, although an increase in right atrial pressure leads to ANP release in the majority of patients, atrial pressure and stretch are not the only regulatory factors of ANP release in humans.

Acute occlusion of left main coronary artery without ventricular damage.

We report a patient with acute occlusion of left main coronary artery with only a small increase of cardiac enzymes but without electrocardiographic signs of acute myocardial infarction. Normal global and regional left ventricular function could be documented angiographically. Damage of myocardium was prevented by extensive collateral circulation from a large dominant right coronary artery.

Apolipoprotein A and prognosis after myocardial infarction in non-diabetic men.

The implications of apolipoproteins A-I and A-II for the prognosis of 178 non-diabetic men after acute myocardial infarction were studied. During a mean follow-up period of 4 years, one or more "coronary events" (nonfatal myocardial infarction, fatal coronary heart disease, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, deterioration of exercise ECG) were recorded in 37 patients. Serum levels of apolipoproteins A-I and A-II did not discriminate between patients with and without coronary events. This applied to the entire sample as much as to subgroups defined by presence or absence of interventions (coronary artery bypass graft surgery, long-term therapy with beta-blockers or lipid-lowering drugs). We conclude that coronary events in the first years after myocardial infarction cannot be predicted by apolipoprotein A-I or A-II levels.

Acute mitral regurgitation due to short periods of ischemia during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty: an angiographic study.

The frequency and severity of mitral regurgitation were investigated during a short period of ischemia (60 seconds) in patients undergoing elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of single vessel disease. Thirty patients showed stenoses in the left anterior descending artery, 3 patients in the circumflex artery and 1 patient in the right coronary artery. Only patients with global and regional normal left ventricular function, and without collaterals reaching or filling the target vessel, were enrolled in the study. All patients suffered pain during occlusion of the vessel. Signs of mitral regurgitation of grade 1 could be documented angiographically in 9 patients and of grade 2 in 4 patients. In no patient mitral regurgitation of grades 3 or 4 was seen. A highly significant (P less than 0.001) decrease of global, as well as regional, left ventricular function could be documented during ischemia in all patients. The breakdown of wall motion was more pronounced in patients with mitral regurgitation, and reached statistical significance (P less than 0.05) in the apical and anterolateral segments. All patients with mitral regurgitation showed extended severely hypokinetic or akinetic wall segments adjacent to the anterior papillary muscle. There were no angiographic signs of mitral valvar prolapse or dilation of the mitral annulus. We concluded that transient mitral regurgitation is common during short periods of ischemia in humans, but of only minimal degree in the setting of single vessel disease. The mechanism is different from mechanisms in chronic ischemic incompetence of the mitral valve.

[Changes in left ventricular hemodynamics and contractility and significance of various reperfusion phase times in recurrent short duration ischemia in the human]. / Anderungen der linksventrikulären Hämodynamik und Kontraktilität sowie Bedeutung unterschiedlich langer Reperfusionsphasen während rezidivierender kurzdauernder Ischämie beim Menschen.

The time courses of left ventricular systolic (LVSP) and enddiastolic (EDP) pressures as well as changes in peak dp/dtmax and peak dp/dtmin using high-fidelity-tip catheters were studied in 35 out of 179 consecutive patients undergoing elective percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTCA) of the left anterior descending artery (LAD). Only patients with global and regional normal left-ventricular function and without collateral filling of the target vessel in the diagnostic angiograms were included. Occlusion time of the LAD was 50 and 60 s during each cycle. Reperfusion time between each vessel occlusion was 60 s in 15 patients and 180 s in 20 patients. During every ischemic period identical significant decreases of LVSP (p less than 0.005), peak dp/dtmax (p less than 0.001), and peak dp/dtmin (p less than 0.001) and significant increases of EDP (p less than 0.001) were documented. The maximum of hemodynamic changes in every patient was within the first 20 s after vessel occlusion. With a reperfusion period of 60 s LVSP and EDP did not return to basic level and the difference reached statistical significance (p less than 0.05) during the fourth occlusion. This could not be documented when the reperfusion period lasted 180 s. For clinical implications a reperfusion time of 180 s between consecutive repeated short periods of ischemia during PTCA could be recommended.

