Is cytomegalovirus infection going to be a problem among heart transplant recipients in Singapore?
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Adolescent↗
Biomedical subjects
C Sivathasan
Publications and source records attributed to C Sivathasan.
Surgical management of intrathoracic aortic aneurysm.
The pathology, clinical features, indications for surgery and the results of intrathoracic aneurysm are analysed in thirty-nine consecutive patients who underwent surgery at Singapore General Hospital from January 1986 through December 1990. There were twenty cases of non-dissecting aneurysm and nineteen cases of dissecting aneurysm or aortic dissection. The 30 day survival for the twenty patients with non-dissecting aneurysm was sixteen patients (80%). The best results were obtained in patients with aortic root aneurysms. The overall 30-day survival for the nineteen patients with aortic dissection was twelve patients (64%). The mortality was especially high in patients with acute aortic dissection (46%). Recent advances in the management of these aneurysms make early recognition and diagnosis mandatory to achieve the best results.
Adult↗
Myocardial preservation in heart transplantation.
The current techniques of donor procurement and transplantation provide a very low incidence "of non rejection graft failure", following cardiac transplantation. Attention needs to be paid to the preservation of organ function in the potential donor, in order to maximise the donor availability in an environment of perpetual donor shortage. The strategies aimed at myocardial preservation in the donor will be methods of protection from the pathophysiological changes associated with onset of cerebral injury and brain death. The role of various types of cardioplegia, additives and preservation fluids need to be investigated to minimise the effects of cardiac ischaemia and reperfusion injury. There is evidence to suggest the improvement in long term survival with tissue matching in cardiac transplantation. This will need methods of prolonging safe ischaemic time for the donor heart so that tissue matching and organ sharing can be carried out.
Animals↗
Spontaneous haemothorax in a mild haemophiliac.
Spontaneous haemothoraxis is a very rare presenting manifestation in haemophilia, only four previous cases being recorded in the English literature. The clinical features and management of such a case by intercostal tube drainage in a previously unrecognized haemophiliac are described.
Adult↗
Role of routine endomyocardial biopsy to monitor late rejection after heart transplantation.
Endomycardial biopsy remains the standard used to monitor rejection after heart transplantation. There is, however, no consensus as to how often surveillance endomyocardial biopsy should be carried out after heart transplantation. We have analyzed 131 patients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation during the first 4 years of the transplant program at St. Vincent's Hospital. The majority of endomyocardial biopsies that showed acute rejection occurred in the first 3 months after transplantation; after 9 months only 2.5% of endomyocardial biopsies performed showed rejection. Of those patients with rejection, 47% had symptoms. Seven patients experienced late rejection and all made a good recovery with normal cardiac function. We conclude that the incidence of acute rejection decreases significantly more than 3 months after-transplantation; after 9 months only 2.5% of endomyocardial biopsies will show rejection. Of these, 47% will be associated with symptoms. On the basis of experience, we believe that in our own unit, endomyocardial biopsy more than 9 months after transplantation seems unwarranted unless clinically indicated.
Adult↗
Atrial overdrive pacing for reversion of atrial flutter after heart transplantation.
Atrial overdrive pacing is an effective treatment to terminate classic (type 1) atrial flutter. After heart transplantation, the appearance of atrial flutter may be an indication of acute allograft rejection, and in patients who have this arrhythmia we routinely perform endomyocardial biopsy. In this study we examined the efficacy of atrial overdrive pacing performed at the time of endomyocardial biopsy in the termination of atrial flutter. Endomyocardial biopsy was performed with a Caves-Scholten bioptome via a right internal jugular venous sheath. After completion of the biopsy, a J-shaped 5F bipolar pacing lead was inserted via the sheath and positioned with the lead tip directed medially against the interatrial septum or right atrial appendage. Atrial pacing was performed with stimulation rates up to 450 beats/min at 20 mA for 15 seconds. Since July 1989, 16 episodes of atrial flutter have occurred in nine patients. Twelve episodes (75%) were associated with acute rejection, which was moderate or severe in nine cases. Atrial overdrive pacing was successful in restoring sinus rhythm in 13 of 14 episodes during which it was attempted (success rate, 93%). The procedure was uncomplicated and produced minimal patient discomfort. In comparison, of eight episodes of atrial flutter (in six patients) that occurred before the routine use of atrial overdrive pacing, seven were associated with rejection. With treatment of rejection, two episodes reverted spontaneously, but on six occasions cardioversion with patients under general anesthesia was necessary to restore sinus rhythm. In conclusion, atrial flutter occurring after heart transplantation is usually associated with acute allograft rejection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Atrial Flutter↗
The effect of chronic amiodarone therapy before transplantation on early cardiac allograft function.
Because of its long half-life, there has been concern that chronic amiodarone therapy before heart transplantation may adversely affect early cardiac allograft function and delay patient recovery. We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of the last 50 patients undergoing heart transplantation at our institution (between September 1988 and September 1989). Nineteen patients had been taking amiodarone at the time of transplantation (mean daily dose, 247 +/- 31 mg; mean duration of treatment, 9.0 +/- 2.2 months). These patients did not differ from the remaining 31 patients with respect to age, sex, or cause of disease. Donor organ ischemic time was also similar in the two groups (158 +/- 11 vs 153 +/- 10 minutes, NS). Patients who had received amiodarone before transplantation had significantly lower heart rates at 1 and 4 weeks after transplantation. They required atrial pacing for a longer time after transplantation compared with the remaining patients (7.3 +/- 1.4 vs 3.4 +/- 0.8 days, p less than 0.02). There was, however, no detectable effect of prior amiodarone therapy either on early allograft inotropic function or on clinical outcome. The mean time to hospital discharge was similar in the two groups. We believe that acceptance for heart transplantation should not be regarded as a contraindication to amiodarone therapy.
Adolescent↗