Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C T Ting

Publications and source records attributed to C T Ting.

85 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Safety and efficacy of a modified catheter-mediated ablation of accessory pathways.

Fifty-one consecutive patients underwent modified catheter-mediated direct-current ablation of accessory pathways. Energy was delivered through the distal pair of electrodes (dual electrode configuration) of a 6F quadripolar catheter to the internal surface of the right or left atrioventricular (AV) annulus. In an attempt to prevent the later resumption of accessory pathway conduction, one additional shock was given after the initial successful interruption of accessory pathways. A mean of 2.7 shocks with cumulative energy of 453 +/- 32 Joules/patient interrupted the accessory pathways in 47 patients and modified the accessory pathway conduction in 2 patients. Forty-eight patients were asymptomatic and free of any antiarrhythmic agents with a follow-up ranging from 3-20 months (mean 12 +/- 1 months), without early or late serious complications (AV block or tamponade). Conduction characteristics, concealed or manifest, and recording of accessory pathway activity did not affect the outcome. Mean cumulative energy and number of applications of energy to achieve a successful outcome were lower in patients with concealed (376 +/- 31 Joules, 2.4 +/- 0.2 shocks) than manifest accessory pathways (516 +/- 50 Joules, 2.9 +/- 0.2 shocks). At the successful ablation sites, the mean shortest retrograde ventriculoatrial interval during orthodromic reentrant tachycardia (VA') was 80 +/- 3 msec (78% had VA' less than 90 msec) and was not different between concealed and manifest accessory pathways; the mean shortest antegrade AV interval was 47 +/- 3 msec in manifest preexcitation; the mean ratio of atrial to ventricular wave amplitude was not significantly different between left-sided (0.8 +/- 0.1) and right-sided (1.1 +/- 0.2) accessory pathways (p greater than 0.05). A successful outcome was achieved in 94% of 51 patients. This procedure is relatively safe and effective, regardless of the location of the accessory pathway.

Adult↗

A comparative study of a modified catheter-mediated direct current and radiofrequency ablation on atrioventricular junction.

Conventional His-bundle ablation, performed at the site with the largest His-bundle potential, displays a high incidence of a new right bundle branch block with loss of pacemaker escape. Damage to the perinodal atrial area may decrease the injury to the His-bundle, such that the escape pacemaker activity with a narrow QRS complex is produced. This study reports data from 25 patients with drug-refractory atrial tachyarrhythmias. Nine patients (group I) received radiofrequency (RF) ablation of the atrioventricular junction (AVJ). General anesthesia was not necessary in group I patients. During a mean follow-up period of 10 months, a complete AV block persisted in 5 patients, and a first degree AV block persisted in 2 patients; these patients were asymptomatic and did not require treatment with antiarrhythmic agents. A successful direct-current (DC) ablation was performed in one of the patients with an unsuccessful RF lesion, producing a new right bundle branch block (RBBB). Sixteen patients (group II) received DC ablation of the AVJ. During a mean follow-up period of 20 months, a complete AV block persisted in 9 patients, a first degree AV block was produced in 7 patients, and a new RBBB occurred in 2 patients. Fifteen patients (94%) were asymptomatic without administration of antiarrhythmic agents. Complications, including nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (1 patient) and pericarditis (1 patient), occurred immediately after ablation in group II. Myocardial injury, reflected by creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme, was higher in group II than in group I (25 +/- 2 vs 10 +/- 1 IU/l). We conclude that (1) catheter-mediated RF ablation of the AV junction is safer than DC ablation, (2) a majority of patients with drug-refractory atrial tachyarrhythmias can be successfully treated with RF ablation and (3) failure to achieve AV junction ablation with RF does not mitigate against successful application of DC ablation.

Adult↗

Reappraisal of intermediate-term follow-up of radiofrequency ablation of accessory atrioventricular pathways for treatment of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of catheter mediated radiofrequency (RF) ablation in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, 125 patients with accessory pathway (AP) mediated tachyarrhythmias underwent RF ablation. Right-sided APs were ablated from the atrial aspect of the tricuspid annulus (all from the femoral vein approach) and the left-sided APs were ablated from the atrial or ventricular aspect of the mitral annulus. Immediately after ablation, 3 of 8 APs (38%) and 131 of 137 APs (95%) were ablated successfully with RF through a small-tip (2 mm) and a large-tip (4 mm) electrode catheter, respectively. Seven of the 11 APs where RF ablation failed had a later successful DC ablation. During follow-up (3 to 22 months), 11 of the 114 patients (10%) with successful ablation had return of accessory pathway conduction (2 had recurrence of tachycardia (2%)). Complications included transient myocardial injury (peak CK-MB 15 +/- 3 IU/l), transient proarrhythmic effects (more atrial and ventricular premature beats), accidental AV block (1 patient), cardiac tamponade (1 patient) and suspicion of aortic dissection (1 patient). In successful sessions, procedure and radiation exposure time were 3.8 +/- 0.2 h and 45 +/- 4 min, respectively. This study confirms that RF ablation with a large-tip electrode catheter is an effective and relatively safe nonsurgical method for treatment of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

Adult↗

Follow-up of a modified catheter ablation of the atrioventricular junction in patients with atrial tachyarrhythmias.