Long-term prognosis of patients with silent ischemia, symptomatic ischemia and without ischemia after acute myocardial infarction.

The prognosis of 55 patients with silent ischemia (group I: asymptomatic ST segment depression of greater than or equal to 0.1 mV on symptom-limited ergometer exercise) was compared with that of 25 patients with angina and ST depression (group II), 22 patients with angina but without ST depression (group III) and 94 patients without angina and without ST depression (group IV) on ergometer testing in the first post-infarction month. Patients for whom PTCA or coronary artery bypass graft surgery was planned for the next months following discharge were excluded. Groups were well matched in terms of age, sex, diabetes, non-Q-wave infarctions and global left ventricular function, but groups I and II had more inferior wall infarctions (76% and 68% respectively) than groups III and IV (18% and 34%, p less than 0.0001). After a mean follow-up time of between 26 and 33 months 11% in group I, 16% in group II, 14% in group III, but only 6% in group IV had died from cardiac disease or reinfarcted (p = 0.06). Using Cox's model, the Killip index, presence of non-Q-wave infarction, maximal ST depression on ergometer exercise and global left ventricular ejection fraction were found to be important prognostic variables affecting reinfarction-free survival, whilst angina was not. Results suggest that the presence or absence of angina as an isolated symptom is not of prognostic important after acute myocardial infarction, in comparison with objectively determinable parameters.

[Reduction of radiation exposure by protective measures in heart catheter studies and interventional cardiology]. / Reduktion der Strahlenbelastung durch Schutzeinrichtungen bei Herzkatheteruntersuchung und interventioneller Kardiologie.

To estimate scatter radiation exposure of physicians and radiologic assistants, phantom measurements were made in different projections during coronary angiography and angioplasty. Scatter radiation was reduced by using a protective glass (1.5 mm) and a shield (1.25 mm) for physicians under the range of 5%, and for radiologic assistants by using a second set of a glass and a shield (1.0 mm) under the range of 10%. We therefore urge the recommendation of installing such protective equipment in order to lower scatter radiation.

Iatrogenic left main coronary artery stenosis following aortic valve replacement.

A case of severe iatrogenic fibrous left main coronary artery stenosis following aortic valve replacement (Hall-Kaster prosthesis) is documented clinically, angiographically and histologically. Reported histological data of this rare complication of valve replacement are reviewed. The onset of ischaemic symptoms in the first six months after valve replacement is highly suggestive of iatrogenic coronary artery stenosis, and urgent coronary angiography is recommended.

[Acute myocardial infarct in patients over 70. Results of a 2-year survey]. / Der akute Myokardinfarkt bei über 70jährigen. Ergebnisse bis zu zwei Jahren.

581 consecutive patients admitted to hospital for acute myocardial infarction between January 1983 and June 1985 were divided into two groups. Group A (286) patients were aged 70 years or over (76 +/- 4 years); those in group B (246) were 65 or younger (56 +/- 8 years). Group A patients had a significantly higher incidence of anterior-wall infarction (30% vs. 18% in group B); heart failure (55% vs. 32%); pulmonary oedema (18% vs. 6%); cardiogenic shock (17% vs. 6.5%); or rupture (6% vs. 2%). Patients of the older age group also significantly less often underwent systemic fibrinolysis (0.3% vs. 21%); coronary angiography (2% vs. 61%); percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or aorto-coronary bypass operation (0% vs. 22%) (P = 0.00001). Among the older patient group the cumulative mortality rate during hospitalization was 26.9% vs. 11.8% in group B, after six months it was 39% vs. 15%, after 12 months 46% vs. 17%, and after 24 months 61% vs. 21% (P = 0.00001). Causes of death were comparable in the two age groups, cardiac ones predominating. Angina in NYHA classes III-IV after discharge was present in 10% of the younger but 38% among the older patients (P = 0.00001). The death rate in patients of group A was very high under conservative treatment and surviving patients had a poor quality of life. Yet both coronary artery surgery and PTCA gave demonstrably better long-term results, both as to function and survival. Therefore, patients of even this higher age should more than is the case at present be more aggressively treated with invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

[Intra-aortic balloon pulsation in diagnostic coronary angiography]. / Intraaortale Ballonpulsation bei diagnostischer Koronarangiographie.

