Circulation journal : official journal of the Japanese Circulation Society
-
Serum uric acid (UA) has been proposed as a marker for impaired oxidative metabolism and the present study investigated whether serum UA level increases in proportion to the severity of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) in 193 patients. Serum UA was repeatedly measured after treatment of PTE in 76 patients. Right heart catheterization was performed in a subgroup of patients (n=104). ⋯ In chronic PTE, serum UA negatively correlated with cardiac output and positively correlated with mean pulmonary arterial pressure. Serum UA significantly decreased from 6.7+/-2.0 to 5.8+/-1.9 mg/dl with treatment, associated with an increase in cardiac output and in PaO2. Serum UA increases in proportion to the severity of PTE, and thereby may serve as a potential indicator of the efficacy of treatment of PTE.
-
Electrocardiographic (ECG) changes are often associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), but it is not well known whether these have prognostic value. The present study retrospectively investigated 122 consecutive patients with SAH caused by ruptured aneurysms. The patients were classified based on the in-hospital outcome into 80 survivors and 42 nonsurvivors. ⋯ Univariate analysis revealed a strong correlation of in-hospital death with the ECG score, the neurological status estimated by the grading of Hunt and Kosnik, age, and QTc interval. In age- and sex-adjusted multiple logistic regression analysis, the ECG score was the most powerful risk stratifier (ECG score > or = 6 vs ECG score < 6; p=0.0026, odds ratio 14.39, 95% confidence interval 2.54-81.71). The ECG score, a new and simple method of semi-quantification, was a powerful risk predictor in the present patients with SAH.