European heart journal
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European heart journal · Aug 2000
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of intravenously administered dofetilide versus amiodarone in the acute termination of atrial fibrillation and flutter. A multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
This study compared the efficacy and safety of intravenous dofetilide with amiodarone and placebo in converting atrial fibrillation or flutter to sinus rhythm. ⋯ Intravenous dofetilide is significantly more effective than amiodarone or placebo in restoring sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation or flutter. However, when infused intravenously at this dose and rate, dofetilide causes a significant incidence of torsade de pointes.
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European heart journal · Aug 2000
Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of left ventricular ejection fraction and volumes in heart failure by echocardiography, radionuclide ventriculography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance; are they interchangeable?
To prospectively compare the agreement of left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction by M-mode echocardiography (echo), 2D echo, radionuclide ventriculography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance performed in patients with chronic stable heart failure. It is important to know whether the results of each technique are interchangable, and thereby how the results of large studies in heart failure utilizing one technique can be applied using another. Some studies have compared cardiovascular magnetic resonance with echo or radionuclude ventriculography but few contain patients with heart failure and none have compared these techniques with the current fast breath-hold acquisition cardiovascular magnetic resonance. ⋯ These results suggest that ejection fraction measurements by various techniques are not interchangeable. The conclusions and recommendations of research studies in heart failure should therefore be interpreted in the context of locally available techniques. In addition, there are very wide variances in volumes and ejection fraction between techniques, which are most marked in comparisons using echocardiography. This suggests that cardiovascular magnetic resonance is the preferred technique for volume and ejection fraction estimation in heart failure patients, because of its 3D approach for non-symmetric ventricles and superior image quality.
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European heart journal · Aug 2000
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyExperiences from treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during 17 years in Göteborg.
To describe changes in different factors at resuscitation and survival in a 17-year survey of patients suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. ⋯ In a survey covering 17 years of resuscitation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients we found that the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation as the initially recorded arrhythmia decreased. There was an increase in age, in the proportion of females and in the use of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The interval between collapse and defibrillation was shortened. Survival changed over time with an increase until 1993 but with a decrease thereafter.