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Effects of disopyramide on the electrocardiogram and ventricular function in the unanesthetized dog.

The antiarrhythmic compound disopyramide has been shown to possess negative inotropic effects. The present study was conducted to establish the effects of graded doses of disopyramide on ventricular function and electrocardiograms from healthy, awake dogs. Electrocardiograms and echocardiograms were obtained during a control period, and during an experimental period in which the six dogs on test received 7.5, 15 or 30 mg disopyramide per kg body weight orally three times per day. Six other dogs served as vehicle controls. No changes of statistical significance occurred in heart rate. The PQ interval was prolonged at all doses, the QRS complex was prolonged only at the highest dose, and the QT interval was prolonged at the intermediate and high doses. Left ventricular pre-ejection period (PEP) was prolonged in a dose-dependent relationship, and the left ventricular ejection time (ET) was shortened only at the highest dose. The percent shortening fraction of the left ventricle (% delta D) decreased significantly at intermediate and high doses, while the ratio of pre-ejection period to ejection time increased in a dose-dependent relationship. Conclusions are that even in therapeutic levels disopyramide produces significant reduction in left ventricular function, and that ratio of PEP/ET correlates better with the dose of disopyramide than did % delta D. This study demonstrates the feasibility of evaluating cardiac effects of compounds by non-invasive means.

Animals↗

Assessment of left ventricular function in severe aortic regurgitation.

Echocardiographic (echo) measurements of left ventricular ejection phase indices--ejection fraction, percent shortening of the minor diameter (%deltaD), and velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (Vcf)--are said to be accurate reflections of their angiographic (angio) counterparts. Most studies correlating echo and angio left ventricular function parameters have included relatively few patients with aortic regurgitation. Echo and angio measurements of left ventricular ejection phase indices thus might not correlate in these patients in whom left ventricular geometry may have been altered due to the volume overload. To test this hypothesis, left ventricular ejection phase indices were determined by angiography and echocardiography and compared in 20 patients with isolated, symptomatic, severe aortic regurgitation. Ejection fraction, %deltaD, and Vcf by LAO cineangiograms and echo were uniformly higher than corresponding measurements from RAO angio, and were often normal in the presence of other indicators of significant left ventricular dysfunction. We conclude that the usual, linear echocardiographic measurement of left ventricular wall motion may not reflect significant myocardial dysfunction in patients with severe aortic regurgitation.

Adolescent↗

[Ventricular function in mitral valve prolapse: effects of beta adrenergic blockers with and without intrinsic sympathomimetic activity].

A corollary of the "cardiomyopathy therapy" implies that mitral valve prolapse may cause intrinsic myocardial depression. The impairment of ventricular function may not be detected in basal conditions, but could be unmasked by superimposing depressant factors. The use of beta-blockers constitutes the first choice treatment for the symptomatic management of patients with mitral valve prolapse. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that myocardial depression could be shown during beta-blockade in the uncomplicated primary form of mitral valve prolapse. The results of echocardiographic and radionuclide angiographic evaluation of left ventricular function during basal conditions, as well as under beta-blockade with propranolol and pindolol, do not lend support to the cardiomyopathy hypothesis of the pathogenesis of primary mitral valve prolapse. However, significant decreases of heart rate, left ventricular ejection fraction and peak velocity of left ventricular systolic emptying were seen with propranolol, but not with pindolol. Beta-blockade with intrinsic sympathomimetic activity may be preferable therapeutic option for patients with mitral valve prolapse.

Adolescent↗

Left ventricular function in peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Although many cases of peripartum cardiomyopathy have been reported in the literature, detailed data from left heart catheterization and contrast ventriculography are unavailable. A patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy had catheterization performed to clarify the diagnosis. Hemodynamics at rest and with exercise, angiographic volumes, and indices of left ventricular function are presented. The data indicate no serious abnormality of global systolic left ventricular function in this patient although a segmental wall motion abnormality was noted. Volume overload or diminished diastolic compliance may explain the symptoms of heart failure in some patients with this disease.

