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Biomedical subjects

G Modin

Publications and source records attributed to G Modin.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Comparative efficacies of ciprofloxacin, pefloxacin, and vancomycin in combination with rifampin in a rat model of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus chronic osteomyelitis.

The efficacies of the quinolones ciprofloxacin and pefloxacin alone and in combination with rifampin were compared with those of vancomycin alone and in combination with rifampin in a rat model of chronic osteomyelitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Neither the quinolones nor vancomycin alone was effective in reducing titers of organisms in bone after therapy, while rifampin alone was effective. All combination regimens with rifampin were more effective than the regimen with rifampin alone was, although these differences did not achieve statistical significance. Rifampin-resistant isolates were detected rarely. Quinolone-rifampin combination regimens may offer a nonparenteral option for the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus.

Animals↗

Electrophysiologic effects of cigarette smoking in patients with and without chronic beta-blocker therapy.

After refraining from smoking for at least 8 hours, 22 adult male habitual smokers underwent baseline electrophysiologic study including atrial and ventricular burst pacing and programmed premature stimulation with single extrastimuli. After smoking 2 of their usual brand of cigarettes in rapid succession, the electrophysiologic protocol was repeated. Nicotine, catecholamine and carbon monoxide concentrations all increased significantly. Smoking increased heart rate and improved atrioventricular conduction in the 13 patients receiving chronic beta-blocker therapy (mostly for angina pectoris); increases in heart rate and improvement in atrioventricular conduction were not different statistically from those seen in patients not receiving beta-blocker therapy, suggesting the possibility of a direct effect of nicotine or other components of tobacco smoke. Ventricular refractoriness was not altered and atrial and ventricular arrhythmias were not increased by smoking. Persistent sympathomimetic actions of cigarette smoking may explain in part the failure of beta-blocking drugs to reduce cardiac mortality risk in smokers after myocardial infarction.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Survival in severe left ventricular failure treated with the new nonglycosidic, nonsympathomimetic oral inotropic agents.

Survival in severe left ventricular failure is poor but has not been widely assessed since the introduction of several new nonglycosidic, nonsympathomimetic oral inotropic agents for long-term therapy. We examined retrospectively the survival of 82 patients with severe left heart failure during long-term treatment with oral milrinone (17 patients), posicor (12 patients), enoximone (47 patients), and piroximone (6 patients). Sixty-five patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class 4, 15 patients were in class 3, and two patients were in class 2. There were 57 patients with ischemic and 25 patients were in class 2. There were 57 patients with ischemic and 25 patients with nonischemic etiology of left heart failure. Most patients were referred for inotropic therapy after failing to respond to conventional agents, including vasodilators. However, in almost all patients, marked hemodynamic and clinical improvement occurred initially. Overall survival was 36 percent at six months, the majority of deaths occurring during the first three months. Survival in relation to etiology of heart failure showed a trend toward increased mortality in patients associated with ischemic heart disease vs non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Sudden death mortality was also higher in the ischemic group (28 percent at six months vs 5 percent at six months; p less than 0.05). There was a trend toward reduced sudden death mortality in patients on antiarrhythmic agents during inotropic therapy (p = 0.06). We conclude that overall survival in symptomatic patients with severe left ventricular failure remains very low during long-term therapy with several new oral inotropic agents. Sudden death appears higher in patients with an ischemic etiology during therapy with these agents.

Administration, Oral↗

Cocaine use and the risk for endocarditis in intravenous drug users.

Endocarditis is a relatively frequent infection in intravenous drug users. We compared features in the cases of 102 patients with those in intravenous drug users with other causes of fever to identify risk factors predictive of endocarditis. Logistic regression analysis showed cocaine use to be strongly associated with endocarditis. This special risk involving cocaine use has not been reported previously; the explanation for it may provide insight into the pathogenesis of endocarditis.

Adult↗

ECG-synchronized cardiac MR imaging: method and evaluation.

An electrocardiographic (ECG) sensing and gating device compatible with a 0.35-tesla (T) magnetic resonance (MR) imager has been developed and used to produce 802 MR images of the heart in 30 patients. The instrument consists of an isolated acquisition module, an electrically floating preamplifier, and a monitor gating module. Two spin-echo images were acquired for each of five, 0.7-cm thick, transaxial sections from the base to the apex of the heart during each ECG-synchronized imaging run. Image quality was assessed in a blind study by two investigators, on a scale from 0 to 3, as diagnostic [2-3] or nondiagnostic [0-1]. There was agreement in 91.4% of their assessments of diagnostic images (68.1% of the images studied). Resolution of heart anatomy on the MR images was adversely affected by prolonged spin-echo time delay, imaging in late diastole, image acquisition at the cardiac apex, irregular triggering, and artifacts. The synchronization of gradient pulses to the ECG at 0.35 T appears safe for patients, permits diagnostic resolution of images, allows image acquisition at distinct points during the cardiac cycle, and enables monitoring of patients during imaging.