Percutaneous intraaortic balloon counterpulsation was established during diagnostic cardiac catheterization in 24 patients (ten patients with impending cardiogenic shock and 14 patients with unstable angina pectoris IIIa refractory to maximal medical therapy). Hemodynamic stabilization was obtained and pain disappeared in every patient within a short time. There was no myocardial infarction before surgical intervention. Five patients out of ten with impending cardiogenic shock and 12 out of 14 with unstable angina pectoris type IIIa survived the hospital period. There were three complications during intra-aortal balloon-pulsation: one patient suffered septic infection and two required surgical intervention because of peripheral embolization. Intraaortic balloon pumping is useful to enable catheterization of high-risk patients and to prevent myocardial infarction.

[Course and blood coagulation findings following systemic short-term fibrinolysis in acute myocardial infarct]. / Verlauf der Gerinnungsbefunde nach systemischer Kurzfibrinolyse beim akuten Myokardinfarkt.

UNLABELLED: A series of 16 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction was investigated with respect to changes in coagulatory parameters after intravenous short-term treatment with 1,500 000 IU streptokinase (SK) over a period of 90 minutes. Samples for coagulation assays (fibrinogen, thrombin, time activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), normotest, thrombin-coagulase time, platelets, antithrombin III, plasminogen and antiplasmin activity, alpha 2-macroglobulin, alpha 1-antitrypsin, factor X a were collected before and immediately after iv SK, and after 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 hours. Platelets, antithrombin III, factor X a, alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 2-macroglobulin showed no changes over the observed period. The concentrations of fibrinogen and the activities of plasminogen and antiplasmin decreased clearly during the first 24 hours, reaching a minimum immediately after SK administration. Thrombin time and aPTT were prolonged for 36 hours, with a maximum in the first hours after lysis. CONCLUSIONS: Invasive diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedures during the first 24 hours after SK lysis should be carried out only for a definite, strict indication and under repeated control of the coagulatory status. After 24-36 hours there is a trend to normalisation of haemostasis. After 36 hours, surgery may be performed without fear of complications due to abnormal coagulability.

[Prognostic value of symptom-limited ergometry 3 weeks after acute myocardial infarct]. / Prognostische Bedeutung einer symptomlimitierten Ergometrie drei Wochen nach akutem Myokardinfarkt.

96 patients, under 70 years of age, underwent symptom-limited (maximal) exercise testing in the 3rd week after an acute myocardial infarction when neither cardiac insufficiency, angina pectoris (post-infarction) nor malignant arrhythmias were present. A further 29 patients, who could not be exercised because of the reasons mentioned, had a significantly higher frequency of coronary events during the 14 month observation period than those patients who could be exercised (55% vs. 23%, P = 0.05). When signs of (reversible) ischaemia occurred during exercise testing (angina pectoris, ST-segment depression greater than 0.1 mV), the one-year prognosis was significantly worse than in patients having no ischaemia. By means of this test the occurrence of a "coronary event" can be forecasted with high sensitivity (92%) but low specificity (46%). Thus, the negative test ("predictive value" 94%) is suitable for recognising patients with low spontaneous risk thus sparing them from further invasive investigations.

[Possibilities of systemic fibrinolysis in acute myocardial infarct]. / Möglichkeiten der systemischen Fibrinolyse bei akutem Myokardinfarkt.

Recanalisation of the infarct-related coronary artery could be achieved in 60 to 80% of patients with acute myocardial infarction by means of systemic fibrinolysis, if the interval between the onset of symptoms and the admission to therapy was less than 3 (maximal 6) hours. Fibrinolytic therapy should be combined with an exact conventional treatment in form of sedation, analgesia, oxygen delivery and optimisation of hemodynamics and metabolism with nitroglycerin, calcium antagonists and beta-blockers. Coronary angiography should be performed as soon as possible to decide about further therapy like percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, coronary bypass surgery or medical treatment.