Adult↗

Mitral valve E point-septal separation as an index of left ventricular function with valvular heart disease.

Echocardiographic mitral valve E point-septal separation (EPSS) has been found to be a useful hemodynamic index. Prior studies have shown a high negative correlation between EPSS and left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) in selected patients, but the utility of this index with valvular heart disease has not been examined in detail. Cardiac catheterization and M-mode echocardiographic data were retrospectively analyzed from 30 patients with aortic stenosis, 18 patients with chronic aortic regurgitation, and 25 patients with chronic mitral regurgitation. For aortic stenosis patients (including those with coronary artery disease), an excellent correlation (r = -0.89, p less than 0.001) was observed between EPSS and angiographic EF. More modest correlations were noted for patients with aortic regurgitation (r = -0.58, p less than 0.01) and mitral regurgitation (r = -0.63, p less than 0.001). For patients with aortic regurgitation, correlation improved to r = -0.83 by excluding subjects with marked (greater than 4 mm) fluttering of the anterior mitral valve leaflet. For patients with mitral regurgitation, the EPSS-EF correlation improved to r = -0.72 after excluding patients with atrial fibrillation. Compared with other echocardiographic indices of left ventricular function (percent shortening of the minor diameter or echo-derived EF), the EPSS demonstrated an equivalent or superior correlation with angiographic EF for each valvular lesion studied. We conclude that EPSS is a highly reliable index of left ventricular function with aortic stenosis, but its utility in unselected patients with chronic mitral or aortic regurgitation is limited.

Adult↗

Endothelial-like cells expanded from CD34+ blood cells improve left ventricular function after experimental myocardial infarction.

Mobilization and recruitment of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) contributes to vasculogenesis in vivo. So far, applications for cell therapy are limited by the number of available cells. Expansion of EPC or their progeny may, therefore, facilitate its therapeutic use in ischemic disease. The aim of this study was to expand CD34+ EPC-derived progeny from different sources, characterize them, and investigate their potential for use in therapeutic vasculogenesis. CD34+ cells from G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood (PB) and cord blood (CB) were isolated using immunomagnetic beads and cultured in endothelial cell medium. Cells were expanded up to 16 (PB) and up to 46 (CB) population doublings, respectively. Immunophenotypic and mRNA expression analyses showed a high degree of similarity between the cultured cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). By day 14 after transplantation, transplanted human CD31-positive EPC-derived cells were detected. These cells expressed the proliferation marker Ki67 and formed vessel-like structures in ischemic myocardium. Most strikingly, transplantation of EPC-derived cells improved left ventricular function after experimental ischemia, as shown by echocardiography. In conclusion, cells cultured from CD34+ EPC can be expanded in vitro to clinically relevant numbers. In vivo, these cells proliferate, form vascular structures, and improve left ventricular function after experimental myocardial infarction. Therefore, in vitro expanded EPC-derived endothelial cells may be beneficial in the treatment of ischemic disease.

Animals↗

Noninvasive measurement of the rest and exercise peak systolic pressure/end-systolic volume ratio: a sensitive two-dimensional echocardiographic indicator of left ventricular function.