Adult↗

Electrophysiologic studies in patients with bundle branch block.

A total of 401 patients with chronic bundle branch block underwent electrophysiologic studies and were followed for a mean of approximately 30 months. Patients with an infranodal conduction time (H-Q) greater than or equal to 70 ms had a significantly higher incidence of progression to spontaneous second-degree or third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block (12%) compared with those with H-Q less than 70 ms (3.5%). The incidence of AV block was 25% for those with H-Q greater than or equal to 100 ms. Although the incidences of all deaths and cardiac deaths were higher for the H-Q greater than or equal to 70 ms group, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of sudden deaths in the two groups. A subgroup of 77 patients underwent prophylactic pacemaker insertion based on the presence of transient neurologic symptoms and/or a prolonged H-Q interval. We found no significant difference in the incidence of relief of symptoms or incidence of cardiac or sudden deaths between paced and unpaced groups. A subgroup of 25 patients with syncope underwent ventricular stimulation studies and ventricular tachycardia was induced in 14. We conclude that a markedly prolonged H-Q interval (greater than or equal to 100 ms) may be of value in detection of spontaneous AV block. Prophylactic pacing is of no value in either relief of symptoms or prolongation of life. Complete electrophysiologic studies, including ventricular stimulation studies, are indicated for patients with bundle branch block and syncope.

Aged↗

Serial electrophysiologic studies in patients with chronic bundle branch block.

Serial His bundle recordings were obtained during 1:1 atrioventricular (AV) conduction in 90 patients with chronic bundle branch block over a mean interval of 30 months. Atrioventricular conduction time (AH) increased greater than or equal to 10 msec in 25 (28%) and infranodal conduction time (HV) increased greater than or equal to 8 msec in 29 (32%), but only 10 patients had parallel increases in AH and HV intervals. Increases in conduction times were independent of age, time interval between studies, cause of heart disease or initial AH or HV intervals. Women were significantly more likely than men to show an increased HV interval and spontaneous trifascicular block. Spontaneous progression to second- or third-degree AV block occurred at the AV node in seven patients and below the node in 12 patients. The initial AH interval was prolonged in five of seven patients (71%) with AV nodal block and had increased further in only two at restudy. The initial HV interval was abnormal in eight of 12 patients (67%) who progressed to infranodal block and was prolonged further in eight at restudy. We conclude that in patients with chronic bundle branch block, (1) approximately 33% show progressive AV conduction system disease and AV nodal and infranodal disease progress independently; (2) progression of infranodal disease is more common in women; (3) AV nodal disease progress independently; (2) progression of infranodal disease is more common in women; (3) AV nodal disease is a common cause of AV block and can occur without further prolongation of the AH interval once a critical level of disease is attained, whereas infranodal block is usually accompanied by progressive lengthening of the HV interval; and (4) progression of AV conduction disease is not readily predictable from clinical and electrophysiologic variables.

Aged↗

Graded exercise testing in patients with sinus node dysfunction.

Serial measurements of heart rate and oxygen uptake were obtained before and during maximal upright graded bicycle stress testing in 16 patients, 10 to 77 years old (mean 46 years), with sinus node dysfunction; five had permanent and two had temporary demand ventricular pacemakers. In 15 patients, including those with pacemakers, maximal exercise was performed before and after the intravenous administration of 1 mg atropine. Maximal exercise was terminated because of cerebral symptoms in seven (three had effort-induced tachyarrhythmias and one had autonomic insufficiency), fatigue in five (one had effort-induced heart block), heart failure in three and angina pectoris in one. With maximal exercise, patients with sinus node dysfunction were unable to obtain maximal heart rates or oxygen uptakes comparable to age- and sex-matched control subjects. Additionally, maximal oxygen uptake did not differ significantly between patients with or without pacemakers even when ventricular pacing rates were increased (two instances). The administration of atropine increased the resting heart rate, but the maximal heart rate and oxygen uptake achieved during maximal exercise did not differ significantly from those obtained before the administration of atropine in the patient and control groups. Physically active patients with sinus node dysfunction have diminished exercise capacity due in part to cardiac arrhythmia, latent or overt cardiac failure, or autonomic dysfunction.

Adolescent↗

Prognostic value of infranodal conduction time in patients with chronic bundle branch block.

