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J Soler Soler

Publications and source records attributed to J Soler Soler.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

[Prognostic value of cardiac perfusion scintigraphy associated with the dobutamine test in acute coronary syndromes].

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to establish the value of myocardial ischemia induced by the dobutamine infusion test associated to 99m technetium isonitrile single photon emission computed tomography in patients with unstable angina or non Q-wave infarction during the first days in the Coronary Care Unit. METHODS: Fifty three patients with unstable coronary syndromes and common medical treatment were studied with a moderate-dose dobutamine test (5 to 20 microgram/Kg/min) using a 99mTc-MIBI SPECT. The results were correlated with the incidence of recurrent angina, infarction, death or revascularization. RESULTS: The dobutamine test induced a reversible perfusion defect in 36 patients (68%) and angina in 12 of them (12/36, 33%). However, the patients who had a positive test had a similar incidence of events as those with a negative test (58% vs 59%). Thus, while the sensitivity of the dobutamine test to identify patients at risk was relatively high (68%), its specificity (32%) and its negative predictive value (41%) were low. The patients with dobutamine-induced angina, however, had a higher scintigraphy score (3.0 +/- 1,7 vs 1.6 +/- 1.8, p < 0.02) and a higher incidence of recurrent angina (8/12, 67% vs 13/41, 31%, p < 0.04) than those without, at a comparable double product. CONCLUSIONS: In conventionally treated patients with unstable coronary syndromes, the specificity of the inducible scintigraphic ischemia with moderate dose of dobutamine performed during the first days is too low to be used as a marker for in-hospital events. However, inducible angina with dobutamine suggests an extensive jeopardized area and/or a particularly reduced ischemic threshold.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗
PubMed2001

[Value of Doppler-echocardiography in the prognosis and follow up of hypertrophic myocardiopathy].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the value of Doppler-echocardiogram for the prognosis and follow up of a hospital-based series of adult patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC). METHODS: One-hundred nineteen consecutive patients with HC (52 +/- 12 years, 60 women) were studied over a follow up period of 9.7 +/- 6.7 years. Echocardiographic evolution was analyzed in 104 patients (67 with dynamic obstruction) who had, at least, two echocardiograms performed within an interval of 3.7 +/- 3 years (1 to 7 years). RESULTS: Seven patients died during follow up and 31 patients developed severe complications (7 deaths, 15 syncopes, 4 class IV angina, 3 class IV dyspnea and 2 acute myocardial infarctions). The presence of mitral insufficiency (p = 0.001) and dynamic gradient > 50 mmHg (p = 0.02) were predictive of mortality and a left atrial index > 25 mm/m2 was predictive (p = 0.028) of severe complications. Fifteen percent of the patients without dynamic obstruction in the first Doppler-echo showed a gradient > 25 mmHg in the last echo. A greater number of patients with mitral insufficiency (80% vs 66%; p = 0.01) and an increase in its severity (p = 0.038) was observed during follow up. CONCLUSIONS: Mitral insufficiency, a dynamic gradient > 50 mmHg and a left atrial index > 25 mm/m2 are variables of a bad prognosis in adult patients with HC. An evolution to obstructive HC was observed in 15% of non obstructive HC, and a tendency to increased severity of mitral insufficiency was observed during follow up.

Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic↗
PubMed2001

[Fibrinolytic treatment for patients with prosthesis thrombosis and high surgical risk].