Thirty-five patients with previous myocardial infarction and 25 normal subjects underwent subcostal view two-dimensional echocardiography at rest and at peak up-right bicycle exercise. The purpose was to assess changes in left ventricular volume with maximal upright bicycle exercise and to compare the utility of the peak systolic pressure/end-systolic volume index ratio and ejection fraction as indicators of left ventricular function. With exercise, normal subjects had a decrease in end-systolic volume index (22 +/- 8 to 11 +/- 3 ml/m2) (p less than 0.001); the normal ejection fraction (59 +/- 9 to 72 +/- 8%, p less than 0.001) and the pressure/volume ratio (6 +/- 3 to 18 +/- 6, p less than 0.001) increased. In patients with prior myocardial infarction there was no change in end-systolic volume index, ejection fraction or pressure/volume ratio with exercise. Although at peak exercise significant differences between normal subjects and patients with prior infarction were demonstrated in end-systolic volume index (p less than 0.001), ejection fraction (p less than 0.001) and pressure/volume ratio (p less than 0.001), the pressure/volume ratio provided sharper delineation between the two groups than did ejection fraction. The exponential relation of the pressure/volume ratio and ejection fraction at peak exercise demonstrates that the pressure/volume ratio is more sensitive as an indicator of normal or borderline left ventricular function and that ejection fraction is more sensitive in quantifying the degree of left ventricular dysfunction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Coronary endarterectomy with beating heart in patients with diffuse atheromatous coronary artery disease and poor ventricular function: early and midterm results.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we retrospectively reviewed our experience with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting and coronary artery endarterectomy in patients with severely reduced left ventricular function and diffuse atheromatous coronary artery disease to evaluate the early and midterm results. METHODS: Between July 1998 and March 2004, 42 patients underwent off-pump myocardial revascularization with coronary artery endarterectomy. The mean age (+/-SD) for the 28 male and 14 female patients was 59 +/- 10.2 years. Twenty-seven patients (64.2%) had experienced a previous myocardial infarction, and 11 (26.2%) had undergone an operation on an emergency basis. All patients had an ejection fraction of less than 30%. The left anterior descending coronary artery was the most endarterectomized vessel (75% of patients). RESULTS: There were 5 early deaths (11%). Twenty-five (67.6%) of the surviving patients were symptom free, and 8 were in Canadian Cardiovascular Society classes II to IV. The ejection fraction improved after the operation in the 30 patients (71.42%) who underwent echocardiographic control and coronary angiography. The 28.4-month patency rate of the endarterectomized coronary arteries was 89%. The patency rates were 93.3% for the left internal thoracic artery-left anterior descending coronary artery and 88.8% for the right coronary artery. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show increased operative mortality and morbidity in patients requiring coronary artery endarterectomy. However, the early results and particularly the midterm survival rates, clinical status, and continued graft patency justify off-pump coronary artery endarterectomy in patients with severely depressed left ventricular function and diffuse coronary artery disease. Many of these patients have disease that would otherwise be inoperable.

Adult↗

Second-generation tissue Doppler with angle-corrected color-coded wall displacement for quantitative assessment of regional left ventricular function.

To test the hypothesis that a new tissue Doppler (TD) approach using angle-correction and transformation of velocity data to color-coded displacement data may objectively quantify regional left ventricular function, in vitro experiments were first performed with an oscillating echo target precisely controlled by a microstepping motor. Displacement varied from 1 to 15 mm (60 to 130 cycles/min) at angles of 0 degrees and 45 degrees to the echo transducer. Custom software transformed TD data to displacement data. Sixty-five subjects were then studied: 35 with wall motion abnormalities and 30 normal controls. Results were compared with independent visual assessment and caliper measurements of endocardial excursion from gray-scale images. In vitro displacement imaging strongly correlated with true displacement (r = 0.99, p <0.0001). In humans, peak transmural displacement discriminated normal results (6.3 +/- 3.2 mm) from hypokinesia (2.7 +/- 1.8 mm, p <0.05), akinesia (0.4 +/- 1.2 mm, p <0.05) from hypokinesia, and dyskinesia (-1.9 +/- 1.2 mm, p <0.05) from akinesia. Normal subendocardial displacement was 5.9 +/- 2.9 versus 4.0 +/- 3.9 mm in the epicardial layer (p <0.01). This displacement gradient was absent in abnormal segments. Displacement data correlated with endocardial excursion by calipers (parasternal views: r = 0.86, all views: r = 0.79, both p <0.0001). Overall accuracy of displacement imaging was 82% (kappa = 0.71) versus 66% (kappa = 0.43) for visual assessment with caliper data as the standard of reference. Angle-corrected displacement imaging was superior to routine visual assessment and is a promising new method to quantify regional left ventricular function.