His bundle recordings were obtained in 121 patients with chronic bundle branch block and the patients were followed for a mean period of 18 months. Seventy-nine patients had an infranodal conduction time (H-Q) less than 70 msec while 42 had H-Q greater than or equal to 70 msec. There was no significant difference in mean age, smoking history, diabetes, syncope, dizziness, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol or triglyceride levels between the two groups. There was a significantly greater incidence of progresssion to second degree or third degree atrioventricular block (9/42, 21%), and of severe congestive heart failure (16/42, 38%) in patients with H-Q greater than or equal to 70 compared with those with H-Q less than 70 (1/79, 1.3%; and 13/79, 16%, respectively). The risk of sudden death was significantly greater only in the group with H-Q greater than or equal to 70 and severe congestive heart failure. There was no correlation between the presence of first degree atrioventricular block and/or any particular type of bundle branch block pattern with sudden death and/or progression to second degree or third degree atrioventricular block. Analysis of the surface electrocardiogram is only of limited value in predicting high risk patients with chronic bundle branch block. Electrophysiologic studies are of greatest value in patients with bundle branch block with transient neurologic symptoms in whom no cause for the symptoms is evident.

Bundle-Branch Block↗

Atrial pacing in patients with sinus node dysfunction.

Sinus nod recovery time (SNRT) at paced atrial rates of 100 (SNRT100) and 120 (SNRT120) beats/min, atrial effective refractory periods at spontaneous heart rates (AERP) and at paced rates of 100 (AERP100) and 120 (AERP120) beats/min, and premature atrial stimulation were among the studies in evaluating 33 patients with symptomatic sinus node disease and 42 normal subjects. Although mean SNRT100 and SNRT120 were statistically significantly greater in patients than in control subjects, there was a significant overlap between patient and control groups, and SNRT100 or SNRT120 was associated with a 30.3 per cent false-negative and 5 per cent false-positive incidence. Correction for heart rate (SNRT-spontaneous cycle length) failed to improve the sensitivity or specificity of this test. There was no significant difference in mean AERP, AERP100 or AERP120, or in sinoatrial conduction time in patients compared with control subjects. Analyses of curves derived from plots of test and return cycles showed abnormal curves in only five of the 24 patients studied by progressively premature atrial stimulation. Two of these five patients showed normal zone I and II phenomena followed by a progressive linear increase in the return cycle that was thought to be due to abnormal refractoriness of the perinodal fibers.

Adult↗

Echocardiography in serial evaluation of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function: importance of image acquisition, quantitation, and physiologic variability in clinical and investigational applications.

Quantitative echocardiography is frequently used for serial evaluation of left ventricular performance. This prospective study was designed to determine the extent to which the acts of image acquisition and quantitation, and the subjects themselves, affect total variability in two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic indexes of left ventricular morphology and performance. Therefore, two technicians and two readers acquired and analyzed 60 echocardiograms from 15 normal subjects, each of whom was studied four times (twice on each of two visits). Analysis of variance based on generalizability theory was used to estimate the magnitude of these variability sources by calculating standard deviations (SD) and used to estimate their contribution to total variability. Of the two-dimensional echocardiographic indexes tested, ejection fraction varied least (SD, 6.6%) and left ventricular mass varied most (SD, 35.3 gm). Of the Doppler indexes, normalized early diastolic filling velocity integral varied least (SD, 8.4%) and deceleration time varied most (SD, 48.6 msec). Technical (image acquisition and quantitation) variability contributed most (and subject variability least) to total variability of stroke volume (68%) and deceleration time (67%). Technical variability contributed least (and subject variability most) to variability of ejection fraction (43%) and diastolic filling time (25%). The acts of image acquisition and quantitation varied more between than within technicians and readers. Peak atrial filling velocity and the ratio of peak early to atrial filling velocity significantly differed between technicians. Left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular mass, peak atrial filling velocity, early filling integral, and deceleration of early filling differed significantly between readers. Therefore the acts of image acquisition and quantitation, and subject variability itself, all contribute to total variability in echocardiographic indexes. Changes seen on clinical studies should be interpreted as abnormal only when exceeding the total variability originating from these sources. Generalizability theory allows one to tailor strategies to reduce variability. These strategies include increasing the number of observations, readers, and technicians for any given "baseline" study and using the same readers and technicians for sequential follow-up studies.

Adult↗

The feasibility of a telecommunications service in support of outpatient congestive heart failure care in a diverse patient population.

A home telemonitoring system for patients with congestive heart failure was studied for feasibility and efficacy in a diverse patient population. Fifty patients used the service, in which they weighed themselves and answered yes/no questions about symptoms. Changes in patient weights or symptoms prompted a nurse to call the patient and/or the physician. Patients were given educational and quality of life surveys at enrollment, at 30 days, and at 6 months. The average daily usage rate was 94%. Patients were contacted 57 times--prompting 57 physician notifications, eight medication changes, and 11 nonroutine clinic visits. Patient response to lifestyle surveys showed an improvement in quality of life and improved understanding of prevention measures. Eighty-four percent of patients and 65% of physicians reported satisfaction with the system. This pilot study suggests that home telemonitoring is feasible and has clinical utility in diverse patient groups, and may improve patients' satisfaction and knowledge of self-care. (c)2000 by CHF, Inc.

Journal Article↗