We retrospectively analyzed the response to fibrinolytic treatment in a group of 5 patients with prosthetic thrombosis, one of whom was a pregnant woman. All the patients were in functional class IV (NYHA), and the risk of surgery was considered very high for the following reasons: cardiogenic shock in 2 cases, severe depression of ventricular function in 1 case, and 3 and 4 prior interventions in 2 patients. The treatment was effective in 4 cases and the fifth patient died in cardiogenic shock. There were no major hemorrhagic complications and one case of peripheral embolism was detected. The treatment was effective and no obstetric or fetal complications were observed in the pregnant woman. We believe that fibrinolytic treatment is a good alternative for patients with prosthetic thrombosis and very high surgical risk and it may even be effective during pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Pericardial effusion in the elderly: A different disease?].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to assess possible differences in etiologic spectrum and clinical course of pericardial effusion in elderly patients, as has been previously suggested, and therefore determine whether clinical, management should be based on patient age. METHODS: All echocardiograms performed in our hospital from 1990 to 1996 were screened for pericardial effusion, and those with moderate or large effusions were selected. Patients under 66 years of age were included in group I, and those above 65 years were assigned to group II. RESULTS: We selected 322 patients with moderate (122) or with large (200) effusions. 221 patients being included in group I (aged 15-65, mean 47) and 101 in group II (aged 66-88, mean 72.5). Effusion was large in 60% of group I and in 66% of group II (p = NS), and tamponade occurred in 36% and 38.6%, respectively (p = NS). Specific pericardial infections (tuberculous and purulent pericarditis) were more frequent in group I (5.9 versus 0.9%; p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in incidence of idiopathic (33 vs 38%) or neoplastic (14.4 vs 10.8%) etiologies. During follow-up (96% of the patients, median time of 11 months, range 1-58 months) the mortality (24 vs 30%) and evolution to cardiac constriction (4 vs 2%) were similar in the two groups, but persistence of effusion was more common in group II (6.3 vs 14%; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that etiology, clinical course and prognosis of moderate and large pericardial effusion are, in general, similar in elderly and younger patients. Thus, management should be similar in the different age groups, and no etiologic form of pericardial disease should be ruled out because of patient's age when considering the differential diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Heart failure after aortic valve replacement for aortic regurgitation: prospective 20-year study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to assess the probability of development of heart failure during a long-term follow-up in patients submitted for aortic valve replacement for aortic regurgitation on the basis of preoperative findings. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty-seven consecutive patients with pure aortic regurgitation and normal coronary arteries were submitted for aortic valve replacement and prospectively followed up. Clinical examination, echocardiography, and radionuclide ejection fraction were performed before surgery and at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years after surgery. Operative mortality rate was 2.2% (2 patients). The follow-up period was 1 to 12 years (mean 6 years). Overall survival rate was 87% at 5 years and 81% at 10 years. During follow-up, 19 patients had heart failure develop, and there were 14 deaths (6 caused by heart failure). Probability of heart failure was 16% at 5 years and 24% at 10 years. Age was the single independent preoperative predictor of both death and heart failure. Age >50 years (relative risk [RR] 10.4), preoperative ejection fraction <40% (RR 10.6), and end-systolic diameter >50 mm (RR 74) were independently related to the postoperative development of heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic valve replacement can be performed safely in patients with severe aortic regurgitation by following current recommendations. Age >50, end-systolic diameter >50 mm, and radionuclide ejection fraction <40% were independent preoperative predictors of postoperative heart failure. The only independent predictor of both postoperative death and heart failure was age >50 years.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Prognostic value of pre-discharge exertion echocardiography after acute myocardial infarct].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present work was to ascertain the usefulness of exercise echocardiography performed prior to discharge following acute non-complicated myocardial infarction in the prognosis and detection of multi-vessel disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-five consecutive patients with primary episode of acute non-complicated myocardial infarction, with normal or slightly depressed ventricular function, were studied. Submaximal exercise test including echocardiogram pre- and immediately post-exercise were performed 7 to 10 days after infarction. Mean follow-up was 15 +/- 8 months; 15 patients presented angina, 9 revascularization and 1 died. RESULTS: Electrocardiographic ischaemia had low sensitivity and negative predictive value regarding complications (44% and 73% respectively); however, its specificity and positive predictive values were high (97% and 92%). In contrast, echocardiography-detected ischaemia showed much better sensitivity and negative predictive values (72% and 83%), with a slight decrease in specificity and positive predictive values (87% and 78%). Both remote ischaemia and the increase in global score > 0.25 during exercise were of high prognostic value (p < 0.001). Remote echocardiographic ischaemia yielded the diagnosis of multi-vessel disease with greater sensitivity than electrocardiographic ischaemia (84% vs 41%). CONCLUSIONS: Exercise echocardiography is highly useful in the prognostic assessment of patients prior to discharge following acute non-complicated myocardial infarction. The ischaemia detected on sub-maximal exercise and assessed by echocardiography was much more sensitive than that detected by electrocardiography in the prediction of new coronary events and multi-vessel disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

[Pathology of diseases of extracardiac origin. VI. Disease of the connective tissue and heart].

Connective tissue diseases encompass a wide group of nosologic entities of unknown etiology, characterized by multisystemic organ involvement, sharing an immunologic pathogenetic mechanism, producing a variety of inflammatory manifestations, and whose primary lesion is always a diffuse vasculitis. Any part of the cardiovascular system may be involved, including the pericardium, the myocardium, the endocardium and valves, the coronary arteries, the aorta, the pulmonary vasculature, the peripheral arteries, veins, arterioles, venules, and the capillary beds of almost every organ subsystem. Pathologic studies disclose a high prevalence of heart involvement, but the presence and extent of pathologic findings correlate poorly with clinical manifestations. With the advent of echocardiography-Doppler, milder and earlier cases are now recognized. Although these patients continue under the care of rheumatologists and internists, when cardiac involvement arises, cardiologists must be aware of the characteristics, outcome and management of connective tissue diseases.