Aged↗

Left ventricular function in rheumatic mitral stenosis.

Haemodynamic factors contributing to clinical disability in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis have been under discussion and investigation for decades. Prior to the development of left heart catheterization, a low cardiac output in the presence of little or no pulmonary hypertension was taken as evidence for a myocardial 'insufficiency'. With the use of left heart catheterization, it was possible to exclude the presence of coronary artery disease and to assess directly the size and function of the left ventricle. Such studies indicate a tendency toward low-normal left ventricular end-diastolic volumes and low-normal ejection fractions. Modest reductions in the ejection fraction may be due to: (1) a restriction or tethering of posterobasal myocardium by the scarred mitral apparatus, or (2) abnormal interventricular septal motion related to right ventricular overload and unequal filling of the two ventricles. These and other factors, such as limited LV distensibility and variable diastolic suction, may affect ventricular function in rheumatic mitral stenosis. Thus, left ventricular dysfunction can generally be explained without implicating a rheumatic myocardial factor.

Cineangiography↗

[Texture of mitral bioprosthesis, ventricular function and formation of thrombus. Analysis through transesophageal echocardiography and use of bioscore].

OBJECTIVE: Facing the hypothesis of participation of mechanical stress as a cause of mitral bioprosthesis dysfunction, we decided to assess the relation of preservation of the texture of the mitral bioprosthesis leaflets with left ventricular function, in addition to the casual formation of thrombus in left atrium in patients with left ventricular dysfunction from the implant of mitral bioprosthesis. METHODS: Forty 40 patients with mitral bioprosthesis through multiplane transesophageal echocardiogram were studied and divided in two groups: with left ventricular dysfunction (FE=0.40+/-0.09) since the bioprosthesis implant (20 patients: age 47.75+/-11.10 years old and surgery time 5.3+/-2.6 years) and with normal left ventricular function (FE=0.73+/-0.06) since the implant (20 patients: age 49.75+/-13.59 years old and surgery time 5.7+/-3 years). The texture of bioprosthesis leaflets was analyzed through a transesophageal echocardiographic score (FACIMT Bioscore): 1) Fusion of leaflets (score 1 to 3); 2) Apposition of tissues (score 1 to 3); 3) Calcium in leaflets (score 1 to 5); 4) Integrity of leaflets (score 1 to 3); 5) Motility of leaflets (score 1 to 4) and 6) Thickness of leaflets (score 1 to 3). The presence of thrombi in left atrium was assessed through multiplane scanning of the left atrium and left atrial appendage in the transesophageal study. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the texture of bioprosthesis mitral position between the groups, for the total score (8.7+/-2.4 vs. 7.9+/-2.1, p=0.259), and for each analyzed item. A greater incidence of thrombi in left atrium and left atrial appendage was detected in patients with ventricular dysfunction (65% vs. 20%, p=0.004). CONCLUSION: The left ventricular dysfunction was not a protecting factor of the texture of bioprosthesis leaflets in mitral position in the tardive post-surgery period. The patients with left ventricular dysfunction showed a more favorable environment for the formation of thrombi in left atrium.

Atrial Appendage↗

Hypotension during hemodialysis results from an impairment of arteriolar tone and left ventricular function.