[Serum digitoxin levels in pacemaker patients]. / Untersuchungen zum Serumdigitoxinspiegel bei Schrittmacherpatienten.

In most cases pacemaker patients represent a diverse geriatric group in which ECG and clinical signs are of minor usefulness in diagnosing digitalis toxicity. We therefore determined serum glycoside concentrations in 200 consecutive patients attending our pacemaker clinic (with a mean maintenance dose of 0.093 mg digitoxin per day) and tried to correlate these to clinical, ECG and chemical findings. Multivariate analyses were also carried out to assess whether serum digitoxin concentrations lay in a subtherapeutic (0 to 8.99 ng/ml), therapeutic (9 to 27 ng/ml) or toxic (above 27 ng/ml) range on the basis of a combination of variables. The mean digitoxin concentration was 24.0 +/- 10.3 ng/ml (0 to 45 ng/ml) and correlated poorly with patient compliance (r = 0.36), serum potassium (r = 0.24), weight (r = 0.17) and digitoxin dose (r = 0.13), but not with ECG and subjective or clinical findings. A prediction of the three ranges of the serum digitoxin concentration was possible by means of variable compliance, body weight and digitoxin dose with a probability of up to 79%. In view of the above-mentioned problems indications for digitalis therapy in pacemaker patients must be constantly reviewed and control determination of serum digitoxin concentration should be frequently undertaken.

[Moducrin--a new combined preparation in the treatment of hypertension (author's transl)]. / Moducrin--ein neues Kombinationspräparat zur Behandlung der Hypertonie.

A product combining 25 mg hydrochlorothiazide, 2.5 mg amiloride hydrochloride and 10.0 mg timolol maleate (Moducrin) was tested in 20 previously untreated hypertensive persons. The systolic blood pressure before treatment was 199.1 +/- 24.8 mmg Hg and after treatment 149.1 +/- 19.1 mm Hg. Diastolic blood pressure showed a drop from 120.9 +/- 11.9 mm Hg to 92.2 +/- 13.3 mm Hg. Both decreases were highly significant (p less than 0.01). The heart rate, moreover, was reduced during treatment from 81.5 +/- 11.1 beats per minute to 66.8 +/- 9.25 beats (p less than 0.01). Haemoglobin, haematocrit and serum uric acid showed significant changes, but did not reach pathological ranges. Treatment had to be stopped in only one case in this study because of incipient asthmatic bronchitis. We conclude that this combination drug has a very good antihypertensive effect and is well tolerated.

[Importance of risk factors in myocardial infarction (author's transl)]. / Die Bedeutung der Risikofaktoren für den Verlauf des Myokardinfarktes.

Importance of risk factors as hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes mellitus and cigarette smoking because of hemodynamic and complication during acute myocardial infarction and influence of live quality during the first year after myocardial infarct was pointed out in this study. No risk factor was found in 12.1% out of 248 patients. 25.8% had one, 33.5% two, 12.9% three and 3.2% four risk factors. If only one risk factor for coronary heart disease was documented, 35.9% showed cigarette smoking. If there were two risk factors, most of the people had diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and the combination diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia and cigarette smoking was favourite if there were three risk factors present. The mean age of all patients was 65.9 +/- 10.8 years. Patients who smoked or had hyperlipidaemia were statistically significantly younger (p < 0.001). There was no correlation between number of risk factors or kind of it and pulse frequence, cardiac index, pulmonary artery pressure and third heart sound during phase of acute myocardial infarction. Also no correlation was found between the risk factors hypertension, diabetes mellitus and cigarette smoking and rhythm disturbance of reinfarction. Patients with normal lipids had significant more bradycard or tachycard rhythm disturbances as patients with hyperlipidaemia (p < 0.05). Patients without diabetes mellitus or hypertension had better bicycle tests than patients with this risk factors (p < 0.01). 92% of hypertensive patients had regular drug medication; 14.1% of smoking patients continued smoking cigarettes after acute myocardial infarction. Only 62.1% of diabetic patients, 54.1% of hyperlipidaemic patients and 40% of overweight patients kept diet. Because of this bad quality of patient compliance there was no exact information possible in predicting value of secondary preventive measurements after acute myocardial infarction.