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Biomedical subjects

H Douard

Publications and source records attributed to H Douard.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

[Diagnostic value of ST depression corrected for heart rate in the post-exercise recovery period].

This study assessed the diagnostic value of two new electrocardiographic criteria of coronary artery disease: the ST/HR index and the slope of the linear relationship between ST segment changes and the heart rate during the first three minutes of the post-exercise recovery period. These two criteria were compared to the standard criteria (> or = 1 mm horizontal or descending ST depression or > or = 2 mm ascending ST depression) to Detrano's ST/HR exercise index (> 1.6 microV/bpm in coronary patient), the exercise ST/HR slope (> or = 2.4 microV/bpm in coronary patients) and the exercise recovery loop (clockwise in normal and anticlockwise in coronary patients) in 88 subjects investigated for suspected coronary artery disease who underwent a computerised exercise stress test and coronary angiography (25 single vessel, 21 double vessel, 20 triple vessel disease; 22 with no significant coronary disease). The ROC identified thresholds of abnormality of the ST/HR recovery index at > or = 2.1 microV/bpm and of the ST/HR recovery slope at > or = 2.52 microV/bpm. Global comparison of the areas under the ROC showed the diagnostic superiority of the exercise ST/HR indices (0.96) over the standard criteria (0.92) and recovery indices (0.86) but without statistically significant values (p = 0.65 and p = 0.15 respectively). The ST/HR index and slope during recovery identify coronary disease with a diagnostic accuracy of 80% and 77% respectively which is similar to that (84%) of the standard ST criteria. The exercise-recovery loop was less accurate (64%).

Aged↗
PubMed1998

[Preoperative management of patients with high-risk cardiovascular conditions].

The growing numbers of elderly and cardiac patients are the consequence of progress in the prevention of the complications of coronary artery and valvular heart disease by surgery and revascularisation and improved treatment of hypertension which delays target organ complications by at least fifteen years. The elderly are particularly exposed to surgical risk: nearly half the patients with ischaemic heart disease die of cancer; a high proportion of elderly people require orthopaedic surgery either as an emergency (fractured femur) or as a standard procedure (knee surgery); nearly a quarter of patients requiring peripheral vascular surgery have coronary artery disease which may be silent. A preoperative consultation with the anaesthetist has been made compulsory, except in emergencies, giving time for preoperative investigations. The decrees of the Court of Cassation have also affected the traditional relationship of trust between patients and their doctors, leading to an increase in the cost of preoperative investigations without an accurate assessment of their benefits with regards to postoperative complications and the cost that they entail. Contrary to present tendencies reflected in the literature, the screening of risks should be simplified: clinical history and examination and resting ECG, often completed by stress testing, are sufficient in the large majority of cases. More importance should be attributed to the functional status than to the lesions. When the cardiac disease is asymptomatic, the chances are that it will remain so during and after surgery.... The main difficulty is not in identifying high risk patients: it is preventing cardiovascular events when surgery is unavoidable. The experience and collaboration between the quartet of anaesthetist, surgeon, cardiologist and general practitioner, are much more useful than the very incomplete bibliographical data concerning this side of the problem.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed1998

[Rehabilitation by physical exercise in chronic heart failure].

The aim of rehabilitation is to improve exercise capacity and, thereby, the autonomy of patients with cardiac failure. For many years, these patients were considered inapt to perform physical exercise and they are in the same situation at the dawn of the year 2000 as patients with myocardial infarction forty years ago. The symptoms of cardiac failure (dyspnoea of effort and muscular fatigue) are not only the consequence of pulmonary hypertension and decreased muscular perfusion. Prolonged interruption of exercise and long stays in bed or in a chair lead to anatomical and functional amyotrophy, which, in turns, incites to further inactivity. Deconditioned respiratory muscles cannot tolerate the increased load of hyperventilation. Neurohormonal changes cause vasoconstriction which reduces muscular perfusion. Physical training can significantly improve these abnormalities, though it does not seem to have a measurable effect on cardiac function; based on segmental work which enables performance of substantial efforts with a minimum of haemodynamic changes, it provides a 20 to 30% gain in capacity, mainly increasing the duration of submaximal exercise rather than maximum performance. Muscular fatigue is the symptom which is the most improved. Unfortunately the organisation, which is more difficult than in the post-infarction period, and the generalisation of the practice of long-term, well adapted physical training remains marginal although hundreds of thousands of patients could benefit; more than the inertia of the official instances concerning anything related to cardiac rehabilitation, it is the lack of interest shown by cardiologists and the absence of flexible structures within the health care organisation for elderly people which are responsible.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Predictive factors of maximal aerobic capacity after cardiac transplantation.

