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Biomedical subjects

W Markiewicz

Publications and source records attributed to W Markiewicz.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Prognostic implication of detecting vegetations by M-mode echocardiography.

The prognostic significance of finding vegetations by M-mode echocardiography in patients with infective endocarditis remains controversial because many such patients are referred for early surgery. We detected vegetations in 7 of 25 consecutive subjects with active infective endocarditis (28.1%) studied by M-mode echocardiography. 11 patients died within 1 year and only 1 underwent surgery. Patients with vegetations had a higher likelihood of developing serious complications such as death, congestive heart failure or "severe congestive heart failure' when compared with patients without vegetation. This study validates previously reported series including a high percentage of patients "requiring surgery' and points to the serious prognostic implication of finding a vegetation by M-mode echocardiography.

Adolescent↗

Clinical-echocardiographic correlations in acute rheumatic fever.

Thirty-three children with acute rheumatic fever were studied using echocardiography to characterize heart involvement in this disease. Among 26 subjects with a first episode of acute rheumatic fever, 18 had a clinical diagnosis of carditis and six had heart failure. Heart failure usually resulted from valvular incompetence rather than from myocardial failure in these patients. Conversely, among seven subjects with recurrent rheumatic fever, five had a clinical diagnosis of carditis and four had heart failure. Severe left ventricular dysfunction noted on echocardiography probably contributed significantly to the appearance of heart failure in two of these four subjects. Ten patients were initially believed not to have carditis: a diagnosis of mitral valvulitis was made in two of these ten on the basis of the results of the echocardiographic examination. Echocardiography, which provides important information on the cardiac status of patients with acute rheumatic fever, may help in assessing the prognosis and may be useful in the therapy of these patients.

Adolescent↗

High-density lipoprotein subfractions in normolipidemic patients with coronary atherosclerosis.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels were studied in 10 male patients with severe coronary atherosclerosis and in 10 well-matched controls. All subjects were normolipidemic, and the presence of a disease or other factor influencing HDL levels were excluded. Very low density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein levels were similar in both groups, but HDL concentration was significantly lower in the patient group. Analysis of HDL subfractions revealed that both HDL2 and HDL3 concentrations were significantly lower in the patient group. The composition of both HDL subfractions was also altered in the patient group: an increased cholesterol-to-protein ratio was found. These data strengthen the evidence in support of an important and independent role for HDL in the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis. It appears that both HDL2 and HDL3 are implicated and that both the concentration and composition of HDL are important.

Adult↗

Morphine increases myocardial infarction size in rats.

Morphine anesthesia is often recommended in patients with reduced cardiac reserve. As the effect of morphine on the balance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand is not well understood, the effect of large doses of morphine (3 mg/kg, subcutaneously) on experimental myocardial infarction size in the rat was evaluated. Morphine was administered 10 minutes before thoracotomy and coronary artery ligation. Myocardial infarction size was assessed by histologic techniques 48 hours later. Rats given morphine developed significantly larger infarctions than did rats receiving an injection of saline (45.8% of left ventricular area versus 35.3%, p less than 0.05). The data indicate that morphine increase the area of myocardial ischemia when administered before coronary artery occlusion in rats.

Anesthesia↗

Sublingual isosorbide dinitrate in severe congestive heart failure.

Sublingual isosorbide dinitrate was administered to 17 patients with severe congestive heart failure to characterize the hemodynamic action of the drug. Isosorbide dinitrate effect was maximal 30-60 min after administration. The most striking effect was a marked fall of the mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure which dropped from 28 to 20 mm Hg (p less than 0.01). Pulmonary artery systolic pressure dropped from 55 to 43 mm Hg (p less than 0.01) and right atrial pressure from 11 to 8 mm Hg (p less than 0.01). Arterial blood pressure fell slightly whereas no significant change in heart rate or cardiac index was noted. 8 of the 17 patients showed a marked and sustained reduction of their pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. The hemodynamic response was moderate in 2 patients whereas 6 patients showed no appreciable improvement. A symptomatic but transient reduction in arterial blood pressure occurred in the last patient. Patients responding favorably to the drug had significantly higher initial systolic blood pressure that nonresponders (133 vs. 102 mm Hg, p less than 0.01). However, there was no reliable clinical parameter to predict which of the subjects will respond favorably to the administration of isosorbide dinitrate.

