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Biomedical subjects

C Carpeggiani

Publications and source records attributed to C Carpeggiani.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

[Hourly distribution of episodes of angina at rest. Effect of medical treatment].

Aim of the study was to evaluate whether frequency of myocardial ischemic attacks at rest (IA) had any identifiable distribution during 24-hour periods. Two ECG leads were continuously recorded by an Oxford 4-24 tape recorder for a total of 148 days in 10 patients admitted to CCU because of frequent spontaneous anginal attacks. During 48 days, in absence of therapy, 682 IA were recorded (2.03 per patient per day). They showed a symmetrical bell-shaped distribution curve in the 24 hour periods with a peak occurring at 5 a.m. and 43% of IA from 0 to 6 a.m. Only 25% of IA was symptomatic with the lowest values (10%) between 2 and 6 a.m. Distribution of IA was independent from their distinctive electrocardiographic feature [ST (71%) or T changes]. During 100 days with therapy [Verapamil and/or Isosorbide dinitrate ointment) a marked reduction of episodes was observed (0.64 per patient per day), while their distribution, the incidence of different electrocardiographic patterns and percentage of symptomatic IA remained unchanged. Attenuated incidence, but inalterated distribution of IA with therapy suggest its possible effect on the threshold response of coronary smooth muscle to vasoconstrictor stimuli rather than its primary effect on pathogenetic factors.

Adult↗

[Intermittent claudication: topical treatment with isosorbide dinitrate ointment. Preliminary results].

Following the casual observation reported by one anginal patient of ours, of improvement of its claudicatio intermittens with application of isosorbide dinitrate ointment directly on the leg suffering pain, we undertook a study to assess the possible use of the drug in peripheral vascular disease in a group of 10 patients suffering of a severe form of claudicatio intermittens. The effect of the drug was tested 1) by the subjective valuation of the patient itself 2) by treadmill stress tests performed at constant rate. In this case were used as reference parameters the distance walked without any symptoms and the maximal distance reached by each patient. The treadmill stress test was performed in basal condition and after longterm administration of isosorbide dinitrate ointment 100 mg three times a day for 30-45 days. In 5 patients the control test was repeated twice in different days to evaluate the reproducibility of the measure that resulted good, while other 5 patients performed the test one hour following the application of the drug in order to assess a possible acute effect of the drug that was not present in any patient. All the patients noted an improvement in their walking capacity but only after 15-20 days of treatment. In basal condition the distance walked without any symptoms by the patients was on the average m. 51 (+/- 52) and the maximal distance reached was m. 143 (+/- 111), while after the treatment were m. 151 (+/- 136) and m. 384 (+/- 203) with a difference highly significative (p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.01 respectively). From our data although preliminary, it is apparent that longterm local application of isosorbide dinitrate is effective in the treatment of patients with peripheral vascular disease and that the action of the drug seems to be related to a local effect.

Administration, Topical↗

[Low reliability of ECG monitoring in CCU for detection of ischemic episodes (author's transl)].

In 10 patients with frequent anginal attacks admitted to CCU, 2-lead ECG Holter monitoring (H-M) was performed for a total of 10 days. The number of ischemic episodes detected by retrospective analysis of H-M was compared with the number detected on the basis of symptoms and continuous visual ECG monitoring in CCU (CCU-M) by highly trained staff. A total of 157 episodes was identified by H-M [82 ST elevation (ST), 15 ST depression (ST) and 60 t wave changes]. Only 15 of these episodes were detected by CCU-M (13 ST, 1 ST and 1 T wave changes) of which 12 were symptomatic. When 6 H-M ECGs were simultaneously displayed on an oscilloscope in real-time (as in CCU-M), one of the Authors was able to detect only 36% of the episodes, whereas the frequency reached 80% when the analysis was limited to one tape at the time. The results show the low reliability of the CCU-M in detecting ischemic attacks; this appears mainly related to the display of multiple tracings.

Angina Pectoris↗

[Analysis of Holter monitoring for detection of myocardial ischemia episodes (author's transl)].

While the use of the 24 hour Holter monitoring for the detection of the cardiac arrhythmias and conduction disturbances is well established, its applicability to the monitoring of the ST segment and T wave for the detection of myocardial ischemia is controversial. For these reasons the Holter monitoring is mainly confined to the detection of cadiac arrhythmias and is used in those centers where computer facilities are available. We proposed to record the electrocardiographic tape replayed at 60 times the real time on a direct recording ultraviolet oscillograph running at low speed obtaining a fast compact analogue representation of the Holter recording where the 24 hour Holter recording is compressed into cm 480 of paper. The analogue compact representation described allows an easy detection of the transient displacement of the ST segment and/or changes in the T wave amplitude and direction and/or QRS pattern all due to myocardial ischemia without the use of any expensive computer facilities.

Coronary Disease↗

Myocardial cell damage during attacks of vasospastic angina in the absence of persistent electrocardiographic changes.

We have investigated whether vasospastic anginal attacks might be associated with myocardial cell damage even when permanent ORS or ST-T changes are absent. We obtained serum time-activity curves of creatine kinase MB, of myoglobin, and of alpha hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase in 15 patients with vasospastic angina admitted to our Coronary Care Unit (CCU). A slight but consistent rise and fall of both myoglobin and creatine kinase MB was observed in 7 patients (4 presented a definitive myocardial uptake of 99mTc pyrophosphate, and I had a faint deposition). A similar pattern was observed for myoglobin alone in 3 patients (1 presented a negative myocardial scan), while no consistent changes were found in the remaining 5 patients (2 presented a faint deposition of 99mTc pyrophosphate). No significant change of alpha hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase was observed in any of the patients. The coherent rise and fall of the levels of myocardial cytosolic components after prolonged episodes of vasospastic angina suggests that cell damage may occur even in the absence of persistent QRS and ST-T changes.

Adult↗

Relationships between cardiac pain and objective markers of transient myocardial ischemia.

Cardiac pain is a key symptom for diagnosis of myocardial ischemia in man, even if a minority of transient myocardial ischemic episodes are painful. A multiparametric monitoring approach - associating non-invasive and invasive monitoring techniques during transient myocardial ischemia with and without pain - allows to achieve a clinical diagnosis and obtain information about the pathophysiology of the anginal syndrome.

Coronary Disease↗

Transient myocardial ischemia and cardiac pain. Importance of duration of ischemia, heart rate behaviour and circadian distribution.

In 40 drug-free patients 2052 episodes of transient myocardial ischemia (28% painful) were recorded by 24-h ambulatory ECG. Pain was more frequently associated with longer duration of ischemia and greater ST segment shift and with the presence of ventricular arrhythmias within the ischemic episode. Heart rate always showed a growing trend during the ischemic episode. Circadian distribution of painless ischemic episodes showed a maximum peak at 2 a.m. while the most painful attacks occurred early in the morning (6 a.m.).

Bradycardia↗