AIMS: Hypotensive episodes are a major complication of hemodialysis. Hypotension during dialysis could be directly related to a reduction in blood volume or to a decrease in cardiovascular activation as a response to decreased cardiac filling. A decreased cardiovascular activation could be due to patient-related or to dialysis-related factors. In order to study the isolated effect of a reduction in filling pressure, lower body negative pressure (LBNP) causes activation of the cardiovascular reactivity with a decrease in cardiac filling, but without the influence of the dialysis procedure that could affect cardiovascular reactivity. METHODS: We studied the relationship between relative blood volume (RBV), central venous pressure (CVP), systolic arterial pressure, heart rate, stroke volume index (SI), and total peripheral resistance index (TPRI) during a combined dialysis/ultrafiltration and during LBNP to -40 mmHg in 21 hemodialysis patients with a high incidence of hypotension. Systolic arterial pressure, heart rate, SI and TPRI were measured by Finapres. CVP was measured after cannulation of the jugular vein. During dialysis RBV was measured by a blood volume monitor (BVM). In order to study the conditions in which hypotension occurred after dialysis, we divided the patients into 2 groups: hypotensive (H) and non-hypotensive (NH) during dialysis. RESULTS: Baseline levels did not show any significant differences. During dialysis systolic arterial pressure declined gradually in the H group from 30 minutes before the onset of hypotension. There was a similar decrease of RBV and increase of heart rate in both groups with a large interindividual variation. At hypotension, H patients showed a significantly smaller increase in TPRI as compared to NH patients. The reduction in SI tended to be greater at hypotension, while CVP decreased to a similar extent in both groups. Moreover, during LBNP, a similar reduction in CVP resulted in a much smaller decrease in SI. Systolic arterial pressure was only slightly lowered due to a much greater increase in TPRI. CONCLUSION: We conclude that dialysis-related hypotension in our patient group did not result from an inability to maintain blood volume or from decreased cardiac filling. Hypotension appeared to result from the inability to adequately increase arteriolar tone and a reduction in left ventricular function. Both vascular tone and left ventricular function appeared to be impaired by the dialysis procedure.

Arterioles↗

Predischarge low-dose dobutamine test and prediction of left ventricular function at 1 year in patients with a first anterior myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether spontaneous improvement in contractility following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is related to severity of predischarge systolic dysfunction and can be predicted by isotopic ventriculography with a low-dose dobutamine test (DBT). HYPOTHESIS: Spontaneous improvement in contractility would be similar in patients with more preserved and those with depressed ventricular function, and a DBT test could predict it. METHODS: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), regional contractility score (RCS), and left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (EDVI) at predischarge, during DBT, and at 1 year were analyzed in 43 patients with a first anterior ST-elevation AMI. RESULTS: Changes produced by DBT in patients with LVEF < 40%, RCS > or = 3, or EDVI > or = 70 ml/m2 were smaller than in those observed at 1 year (LVEF: 30 +/- 5-35 +/- 7%, p < 0.001, vs. 39 +/- 10%, p = 0.005; RCS: 4.9 +/- 1.4-4.6 +/- 2.0, NS, vs. 3.4 +/- 2.0, p < 0.02; EDVI: 92 +/- 14-86 +/- 22, NS, vs. 78 +/- 23 ml/m2, p < 0.03). In contrast, in patients with EF > or = 40%, RCS < 3 or EDVI < 70 ml/m2, changes with DBT tended to be greater than those observed at 1 year (LVEF: 52 +/- 8-57 +/- 11%, p < 0.004 vs. 55 +/- 11%, p < 0.04); RCS: 1.1 +/- 0.9-0.8 +/- 0.8, NS, vs. 1.1 +/- 1.1, NS; and EDVI: 51 +/- 9-47 +/- 11, p < 0.005, vs. 54 +/- 13 ml/m2, NS). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with a first anterior AMI, spontaneous improvement in contractility at 1 year was greatest in those with a more depressed ventricular function or a dilated ventricle, but its magnitude was underestimated by a predischarge DBT test.

Cardiotonic Agents↗

Effects of intracoronary thrombolysis on global left ventricular function assessed by an automated edge detection technique.