Connective Tissue Diseases↗
PubMed1998

[Quantification of myocardial ischemia in regions dependent on occluded coronary arteries in patients without previous infarction].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to assess myocardial ischemia in regions with no infarction dependent occluded coronary arteries. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 149 patients with proved coronary artery disease and without previous myocardial infarction were studied by 99mTc-MIBI SPECT (long protocol) and coronary angiography. The extent of the uptake reversibility was quantified in 3 regions (antero-septal, inferior and lateral) of the polar maps, assessing the percentage of each region that had a > 10% difference resulting from the rest uptake minus the stress uptake. The regions dependent on one occluded artery were compared to those dependent on non-occluded arteries. In the regions dependent on one occluded artery a comparison was also made between those which had a good collateral circulation and those which did not. RESULTS: Fifty-four out of 149 patients (36%) had at least one occluded coronary artery (20 anterior descending, 22 right and 27 circumflex coronary arteries). In the visual analysis, reversible defects were observed in all patients with occlusion of the anterior descending and the right coronary artery, but only in half of the occlusions of the circumflex coronary artery. The extent of this reversibility was significantly higher in the regions dependent on occluded arteries and was highly variable, though lower when good collateral circulation was present. CONCLUSIONS: Reversible defects were always observed in the occlusions of the left anterior descending and right coronary arteries, but only in half of those of the circumflex artery. The extent of the ischemia was higher in the regions dependent on one occluded coronary artery, mainly when there was an absence of good collateral circulation.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

[Natural history and prognosis in infective endocarditis].

The natural history and prognosis of native valve infective endocarditis, prosthetic endocarditis and right sided endocarditis in drug addicts is analyzed. In native endocarditis mortality during the active phase is 12% and survival at 10 years 81%. Early prosthetic endocarditis has a worse prognosis. In late prosthetic valve endocarditis prognosis depends on the infective organism: mortality is less than 10% in estreptococcal infections and higher than 50% in staphylococcal infections. Right sided endocarditis in intravenous drug addicts has a relatively benign prognosis and seldom requires surgical treatment.

Endocarditis, Bacterial↗
PubMed1998

[Patients with acute coronary syndrome: therapeutic approach (management patterns) and 1-year prognosis in a tertiary general hospital].

BACKGROUND: To assess the determinants of short-term and one-year prognosis of all patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome seen by the cardiologist on duty in the Emergency Service of a tertiary hospital during a six month period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 153 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, 225 with a diagnosis of unstable angina and 89 with a diagnosis of atypical chest pain were identified and their in-hospital characteristics and one-year prognosis were prospectively assessed. RESULTS: Age was higher than 65 years in 53% of acute myocardial infarction and in 54% of unstable angina patients. Only 3 patients were lost to follow-up. 35% of acute myocardial infarction patients had died or had reinfarction after one year and 16% of unstable angina patients had died or had suffered acute myocardial infarction. Baseline features, management patterns and prognosis of patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction to the Cardiology Service, to other hospital areas or to other hospitals were markedly different, and admission in areas other than the Cardiology Service was an independent mortality predictor. In unstable angina, complications happened in patients older than 75 years, those with previous revascularization procedures, those undergoing revascularization or those with lesions not deemed revascularizeable. CONCLUSIONS: a) In the study population there was a predominance of elderly patients; the proportion of patients with poor prognosis was considerably high; b) a sizeable proportion of patients with severe complications was scarcely represented in the major clinical trials; c) the possibility arises of a distribution of care resources tending to concentrate the greater therapeutic efforts in the patients with good prognosis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

[Assessment of quality of life related to health 2 years after coronary surgery].

BACKGROUND: The determinants of quality of life after coronary artery surgery in well defined health care populations are still incompletely understood. The aim of the present study was to assess the health related quality of life associated with coronary artery bypass surgery as performed in a tertiary public hospital, and also to investigate its association with clinical variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All survivors of a first coronary artery bypass grafting operation performed during a calendar year in a single center (100 patients) were included for assessment two years after surgery. Assessment included a review of the clinical records, a structured clinical interview and the administration of three questionnaires of perceived health (Nottingham Health Profile, Duke Activity Status Index and SF-36 Health Survey). RESULTS: The mean scores of the administered questionnaires corresponded to a moderate overall impairment of perceived health, with wide individual variations. Chronic stable postoperative angina pectoris (28% of patients), worse clinical functional grade (either due to angina or to others causes), comorbidity (51% of patients) and female sex were significantly associated with worse scores. CONCLUSIONS: In the study population, postoperative angina, impairment of the clinical functional grade (due to angina or to other conditions), and female gender were the major determinants of impaired health related quality of life after coronary artery bypass surgery. As such determinants are associated with anatomoclinical variables in the population undergoing coronary bypass surgery and also with perioperative variables, appropriate effectively studies appear to be indicated for the assessment of this surgical procedure.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[The use of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of aortic hematoma after an aortic recoarctation angioplasty].

