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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
The unstable ST segment early after thrombolysis for acute infarction and its usefulness as a marker of recurrent coronary occlusion.
To investigate the incidence of early recurrent ST elevation after intravenous thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction, 12-lead electrocardiograms were continuously monitored for 571 +/- 326 minutes in 31 patients presenting within 4 hours of symptom onset. The study group comprised 9 women and 22 men (mean age +/- standard deviation 53 +/- 12 years), with ST elevation (anterior in 15, inferior in 16) on the initial electrocardiogram, who were given either tissue plasminogen activator (22 patients) or streptokinase (9 patients). Angiography was performed in 30 of 31 patients at 7 to 10 days. ⋯ The proportion of silent episodes was similar for transient (35%) and sustained (33%) recurrences. All patients with sustained recurrent ST elevation had at least 1 preceding transient recurrence. The median duration of transient recurrent ST elevation was 43 minutes (28 to 63).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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The ECG studies of the international HERO-2 trial in ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients evaluated the prognostic value of ECGs systematically recorded at baseline and at 60-min post-administration of fibrinolytic therapy. Patients were overall managed conservatively with a low percentage undergoing angiography. Many of the analyses were pre-specified. ⋯ The strength of having serial ECG recordings is discussed as is the weakness of lacking angiographic correlation. The paper discusses with take-home points (Table 1) the prognostic implications of bundle branch blocks, QRS duration, Q waves in infarct leads, V1 ST elevation during inferior STEMI, lead aVR ST changes and new ST depression in the infarct leads after fibrinolysis. With the ever increasing emphasis on early (including pre-hospital) therapies for STEMI, a diagnosis based on the 12-lead ECG, the current summary article provides helpful hints to fully extract ECG information, and a vision for future STEMI diagnosis and management.
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The prognostic role of echocardiographic right ventricular (RV) dysfunction for predicting mortality in patients with acute pulmonary embolism and a preserved systemic arterial pressure remains controversial. ⋯ Among patients with pulmonary embolism who present with a systolic arterial pressure greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg, echocardiographic RV hypokinesis is an independent predictor of early death.
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Arthritis Rheumatol · Oct 2016
Clinical and Imaging Signs of Spondyloarthritis in First-Degree Relatives of HLA-B27-Positive Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients: The Pre-Spondyloarthritis (Pre-SpA) Cohort Study.
To investigate whether seemingly healthy first-degree relatives of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have clinical, laboratory, or imaging features of spondyloarthritis (SpA). ⋯ A substantial proportion of seemingly healthy first-degree relatives of HLA-B27-positive AS patients have clinical and/or imaging abnormalities suggestive of SpA. Thirty-three percent could be classified as having SpA. Further follow-up will show which first-degree relatives will develop clinically manifest SpA.
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Comparative Study
Nonadherence to statin therapy: discontinuation after a single fill.
Adherence to statin medications is known to be suboptimal. What is less known is the rate of discontinuation immediately after therapy has been initiated. The primary objective of this study was to determine what proportion of nonadherence in the first year of statin therapy was due to discontinuation after a single fill. ⋯ Immediate discontinuation after a single fill contributes disproportionately to statin nonadherence. This suggests an important time to prevent nonadherence is within the first month of treatment initiation.