Three hundred and two patients with acute myocardial infarction were enrolled in a randomized multicenter trial to compare conventional treatment with attempted recanalization by intracoronary streptokinase. In a subgroup of patients, the effects of thrombolysis on left ventricular function were evaluated within 48 hr, at 2 wk, and at 3 mo after admission. Global left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was obtained by radionuclide angiography and analyzed with an automatic detection program. Paired data were determined in 160 patients (control 78, thrombolysis 82) within 48 hr and at 2 wk, and in 143 patients (control 71, thrombolysis 72) at 48 hr, 2 wk, and 3 mo. It was shown that LVEF significantly improved in the thrombolysis group as compared with controls both at 2 wk (delta LVEF thrombolysis 3.9 +/- 7.9%, p less than 0.001 compared with delta LVEF control 0.6 +/- 9.7%, p = N.S.) and at 3 mo (delta LVEF thrombolysis 3.1 +/- 12.4%, p less than 0.05 compared with delta LVEF control 2.1 +/- 12.2%, p = N.S.). When patients were divided according to infarct site, however, significant improvement at 3 mo was only observed in the patients with anterior infarction (delta LVEF thrombolysis 5.5 +/- 13.1%, p less than 0.05 compared with delta LVEF control 3.3 +/- 10.4%, p = N.S.). It was shown that acute intervention with intracoronary streptokinase has a potentially favorable and lasting effect on left ventricular function in patients with anterior myocardial infarction. This improvement might be related to the rather rapid administration of thrombolytic therapy with a median time of approximately 4 hr after onset of symptoms.

Adult↗

The late consequences of anthracycline treatment on left ventricular function after treatment for childhood cancer.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of changes in left ventricular function in patients in long-term remission after treatment with anthracyclines for a childhood malignancy. The authors examined 155 patients in disease remission who underwent treatment protocols utilising anthracyclines in childhood. The group comprised 90 males and 65 females aged 15+/-4.9 years (range 5-29 years, median 15 years). The age at the time of diagnosis and start of treatment was 8.6+/-4.9 years (range 1-18 years, median 8 years). The time of follow-up was 7.3+/-4 years (range 1-21 years, median 6.3 years). The patients were given a cumulative dose of doxorubicin or daunorubicin of 250+/-131 mg/m2 (range 50-1200 mg/m2, median 240 mg/m2). The values of ejection fraction below 55% and fractional shortening below 30% assessed by means of echocardiography were considered as pathological. The control group consisted of 41 volunteers. Pathological values of fractional shortening were found in 12 patients (8%). Only one patient (0.64%) showed the development of heart failure due to cardiomyopathy. The group of the patients after chemotherapy revealed significantly worse values of left ventricular endsystolic wall stress, mean velocity of circumferential fibre shortening, Tei index, and isovolumic relaxation period in comparison with the control group. We found a correlation between the given cumulative dose of anthracyclines and indicators of systolic function of the left ventricle, but not a relation to the time indicators (age at diagnosis, time of follow-up). CONCLUSION: in the mean period of 6 years after chemotherapy, subclinical cardiotoxicity was found in 11 patients (7%) and cardiomyopathy with heart failure in one patient. Further indicators of subclinical damage are elevation of afterload (end-systolic stress), impaired relaxation and increased value of the Doppler index of global left ventricular function. Further monitoring and evaluation of the relevant subclinical abnormalities over a longer period of time are needed.