Exercise capacity in cardiac transplanted patients has been reported to remain decreased in some studies; however, functional results after transplantation may vary, ranging from modest to spectacular improvement. The aim of the study was to quantify exercise capacity in a large series of transplanted patients and to search for factor predictive of a good functional result. Eighty-five patients (mean 52.1 +/- 11.8 years) underwent exercise testing with respiratory gas exchange measurements 1 to 100 months after transplantation. Mean performance was 112.4 +/- 33 W with a peak VO2 of 21.1 +/- 6 ml.min-1.kg-1. Heart rate was 103 +/- 14 at rest, reaching 142 +/- 22 beats.min-1 at the end of exercising. In univariate analysis, maximal or submaximal aerobic capacity parameters were strongly correlated with chronotropic reserve (r = 0.63; P < 0.001) without correlation with cold ischaemic time, number of rejection episodes or right bundle branch block. In multiple regression analysis, chronotropic reserve, time from transplantation, age of donor and age of patient were proved to be the variables best correlated with peak VO2. Our study confirms the persistence of a large decrease in aerobic functional capacity despite cardiac transplantation; limited exercise capacity does not improve over time, and is limited not only by the patient's age but by that of the donor, and especially by chronotropic reserve.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Physical training improves exercise capacity in patients with mitral stenosis after balloon valvuloplasty.

BACKGROUND: Haemodynamic measurements taken at rest and during exercise showed that percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy results in both acute and long-term improvement. However, the time lag before there is an increase in exercise and in peak oxygen uptake appears to be delayed and irregular. PATIENTS AND METHODS: To assess the potential of physical training to restore better physical capacity after percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy, 26 patients with mitral stenosis were studied after the procedure. The group was split into two. Thirteen underwent a 3-month rehabilitation programme, and the other 13, who did not, acted as controls. RESULTS: The mitral valve orifice area increased similarly, from 1.12 +/- 0.17 to 1.88 +/- 0.28 cm2 in the training group and from 1.04 +/- 0.16 to 1.88 +/- 0.19 cm2 in the control group. Cardiopulmonary parameters were similar before percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (peak VO2: 19.9 +/- 2.4 vs 18.9 +/- 4.5 ml. min-1.kg-1; peak workload: 94.6 +/- 29.3 vs 96.1 +/- 25 watts; VO2 at anaerobic threshold: 17 +/- 3.4 vs 16.1 +/- 5.2 ml.min-1.kg-1; all P = ns). Three months later the results were higher in the training group 1 (peak VO2: 26.6 +/- 4.7 vs 21.6 +/- 3.8 ml.min-1.kg-1, P = 0.03; peak workload: 125.4 +/- 26.6 vs 108.5 +/- 23 watts, P = 0.03; VO2 at anaerobic threshold: 19.6 +/- 5.8 vs 15.8 +/- 2.9 ml.min-1.kg-1; P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that patients should take up exercise after successful percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy for better functional improvement.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Cardiorespiratory response to exercise after venous switch operation for transposition of the great arteries.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study reports on the cardiorespiratory response to graded exercise in patients after venous switch operation for transposition of the great arteries. DESIGN: Several small studies have documented a diminished exercise tolerance after Mustard repair for transposition of the great arteries, little information exists, however, about long-term cardiorespiratory exercise performance in patients who have had the Senning procedure. PATIENTS: This prospective study reports on the serial long-term (mean, 11 +/- 2.8 years) cardiopulmonary exercise performance of 43 patients (age, 12 +/- 3.1 years) who underwent a Senning procedure, with no significant postoperative abnormalities. Forty-three matched healthy children were also studied as a control group. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: All underwent exercise testing (Bruce protocol) with metabolic gas exchange to determine parameters at 3 min, anaerobic threshold, similar heart rate (150 beats/min), and peak exercise. Time of exercise was 10.5 +/- 1.9 min in patients and 13.4 +/- 2 min in control subjects (p = 0.0001). Overall, patients reached 73% of peak oxygen uptake achieved by control subjects (32.6 +/- 5.6 vs 44.7 +/- 6 mL/kg/min). Chronotropic response (188 +/- 15.7 vs 166.5 +/- 19.6 beats/min [p = 0.0001]) and oxygen pulse (7.4 +/- 2.9 vs 10.7 +/- 4.2 mL/beat [p = 0.0002]) were lower in patients at peak exercise. Patients had a greater respiratory response to exercise: both respiratory rate and ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide were significantly higher at all stages of exercise. Exercise capacity assessed by peak oxygen uptake was correlated with time elapsed since surgical repair (r = 0.48; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that even in asymptomatic patients, exercise endurance and respiratory response are generally altered as much as 11 +/- 2.8 years after venous switch operation, although early surgical repair is predictive of a better long-term functional result.

