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Biomedical subjects

A Fajuri

Publications and source records attributed to A Fajuri.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Role of programmed electrical stimulation of the heart in risk stratification post-myocardial infarction.

Programmed electrical stimulation (PES) of the heart was evaluated as a method of identifying patients at risk of sudden death post-myocardial infarction (post-MI). Eighty-four patients (mean age, 56 +/- 10 years) underwent PES 6 to 8 weeks post-MI. PES was performed at the right ventricular apex at twice diastolic threshold. Prior to stimulation patients were studied with exercise stress testing, 24-hour Holter monitoring and radionuclide ejection fraction. The patients were placed into two groups, according to their responses to electrical stimulation. Group 1:65 patients in whom no arrhythmias were induced or who had repetitive responses that lasted less than six cycles; Group 2:19 patients in whom ventricular tachycardia was induced. At the end of follow-up (20 +/- 9 months) six patients from Group 1 had died. Complex ventricular ectopy and ventricular tachycardia were more frequently detected on Holter in Group 2 (9/19) than in Group 1 (14/65) (p less than 0.03). The results of exercise testing and radionuclide ejection fraction did not correlate with the response to PES. However all but one of the patients who died had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) under 40% and four out of six patients had ventricular tachycardia on Holter monitor. We draw the conclusion that PES did not contribute to the identification of high-risk patients post-MI, as none of the 19 patients in whom ventricular tachycardia was induced died during follow-up. In addition, high-risk patients were characterized by poor ventricular function and complex ventricular arrhythmias on Holter recording.

Electric Stimulation↗

Disc dislodgment in Björk Shiley mitral valve prosthesis: two successfully operated cases.

Two patients with Björk Shiley mitral valve replacement had migration and embolization of the occluding disc. One patient suffered migration of the disc a few hours after surgery and the other had a strut fracture with disc translocation six years after the initial operation. Clinical signs in both cases were pulmonary edema, cardiogenic shock, and absence of prosthetic sounds. Both patients were reoperated on an emergency basis, recovering after a complicated postoperative course. They are on functional Class I, 8 and 1 years later, respectively, with their dislodged discs still in the abdominal aorta. The only hope for survival in these patients is emergency reoperation, once the prosthetic mitral valve dysfunction is confirmed.

Adult↗

Surgical removal of entrapped endocardial leads without using extracorporeal circulation.

Of 267 patients having a tined endocardial lead implanted from 1978 to December 1983, three (1.1%) developed pulse generator pocket infection. Proper treatment of this complication involves removal of the pulse generator, continued external pacing via the implanted lead, pocket drainage and administration of specific antibiotics until the infected area clears. In two patients, the electrode could not be removed by traction. A sternotomy was performed, the pericardium was opened, the endocardial electrode was located by palpation, and a purse string suture (PSS) was prepared around it on the right ventricular wall. A new myocardial electrode with its corresponding generator was then implanted to reestablish pacing. Through the PSS the myocardium was incised, the distal end of the endocardial lead was exteriorized and severed, and the PSS was tied. The remaining lead was withdrawn proximally and the surgical wounds were closed. The results of this procedure have been been excellent, allowing the removal of the entrapped leads, with continuous pacing and without the need for extracorporeal circulation.

Aged↗

Electrophysiologic effects of bepridil in the anesthetized dog studied by endocardiac electrodes.

The electrophysiologic effects of bepridil in the anesthetized closed-chest dog were studied with intracardiac electrodes using the extrastimulus technique to measure the refractory periods of atria, atrioventricular (AV) junction and ventricles. Intravenous administration of 5 mg/kg of bepridil caused a reduction in sinus node rate and prolonged the sinus node recovery time. Refractory periods in the atrium, especially the effective refractory period, increased. Anterograde AV nodal conduction was slowed and refractoriness increased, often resulting in AV nodal Wenckebach periods, during atrial pacing, and retrograde conduction was always completely abolished. Refractory periods of the AV junction were altered in a comparable fashion to conduction through the AV node. No significant actions on conduction or the refractory period were noticed in the His-Purkinje system or the ventricle. The mechanism of action of bepridil seems to be correlated to its membrane effects, namely, inhibition of pathways responsible for the slow inward current, which explains its selective action on myocardial sites where this current is particularly involved.

Action Potentials↗