In order to reduce cumulative energy, minimize barotrauma and infranodal injury, a modified catheter ablation technique was performed on seventeen patients. These patients had drug refractory atrial tachyarrhythmias (AT) consisting of thirteen with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAf), three with sick sinus syndrome (SSS) with PAf, and one having SSS with rapid left atrial tachycardia. This technique, using the femoral approach, consisted of delivering a direct-current (DC) shock using a dual electrode configuration, to the ablation site adjacent the atrioventricular (AV) junction just before the disappearance of His deflection on the His bundle electrogram. After delivering 1-4 DV shock (mean 2.8) (cumulative energy 556 +/- 260 joules), 9 pts had first degree AV block (1st AVB) and 8 pts had complete AV block (CAVB). Only two pts had a right bundle branch block after ablation. During the clinical follow-up (15.4 +/- 2.7 months), sixteen pts were asymptomatic and were free of antiarrhythmic drugs. One pt was asymptomatic with quinidine which was ineffective before ablation. Pacemaker implantation was performed in 10 pts as a back-up for symptomatic SSS and CAVB. The results show this modified technique is relatively safe and effective.

Adult↗

Compliance changes in physiological and pathological states.

AIM: Although arterial compliance has been estimated by a variety of methods none of them can be directly validated because it is difficult to measure arterial volume. Moreover, because arterial pressure-volume relationships are non-linear, compliance is pressure-dependent. We have developed a method of estimating arterial compliance based on the Windkessel model of the arterial system that can account for the pressure-dependence of compliance. RESULTS: Compared to normotensive humans, compliance was decreased in hypertension and normalized with alpha-blockade, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition and vasodilators, but not with beta-blockade. Compliance changes with aging, exercise and some diseases were determined. CONCLUSION: The decreased compliance seen in hypertension was due to an intrinsic change in the arterial wall, most likely due to increased smooth muscle tone.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗

Transesophageal color Doppler flow mapping of iatrogenic left-to-right interatrial shunting after percutaneous transluminal mitral valvotomy.

Characteristics of transesophageal color Doppler flow mapping of iatrogenic left-to-right interatrial shunts were assessed in 58 patients, 1 to 994 days after percutaneous transluminal mitral valvotomy. Transesophageal color Doppler flow mapping detected 22 cases of interatrial shunt whereas transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiography visualized only five interatrial septal defects. Five types of color Doppler flow patterns of interatrial shunts were found: type 1, a bluish jet passing through the interatrial septum into the right atrium with a small bluish proximal flow in the left atrium (50%); type 2, a bluish jet passing through the interatrial septum into the right atrium without a proximal flow (13.6%); type 3, a predominant bluish proximal flow in the left atrium passing through the interatrial septum with minimal flow entering into the right atrium (18.2%); type 4, an "en face" bluish jet in the right atrium (4.5%); and type 5, a "wall jet" with proximal flow adhering to and entering into the interatrial septum (13.6%). Oximetry demonstrated increased pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio (range 1.07 to 3.32) in 11 patients (50%), which was significantly correlated with the maximal jet area derived from color Doppler flow mapping (r = 0.80, P = 0.001). Thus, transesophageal color Doppler flow mapping is useful in detection of left-to-right interatrial shunts after percutaneous transluminal mitral valvotomy, and recognition of the variable types of color flow mapping may further help identify these atypical interatrial shunts.

Adult↗

Arterial hemodynamics in human hypertension. Effects of adrenergic blockade.