Child↗
PubMed1997

[Alteration of myocardial viability and systemic ventricular dysfunction after Senning procedure].

After a Senning procedure for transposition of the great arteries (TGA), systolic dysfunction of the right ventricle (RV) is common. Pre and peroperative chronicale hypoxia may be the cause of this ventricular myocardial alteration. In order to detect abnormalities of myocardial viability and to study their relationship to RV function, the authors studied 41 patients (pts), 11.3 +/- 3 years after a Senning procedure. All patients underwent myocardial scintigraphy of the RV under basal conditions. 1 hour after injection of 1.5 mCi of Thallium 201. The RV ejection fraction (n = 41) and at peak effort (n = 25). Exercise ability and aerobic capacity were assessed by exercise testing (Bruce) with gas exchange measurement and compared with 41 normal matched subjects. The cardiorespiratory response to exercise was altered in the Senning group : duration of effort (10.5 +/- 2 vs 13.2 +/- 2 min; p < 0.0001), peak VO2 (33 +/- 5 vs 44.4 +/- 6 ml/min/kg; p < 0.0001), anaerobic threshold (6 +/- 1 vs 8.4 +/- 1.9 min; p < 0.05) were lower compared to controls. Abnormalities of RV viability were observed in 18/41 pts (44%), moderate in 12 cases and severe in 6 cases. Resting and exercise RVEF were significantly lower in patients with myocardial defects (45 +/- 5 vs 51 +/- 7%; p < 0.0005, and 49 +/- 9 vs 58 +/- 9%; p < 0.05 respectively). In conclusion, after the Senning procedure for TGA, scintigraphic abnormalities of the systemic ventricule are common and associated with an alteration of systolic function at rest and on exercise.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Value and limits of exercise radionuclide ventriculography in chronic aortic insufficiency. Apropos of 47 operated cases].

The role of exercise radionuclide angiography in the therapeutic strategy of chronic aortic insufficiency remains controversial. In order to assess the value of this technique, 47 patients with pure chronic aortic insufficiency were evaluated before and one year after valve replacement. The preoperative EF decreases or does not increase on exercise (51.9% vs 48 +/- 10%; p < 0.001) in the majority of patients (78%), whereas, after surgery, the EF tends to increase on exercise (55 +/- 11% vs 57 +/- 11%; NS). Despite optimal surgical correction, 16 of the surviving 46 patients still had left ventricular dysfunction at one year after surgery. The preoperative parameters correlating with this dysfunction were, in order, resting radionuclide EF (r = 0.65; p = 0.0001) and the echocardiographic parameters: left ventricular endosystolic dimension, fractional shortening, and the radius/thickness ratio. The preoperative exercise radionuclide parameters did not correlate with postoperative left ventricular dysfunction. In patients without postoperative left ventricular dysfunction, the EF increased on exercise, contrary to the other group. The exercise EF remains valuable for retrospective evaluation of surgical benefit. The exercise radionuclide EF does not reflect myocardial contractile reserve alone but also the conditions of left ventricular load. This study confirms the superiority of the resting radionuclide EF and echocardiographic parameters over exercise radionuclide EF for the prediction of postoperative left ventricular dysfunction.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

[Segmental rehabilitation in cardiac failure: short and long-term results].