Blood Pressure↗

Neurocirculatory asthenia and mitral valve prolapse--two unrelated entities?

Patients with neurocirculatory asthenia share common symptoms with patients having evidence of mitral valve prolapse. A link between these two conditions has been suggested but never documented. We have evaluated the prevalence of mitral valve prolapse among 42 young soldiers suffering from the neurocirculatory asthenia syndrome, using auscultation and echocardiography to detect the mitral abnormality. Four of the 42 subjects with neurocirculatory asthenia had both auscultatory and ultrasonic evidence of mitral valve prolapse. Since a similar prevalence of mitral valve prolapse has been reported among populations of presumably healthy young males or females, we conclude that mitral valve prolapse and neurocirculatory asthenia do not appear to be related.

Adult↗

Early detection of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity by M-mode echocardiography.

The influence of increasing doses of doxorubicin on the heart was examined in 30 patients with solid tumors, M-mode echocardiography being used to evaluate left ventricular contractility. The function of the left ventricle remained normal in 26 subjects, whereas four patients had evidence of cardiotoxicity after cumulative doses of 220, 380, 420, and 450 mg/m2. Transient overt heart failure was noted in one subject only. Doxorubicin cardiotoxicity can be detected by M-mode echocardiography, a simple and non-invasive technique, prior to the appearance of overt congestive heart failure. Patients demonstrating left ventricular dysfunction are probably not candidates for receiving further therapy with anthracycline antibiotics. Limitation of M-mode echocardiography include a 28% incidence of inadequate studies in this group of patients, and a relative inaccuracy of the technique in evaluating patients with prior myocardial infarction.

Adolescent↗

Pericardial rub in pericardial effusion: lack of correlation with amount of fluid.

The relation between the amount of pericardial fluid and the presence of a pericardial rub was examined in 76 patients with echocardiographic evidence of pericardial effusion. A pericardial rub was noted in 4 of 13 patients with small pericardial effusion (less than 100 ml), in 23 of 40 patients with moderate effusion (100 to 500 ml), and in ten of 23 patients with a large effusion. No difference in the amount of fluid was demonstrated in the group of patients with a rub when compared to the group without one. There was a statistically significant relation between the presence of a rub and the cause of the effusion. No inference as to the amount of pericardial fluid should be drawn from the presence or absence of a pericardial rub.

Child↗

The heart in acromegaly: correlation of echocardiographic and clinical findings.

Echocardiography was performed in 14 patients with acromegaly in order to characterize cardiac involvement in this disease. The left ventricle was enlarged or hypertrophic in 10 patients (71%): the fraction of myocardial shortening, an index of left ventricular contractility, was normal in all but one; and 10 patients had a reduced mitral EF slope, suggesting that their left ventricular compliance was reduced. Cardiac disease was not suspected clinically as most patients had normal clinical, ECG and X-ray examinations of the heart. Left ventricular hypertrophy occurred in the absence of hypertension, diabetes or evidence of coronary artery disease. There was a positive correlation between left ventricular wall thickness and duration of acromegaly but not between the former and growth hormone levels after fasting, suggesting that ther must be prolonged hypersecretion of growth hormone, and not simply high levels, before cardiac hypertrophy develops.

Acromegaly↗

The heart in acute glomerulonephritis: an echocardiographic study.

Patients with acute glomerulonephritis often are seen with signs suggesting heart failure. Whether these signs are due to fluid overload secondary to kidney damage only, or whether there is associated myocardial damage has not been elucidated. Fourteen children with acute glomerulonephritis were studied by echocardiography during the edematous phase of the disease and five months later to evaluate cardiac function in this disease. Left ventricular size and function remained normal in all children throughout the study. The most consistent finding was enlargement of the left atrium during the edematous phase with a return toward normal values five months later. There was no correlation between blood pressure and the echocardiographic findings. This study suggests that signs of heart failure in acute glomerulonephritis are not due to myocardial damage but probably reflect fluid overload.

Cardiomegaly↗