Transesophageal echocardiography is a very useful technique in studying thoracic aorta diseases, particularly aortic dissection and aortic intramural hematoma. In this report, we describe a case of aortic intramural hematoma after balloon angioplasty of a recoarctation. This case illustrates the importance of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis and subsequent management of possible complications following this technique.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Stress myocardial gammatomography in the diagnosis of multivessel coronary disease].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of 99m-Technetium-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI) SPET for identification of individual coronary artery disease and in the prediction of multivessel involvement. METHODS: Stress/rest myocardial SPET and coronary arteriography were evaluated in 231 consecutive patients (age 58 +/- 10 years, 26% women) without prior myocardial infarction. 149 patients had coronary narrowing > 50%: 104 with multivessel disease and 45 with one vessel disease. Tomographic stress defect score was obtained by semiquantitative analysis (maximal score 65). Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to identify discriminant parameters between one vessel and multivessel patients. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity for the identification of individual artery disease was 74% and 85% for left anterior descending artery, 79% and 85% for right coronary and 45% and 96% for circumflex artery. In the prediction of multivessel involvement the sensitivity was 65%, specificity 87%, positive predictive value 81% and negative predictive value 76%. In the bivariate analysis, four parameters differed significantly between one vessel and multivessel disease patients: ST downslope > 1 mm (p = 0.01), ST downslope/heart rate corrected (p = 0.005), reversible defects in two or more regions (p = 0.009) and SPET score (p = 0.002). In the multivariate analysis the probability of multivessel disease was 90% when ST depression > 1 mm and SPET score > 20 were associated and the probability was lowered to 16% when these criteria were not present. CONCLUSION: Myocardial SPET with MIBI offers an accurate localization of individual coronary artery disease, mainly in left anterior descending artery and right coronary artery lesions. Combined evaluation of ST depression and extension of myocardial stress defects improved prediction of multivessel involvement.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed1996

Myocardial segment shrinkage during coronary reperfusion in situ. Relation to hypercontracture and myocardial necrosis.

We have investigated the changes in myocardial segment length induced by reperfusion, and their relation to myocyte hypercontracture and contraction band necrosis. Regional wall function was monitored by ultrasonic gauges in 39 pigs submitted to 48-min occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and 6h of reperfusion. Infarct size (triphenyltetrazolium reaction), the extent of contraction band necrosis (quantitative histology) and myocardial water content (desiccation) were measured. Reperfusion induced a marked reduction in end-diastolic length of the LAD segment in all animals, maximal within 15 min after reflow. After 30 min of reperfusion, end-diastolic length of the LAD segment remained below the basal value in 15 animals. The 15 animals that showed shrinkage of the reperfused segment did not differ from the remaining animals in heart rate, aortic pressure, or control segment variables, but had larger infarcts (mean +/- SEM: 32.1 +/- 5.4 vs 12.1 +/- 3.2% of the area at risk, P = 0.003). There was an inverse correlation between end-diastolic length of the LAD segment after 30 min of reperfusion and infarct percentage (r = -0.72) or the extent of contraction band necrosis (r = -0.71). End-diastolic length reduction was more pronounced in larger infarcts despite a more severe myocardial oedema. Neither systolic shortening of the LAD segment nor end-diastolic length or systolic shortening of the control segment, or haemodynamic variables after 30 min of reperfusion correlated to infarct percentage or to the extent of contraction band necrosis. It is concluded that myocardial segment shrinkage during reperfusion reflects myocyte hypercontracture leading to contraction band necrosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

[Neurohormonal factors in heart failure. I].

Heart failure is a physiopathological condition, with an increasing incidence and prevalence, involving the action of a series of mechanisms known as 'compensators', which are phylogenetically ready to normalize minute volume and blood pressure. These mechanisms include the activation of a series of neurohormonal systems: the sympathetic nervous system, the aldosterone renin-angiotensin system, vasopressin arginine, endothelin, which are basically vasoconstrictors, with the counterpoint of other vasodilator systems, such as the endothelial relaxation factor, certain prostaglandins and the bradykinin-kallikrein system, which modulate global response. The authors review the physiopathology of each of these systems, as well as their significance in the diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of heart failure. We analyze the possible deleterious effects of neurohormonal activation, anatomically and at the cardiovascular function level, and try to determine if they are capable of explaining the evolution and progression of heart failure, in a truly vicious circle, up until the irreversible heart failure phase. We review the current importance of the inhibition of the aldosterone renin-angiotensin system in the prophylaxis and treatment of heart failure. Furthermore, we describe the present-day value of the inhibition of the sympathetic nervous system in some forms of heart failure. We also analyze the different pharmacological treatment for heart failure: diuretics, inotropic agents, vasodilators (in their different pharmacological types), paying particular attention to their action on neurohormonal systems and their implications in the prognosis and evolution of heart failure.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