Many patients with chronic cardiac failure may benefit from exercise rehabilitation. However, the usual protocols, which may lead to haemodynamic disturbances or induce arrhythmias, are rarely applicable in the most severe cases. Therefore, the authors developed a protocol of segmental rehabilitation where the same muscle groups as in global readaptation are involved, but successively and not simultaneously. This study included 25 patients in the NYHA class III. Many parameters were analysed before and after forty sessions. Although the resting isotopic ejection fraction (0.26 +/- 0.1 vs 0.27 +/- 0.11; p = NS), oxygen consumption at the ventilatory threshold (14.3 +/- 3.5 vs 18.3 +/- 5.2 ml/kg/min; p = NS) or at peak effort (17.4 +/- 4.7 versus 18.3 +/- 5.2 ml/kg/min, p = NS) were unchanged, three other parameters were significantly improved: the duration of exercise (9.2 +/- 2.4 vs 10.4 +/- 3.4 min; p < 0.02) maximum work load (3 046 +/- 1 510 vs 3 992 +/- 2 482; p < 0.01) and muscular force (151 +/- 35 versus 220 +/- 41 kg; p < 0.0001). In addition, after a follow-up period of 43 +/- 18 months, a close inverse relationship was observed between the gains obtained in terms of duration of exercise and maximum work load and the number of hospital readmissions. Similarly, the 10 patients having undergone rehabilitation with this protocol had 11.7 times fewer hospital readmissions than the other 15. Segmental rehabilitation would therefore seem to be a safe technique for patients with severe cardiac for significantly increasing exercise capacity and lowering the number of readmissions to hospital.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

[Fortuitous discovery of Brugada syndrome in an asymptomatic 70-year-old sportsman].

The authors report the case of an elderly sportsman presenting with the electrical signs of the syndrome described by Brugada. The absence of any serious clinical events in this patient questions the pejorative prognosis usually reported and the specific identity of this syndrome in relation to right ventricular arrhythmogenic dysplasia.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

[Secondary prevention of atherosclerosis: effects on coronary plaques and on myocardial ischemia].

The coronary atherosclerotic plaque progresses in successive stages, determined by phenomena such as spasm, thrombosis and inflammation. Studies of regression are hindered by methodological problems involving the variability of angiographic results over intervals of several years. Longitudinal clinical studies are probably more useful. For long-term clinical outcome, it appears that stabilisation of young plaques is more important than regression of older plaques. To this end, cessation of smoking seems the most effective means; progressive plaques are most often seen early in the disease, in patients under 60 years of age, of whom more than 70% are smokers. The inevitable lack of studies as rigorous as those dealing with hyperlipidaemia reduction should not be used as a pretext for scruples leading to ignoring the results of clinical practice. Prevention by diet is no doubt essential, but prospective studies are still rare and biases are numerous. The same is true for physical exercise.

Coronary Artery Disease↗
PubMed1995

Lack of correlation between haemodynamic and cardiopulmonary exercise capacity improvement after catheter-balloon mitral valvuloplasty.

The long-term effects of percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy on exercise capacity and ventilation were investigated to determine whether a dissociation between haemodynamic improvement and exercise capacity increase occurs in patients with mitral stenosis. Eighteen patients aged 45 +/- 12.3 years (mean +/- SD) with symptomatic mitral stenosis performed a symptom-limited bicycle exercise test while respiratory gases were measured before and 6 months after percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy. The mitral valve area increased from 1.07 +/- 0.22 to 1.98 +/- 0.67 cm2. P < 0.0001 and the mean mitral gradient decreased from 12.9 +/- 4.5 to 5.3 +/- 4.8 mmHg, P < 0.001, without a significant increase in cardiac output index (from 2.64 +/- 0.55 to 2.77 +/- 0.561, min-1, m-2, P = ns). This haemodynamic improvement was still present at the 6-month follow-up catheterization. Mean exercise workload and peak oxygen uptake increased 6 months after percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy from 88.3 +/- 28.1 to 97.8 +/- 25.1 watts, P = 0.01, and from 18.1 +/- 5.3 to 19.9 +/- 4.8 ml. kg-1. min-1, P < 0.05. Total ventilation, ventilatory equivalents and oxygen pulse at the end of the exercise test remained unchanged. Correlations between peak oxygen or exercise capacity improvement and mitral valve area increase were poor (r = 0.27, P = ns, r = 0.24, P = ns). This clear dissociation between haemodynamic improvement and improvements in minor exercise capacity after percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy suggests that peripheral alterations persist. Future studies in which patients are trained after valvuloplasty may be helpful.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Prognosis and predictive factors of mortality in patients with inoperable coronary disease].