Adolescent↗

Reverse redistribution on exercise thallium scintigraphy: relationship to coronary patency and ventricular function after myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To define prevalence, pathophysiology and relation to thrombolytic therapy of reverse redistribution (appearance of a new, or worsening of an existing, scintigraphic defect on 4 h delayed images compared with the stress thallium image). DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Referral centre. PATIENTS: Sixty-three patients with acute myocardial infarction. INTERVENTIONS: Tomographic exercise thallium scintigraphy, radionuclide angiography, and quantitative coronary angiography. MAIN RESULTS: Tomographic exercise thallium scintigraphy performed at day 10 revealed fixed defects in 15 patients, reversible defects in 22 patients and reverse redistribution in 26 patients; no difference in treatment assignment (tissue plasminogen activator versus placebo) was found among the three groups. Left ventricular function was similar in patients with fixed or reversible defects and reverse redistribution; global ejection fraction was 48 +/- 14, 51 +/- 10 and 48 +/- 5%, respectively, and regional infarct ejection fraction was 36 +/- 15, 40 +/- 13 and 37 +/- 18%, respectively. However, nitroglycerin administration resulted in a significantly greater improvement in regional ejection fraction in reverse redistribution patients (5 +/- 4%) than that in patients with fixed defect (2 +/- 5%, P < 0.05) or reversible defects (3 +/- 5%, P < 0.05). The infarct-related artery had a greater cross-sectional area in reverse redistribution patients (1.5 +/- 1.42 mm2) compared with those with reversible defects (0.50 +/- 0.26 mm2, P < 0.05), but was similar to fixed defect patients (1.04 +/- 0.88). CONCLUSIONS: Reverse redistribution on tomographic thallium scintigraphy is a frequent phenomenon (occurring in 40% of patients following acute myocardial infarction) and is independent of thrombolytic therapy. Patients with reverse redistribution have a more widely patent infarct-related artery and similar ventricular function, but significantly greater functional improvement following nitroglycerin administration compared with those with reversible or fixed defects. These data suggest myocardial salvage within the infarct zone in some patients with reverse redistribution.

Animals↗

Ventricular function in myocardial contusion: a preliminary study.

During a consecutive 17 month period, 15 trauma patients were diagnosed as having a myocardial contusion on the basis of abnormal ECG in 14 patients, elevated creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) in 13 patients, and elevated CPK-Muscle Brain (CPK-MB) isoenzyme determination in 11 patients. Using these screening modalities, the incidence of myocardial contusion in patients with blunt chest trauma increased from 7% when viewed retrospectively to 15% when viewed prospectively. Five patients had determinations of cardiac index of which 4 were less than 2.9 L/min . M2. An additional 9 patients underwent a standard fluid challenge of 500 ml of 5% plasma protein faction infused over 30 min allowing construction of a Starling myocardial performance curve. Of these patients, 6 had biventricular dysfunction, 1 had isolated abnormal left ventricular function, and 2 had isolated abnormal right ventricular function in the absence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or preexisting heart disease. Multiple gated acquisition scans (MUGA) were abnormal in 6 patients and normal in 4 patients. Of the latter group, 3 had biventricular dysfunction and 1 had depressed cardiac index. Morbidity and mortality for myocardial contusion occurred in 40% (6 of 15) of patients in this series. Direct hemodynamic measurement with construction of a Starling curve was useful in monitoring the degree of impairment and subsequent recovery of myocardial function. This information was important in delaying semiurgent operations or in determining the best alternative of otherwise equally acceptable methods of patient management.

Adolescent↗

MRI complements standard assessment of right ventricular function after lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Changes in right ventricular mass and ejection fraction after single-lung transplantation for pulmonary hypertension are poorly understood. METHODS: To complement functional data provided by echocardiography, radionuclide ventriculography, and right heart catheterization, magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess right ventricular function in 5 single-lung transplant recipients with preoperative pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular dysfunction (right ventricular ejection fraction, 0.21 +/- 0.09). The right and left ventricular mass, ejection fraction, and mass ratio (left ventricular mass/right ventricular mass) were calculated from the magnetic resonance images. RESULTS: The mean pulmonary artery pressure fell from 72 +/- 18 to 21 +/- 8 mm Hg after transplantation. At 3 months after transplantation both the left ventricular and right ventricular ejection fractions approached normal values, as shown by both radionuclide ventriculography and magnetic resonance imaging, but the right ventricular mass remained abnormally high with slightly low mass ratios. By 1 year both the left ventricular and right ventricular masses had regressed to normal with near-normal mass ratios. CONCLUSIONS: Right ventricular performance returns to nearly normal early after transplantation, but the right ventricular mass regresses over a more prolonged time. Cine magnetic resonance imaging provides a noninvasive means of assessing changes in right ventricular function and mass after lung transplantation.

Adult↗