BACKGROUND: Resistance, pulse wave velocity, and wave reflections have been shown to be increased in patients with essential hypertension compared with normotensive controls. These alterations are completely normalized by nitroprusside infusion but exacerbated during beta-adrenergic blockade, suggesting an enhanced smooth muscle tone that is in part modulated by adrenergically mediated vasodilation. The present study was performed to examine the extent to which this apparently enhanced smooth muscle tone is a result of alpha-adrenergically mediated vasoconstriction. METHODS AND RESULTS: Age-matched normotensive and hypertensive Chinese subjects were instrumented with catheter-tipped micromanometers and an electromagnetic flow velocity sensor positioned in the ascending aorta. Aortic impedance and wave reflection properties were obtained from Fourier analysis of the pressure and flow signals during baseline conditions, after beta-blockade with propranolol (0.15 mg/kg i.v.), and after alpha-blockade with intravenous phentolamine (range, 15-80 mg) that was sufficient to either normalize blood pressure or produce a pressure that could not be further lowered. Compared with normotensives, in the baseline state, hypertensives had elevated resistance (1,962 versus 1,268 dyne.sec/cm5, p less than 0.001), total power (1,893 versus 1,568 mW, p less than 0.08), reflected pressure wave component (25.6 versus 13.5 mm Hg, p less than 0.001), ratio of reflected to forward wave (0.65 versus 0.42, p less than 0.001), and pulse wave velocity as determined from the frequency of the first zero-crossing of impedance phase angle (4.6 versus 3.5 Hz, p less than 0.03). During combined alpha- and beta-adrenergic blockade, blood pressure decreased into the normal range (from 162/103 to 131/87 mm Hg) but was still somewhat higher than that in the normotensive subjects. Resistance (1,914 dyne.sec/cm5, p less than 0.03), reflected wave (19.5 mm Hg, p less than 0.01), and ratio of reflected to forward wave (0.61, p less than 0.001) were, however, persistently elevated above normal values. CONCLUSIONS: alpha-Adrenergically mediated vasoconstriction cannot account for all of the hemodynamic alterations seen in essential hypertension.

Adult↗

Regional pulse wave velocities in hypertensive and normotensive humans.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to compare regional wave transmission and reflection properties along the aorta in age matched normotensive and hypertensive subjects. DESIGN: Simultaneous upstream and downstream micromanometer pressures were recorded at five regions from the ascending aorta to the iliac artery. Recordings were made in the baseline condition in both groups and during sustained isometric handgrip exercise in the normotensives to see if increasing the blood pressure to hypertensive levels would eliminate baseline differences between the two groups. SUBJECTS: Only subjects who had no coronary or valvular heart disease were studied. Normotensive subjects (n = 8) were selected from those undergoing electrophysiological testing whose blood pressures were consistently in the normal range (systolic less than 140, diastolic less than 90 mm Hg). Age matched hypertensive subjects (n = 17) were those in whom secondary causes of hypertension were excluded and who had repeated measurements of raised blood pressure. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: In each region pulse wave velocity was estimated from the simultaneous upstream and downstream pressure records using the foot to foot method, and apparent phase velocity was obtained from Fourier analysis of the two pressures. The intensity of wave reflections was judged by the magnitude of fluctuations of the harmonics of apparent phase velocity about the mean of the higher frequency harmonics. In both groups in the baseline state there were regional variations in the pulse wave velocity with the lowest values occurring just proximal to the renal arteries and highest values occurring in the iliac artery. Likewise, in both groups the extent of wave reflections varied regionally--pronounced reflections were seen in the ascending aorta and from just proximal to the renal arteries to the aortic bifurcation but not in the mid-thoracic or iliac regions. The hypertensives had higher pulse wave velocity than normotensives only in the iliac artery (780 v 567 cm.s-1) and had more reflections in the three regions in which reflections were evident. Although handgrip in the normotensive group eliminated regional differences in pulse wave velocity between the groups, reflections were still greater in the hypertensives. CONCLUSIONS: Essential hypertension affects the regional properties of the aortic wall. These alterations are manifested by increased peripheral wave-speed and increased wave reflections along the aorta. The differences in wavespeed but not reflection properties are eliminated when the pressures are matched by handgrip, suggesting that factors other than the level of blood pressure per se are responsible for the alterations in reflection properties.

Adult↗

Arterial hemodynamic indexes in Marfan's syndrome.

Aortic impedance, wave reflection magnitude, and compliance were measured in patients with Marfan's syndrome during diagnostic cardiac catheterization. Impedance and wave reflections were calculated from standard Fourier series analysis of ascending aorta micromanometer pressure and electromagnetic flow records. Compliance was estimated by a method recently proposed that uses the area under the pressure-time curve assuming a two-element Windkessel model of the circulation. Measurements were made in the baseline state, during vasodilatation with nitroprusside, after beta-adrenergic receptor blockade with intravenous propranolol, and during vasodilatation after beta-blockade. Marfan's syndrome produces alterations from normal in some hemodynamic variables: during baseline conditions, the magnitude of wave reflection was higher than in normal patients. This was normalized by vasodilatation and further increased by beta-blockade. Despite the greatly dilated aortic root, the aortic characteristic impedance was in the normal range, suggesting increased aortic wall stiffness. The baseline total arterial compliance was greatly increased with nitroprusside and was reduced by beta-blockade. beta-Blockade did not decrease the maximum acceleration of blood into the ascending aorta. These are the first detailed measurements of hemodynamic indexes in this disease. The results suggest that acute beta-blockade is not necessarily beneficial in reducing hemodynamic loading on an already dilated aortic root.

Adult↗

Aortic compliance in human hypertension.