In the period between September 1979 and December 1986, 105 out of 2,178 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease (men 93, women 12; age : 58.1 +/- 10 years; previous myocardial infarction : 67%) were considered inoperable because of poor distal coronary circulation (84.8%), left ventricular dysfunction (3.8%) or both (11.4%). Fifty-four clinical, ergometric and angiographic parameters were examined at inclusion. The mean follow-up was 69 +/- 40.2 months (1 to 146 months). The Kaplan Meier 10 year survival rate was 43%. Only 25% of the population remained free of major cardiac events. Multivariate analysis showed that only the coronary angiographic score had a significant predictive value. The authors conclude that the long-term prognosis of these patients is poor. Some did undergo coronary bypass surgery secondarily, and their prognosis was good, suggesting that revascularisation, even if only partial and at high risk, should be considered.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Myxoma of atypical manifestation and morphology].

The authors report a case of myxoma of the left atrium unusual by its clinical presentation, very calcified radiological appearance and histological findings. The topographic description, facilitated by transoesophageal echocardiography, is also emphasized.

Calcinosis↗
PubMed1994

Comparison of treadmill and bicycle exercise in patients with chronic heart failure.

The general opinion that treadmill exercise elicits circulatory reserve more than bicycle exercise derives from studies conducted in normal subjects or subjects with coronary artery disease. To investigate if this also occurs in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), 40 patients (mean ejection fraction: 26 +/- 9 percent) with normal pulmonary function underwent in random order both treadmill (Naughton modified protocol, holding on handrails permitted) and bicycle (10 W/min) maximal exercise over a 1-week period. Peak oxygen uptake (19.6 +/- 5.3 vs 17.6 +/- 5.1 ml/min/kg, p < 0.0001), ventilatory threshold (14.4 +/- 4.7 vs 12.0 +/- 3.5 ml/min/kg, p < 0.0001), and minute ventilation (59 +/- 18 vs 55 +/- 15 L/min, p < 0.05) were greater on treadmill than on bicycle. Heart rate, systolic blood pressure, breathing rate, respiratory exchange ratio, perceived exertion scale, and lactate were identical. The coefficient of the correlation between oxygen uptake and time was greater with bicycle than with treadmill (r = 0.97 +/- 0.04 vs 0.90 +/- 0.07, p < 0.001). Thus, treadmill exercise is more suitable for determining peak oxygen uptake in patients with CHF. However, the increase in oxygen uptake is more regular with bicycle exercise.

Anaerobic Threshold↗
PubMed1994

[The exercise-recovery loop and exercise slope of ST segment changes/heart rate in the diagnosis of coronary disease and restenosis after angioplasty].

This study addresses the diagnostic value of two new criteria of exercise stress testing for primary coronary artery disease and restenosis after angioplasty: the slope of the linear relation between ST segment changes and heart rate during exercise; the exercise-recovery loop (clockwise direction in normal subjects and anticlockwise direction in coronary patients). These two criteria were compared with the standard diagnostic criteria (horizontal or descending ST segment depression greater than 1 mm or ascending ST segment depression greater than 2 mm) in 125 patients with suspected coronary artery disease who underwent computerised exercise stress testing and coronary angiography (30 single, 31 double and 30 triple vessel disease; 34 without significant stenosis) and in 24 patients with single vessel disease who underwent successful angioplasty and who performed exercise stress testing before, immediately after and 6 months after angioplasty before routine control coronary angiography. The sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV) of the exercise-recovery loop for the diagnosis of coronary disease were 81 %, 82 %, 89 %, respectively, versus 69 %, 71 % and 88 % for the standard criteria. The detection of restenosis by these criteria also appeared to be better (71 %, 91% and 91 % versus 46 %, 63 % and 60 %, respectively). However, for the classical threshold value of 2.4 mv/beat/min, the ST/HR criteria seemed to be less useful (Se : 80 %, Sp : 26 %).

Adult↗