Aortic compliance in normotensive and hypertensive Chinese subjects undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization was compared by using a newly described method that allows for determination of the pressure dependence of compliance if one assumes a value for the exponential coefficient of the pressure-volume relation of the large arteries. Under baseline conditions in the normotensive and hypertensive groups at mean aortic pressures of 96.3 and 128.6 mm Hg, aortic compliance averaged 1.47 and 0.80 ml/mm Hg, respectively. Compliance in the hypertensive group at a diastolic pressure of 99.4 mm Hg (which was nearly equal to the mean normotensive pressure) was 1.072 ml/mm Hg--still significantly lower than in the normotensive group. During nitroprusside infusion, however, the compliances in the hypertensive group increased to levels equal to or greater those in the normotensive group. Thus, these data confirm that aortic compliance is lower in hypertensive than in normotensive humans. They further demonstrate that the lower compliance cannot be attributed entirely to the elevated blood pressure, suggesting that excess smooth muscle tone may be partly responsible.

Adult↗

Arterial hemodynamics in human hypertension.

Differences in aortic impedance between normotensives and hypertensives are not well characterized. We examined impedance in 8 normotensive and 11 hypertensive (mean 96.7 vs. 122.2 mmHg) age-matched, Chinese patients undergoing cardiac catheterization at rest, during nitroprusside, and handgrip exercise before and after beta blockade (propranolol). Hypertensives had higher resistance (2,295 vs. 1713 dyn-s/cm5), characteristic impedance (145.7 vs. 93.9 dyn-s/cm5), total external power (1,579 vs. 1174 mW), peripheral reflections (ratio of backward to forward wave components of 0.54 vs. 0.44), and first zero crossing of impedance phase angle (4.15 vs. 2.97 Hz). These abnormalities were eliminated with vasodilatation. Differences between groups were not further exacerbated when pressure was increased during handgrip exercise. Beta blockade further increased resistance and reflections. Thus, hemodynamic abnormalities of essential hypertension (increased resistance, reflections, and pulse wave velocity, and decreased compliance) are compatible with an increased vasomotor tone that is further unmasked during generalized beta blockade.

Adult↗

In vivo distribution of carbon-11 phenytoin and its major metabolite, and their use in scintigraphic imaging.

Curie quantities (0.3--1.5 Ci) of H11CN were used in the synthesis of C-11-tagged phenytoin (C-11.DPH) and 5-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-5-phenylhydantoin (C-11.HPPH), using a modified Bücherer-Bergs reaction. The H11CN was produced from a mixture of 95% nitrogen and 5% hydrogen by a 45-min bombardment with 10-MeV protons at 10 muA. Following i.v. infusions of C-11 DPH (13.7 mg/kg at a rate of 29 mg/min) into the left femoral vein of Rhesus monkeys, DPH shows persistent concentration in the brain and liver fields. Extravascular administration shows significant retention at the site of administration. Intravenous bolus injection of [11C]-HPPH into a Rhesus monkey, at a dose of 6.4 mg/kg, resulted in localization of this compound in the liver, gallbladder, urinary bladder, and intestinal fields. Loss of activity from the liver region, with appearance of this activity in the intestinal field, suggests that [11C]-HPPH is secreted into the intestine via the bile. Further investigation is needed to study the potential of [11C]-DPH as a brain-scanning agent and [11C]-HPPH as a possible cholescintigraphic agent.

Animals↗

Congenital sinus of Valsalva aneurysm: a multiplane transesophageal echocardiographic experience.

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is a rare congenital anomaly which, if overlooked, may be associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Multiplane transesophageal echocardiography proved useful in identifying a variety of associated structural heart disease. This study sought to assess the accuracy of the surgical result on the basis of the multiplane transesophageal echocardiography findings and to describe patient demographics and clinical outcome in an Oriental patient cohort. From July 1984 to December 1995, clinical, catheterization, echocardiographic, and surgical results were retrospectively studied in 23 patients with documented sinus of Valsalva aneurysm. Compared with previous reports of Oriental patients, our patient cohort was older (p < 0.025), had more associated aortic, mitral, and tricuspid regurgitation (p < 0.01), but had fewer coexistent ventricular septal defects (p < 0.01), and had more associated coronary artery disease (9%). Multiplane transesophageal echocardiography precisely showed three undiagnosed and/or ambiguous transthoracic echocardiographic studies, and the preoperative transesophageal echocardiography TEE findings were confirmed intraoperatively in the last eight consecutive patients. We concluded that multiplane transesophageal echocardiography provides conclusive information and is the current technique of choice for diagnosis and clinical management of patients with sinus of Valsalva aneurysm; although the natural history of sinus of Valsalva aneurysm remains uncertain, it is likely that the incidence of unruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is considerably higher in the elderly than has been previously reported.

Adolescent↗