1/58. Fatal cardiac ischaemia associated with prolonged desflurane anaesthesia and administration of exogenous catecholamines.PURPOSE: Four cardiac ischaemic events are reported during and after prolonged anaesthesia with desflurane. CLINICAL FEATURES: We have evaluated desflurane in 21 consecutive patients undergoing advanced head and neck reconstructive surgery. Four deaths occurred which were associated with cardiac ischaemic syndromes either during or immediately after operation. All patients in the study received a similar anaesthetic. This comprised induction with propofol and maintenance with alfentanil and desflurane in oxygen-enriched air. Inotropic support (either dopamine or dobutamine in low dose, 5 micrograms.kg.min-1) was provided as part of the anaesthetic technique in all patients. Critical cardiovascular incidents were observed in each of the four patients during surgery. These were either sudden bradycardia or tachycardia associated with ST-segment electrocardiographic changes. The four patients who died had a documented past history of coronary heart disease and were classified American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) II or III. One patient (#2) did not survive anaesthesia and surgery and the three others died on the first, second and twelfth postoperative days. Enzyme increases (CK/CK-MB) were available in three patients and confirmed myocardial ischaemia. CONCLUSION: These cases represent an unexpected increase in the immediate postoperative mortality for these types of patients and this anaesthetic sequence.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = coronary (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/58. Coronary artery spasm induced by trigeminal nerve stimulation and vagal reflex during intracranial operation.This report describes a case of ventricular fibrillation resulting from coronary vasospasm during intracranial operation under general anesthesia. An autonomic response associated with the intracranial procedure caused a coronary spasm, which was worsened by alpha-agonists. nitroglycerin effectively resolved the coronary spasm and co-complications persisted.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3keywords = coronary (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/58. Atrial standstill in a case of Kugelberg-Welander syndrome with cardiac involvement: an electrophysiologic study.A patient with Kugelberg-Welander syndrome associated with junctional rhythm and restrictive cardiomyopathy is presented. An electrophysiologic study was performed. Persistent atrial standstill was demonstrated by detailed right atrium and coronary sinus mapping and failure of capture of both right atrium and coronary sinus pacing. A prolonged junctional recovery time, normal HV interval and normal pacing threshold of the right ventricle were also noted. The patient was successfully treated with cardiac pacing and diuretics.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = coronary (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/58. Treatment of the bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome with permanent demand pacing.The bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome (paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia alternating with sinus bradycardia and episodes of sinus node arrest) has previously presented a complicated therapeutic dilemma when excitatory and suppressive drugs have been utilized. A patient with this syndrome successfully treated with a permanent ventricular transvenous demand pacemaker is presented. Various aspects of this syndrome as well as facets of diagnosis and treatment have been reviewed and discussed. Significant underlying cardiac disease was ruled out in this patient by the usual diagnostic methods including left heart catheterization and coronary angiography. An interesting possibility of the relationship of vagal stimulation secondary to hiatus hernia as an etiologic factor in this syndrome has been discussed. The opinion is expressed that the currently preferred method of treatment is the insertion of a permanent transvenous pacemaker alone or in conjunction with antiarrhythmic drugs, preferably digitalis and propranolol.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = coronary (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/58. cocaine-induced bradyarrhythmia: an unsuspected cause of syncope.cocaine use is associated with adverse events in nearly every organ system. Cardiovascular complications include hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, aortic dissection, cardiomyopathy, accelerated coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death. syncope may be the presenting symptom in these conditions. However, cocaine-induced bradyarrhythmias have been scarcely mentioned. As this case exemplifies, clinicians should be aware of this association when they evaluate syncope, especially in young patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = coronary (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/58. Successful catheter ablation against ventricular tachycardia associated with myotonic dystrophy.myotonic dystrophy (MD) is characterized by myotonia and muscular dystrophy and cardiac involvement with tachy-arrhythmia is rarely encountered. We report a case of MD complicated with severe left ventricular hypofunction and incessant ventricular tachycardia (VT) with varying heart rates. The morphology of VT suggested that it originated from the right ventricular outflow tract, and electrophysiological study disclosed that the mechanism of VT was abnormal automaticity. catheter ablation was performed to treat this VT. The patient had a cardiomyopathy with normal coronary arteries. The specimen of RV biopsy showed moderate hypertrophy, mild fat infiltration and slight fibrosis. These findings are histologically consistent with myotonic dystrophy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = coronary (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/58. Angina induced by excessive bradycardia.angina pectoris usually occurs in patients with significant coronary artery disease during periods of increased coronary demand such as increased heart rate. bradycardia is a rare and unusal cause of angina pectoris that should be considered during the evaluation of patients with agnia. This paper reports three cases of bradycardia-induced angina.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = coronary (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/58. Cardiogenic shock triggered by verapamil and atenolol: a case report of therapeutic experience with intravenous calcium.Cardiogenic shock developed in a 72-year-old Japanese woman during combination therapy with verapamil and atenolol for recurrent supraventricular arrhythmia. She had coronary atherosclerosis, liver cirrhosis and bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome. Despite of the high-dose catecholamines and counterpulsation, she progressively deteriorated. Bolus administration of intravenous calcium chloride (CaCl2) immediately resolved her hemodynamic collapse.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = coronary (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/58. Diagnostic superiority of continuous-loop electrocardiographic recording over other testing in a patient with recurrent syncope and underlying coronary artery disease with severe left ventricular dysfunction.Dysrhythmic causes of syncope may elude diagnosis in postinfarction patients despite elaborate testing, including electrophysiologic study. For a correct diagnosis, capture of cardiac rhythm during patient's typical symptoms is crucial. This report describes a patient with coronary artery disease and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction who experienced recurrent syncopal episodes without obvious precipitating factors. The 12-lead electrocardiogram showed left bundle-branch block indicating a possible conduction abnormality as the underlying cause of syncope. Twenty-four-h Holter monitoring exhibited no sinus rhythm or conduction disturbances but revealed a nonsustained run of ventricular tachycardia. Findings at electrophysiologic testing led to a presumptive diagnosis of tachyarrhythmic cause of syncope; however, the correct diagnosis was only made with use of a loop monitor which documented a 15-s sinus pause during a syncopal episode.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = coronary (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/58. Acute circulatory and respiratory collapse in obstetrical patients: a case report and review of the literature.Venous air embolism is the entrapment of air into the venous system producing signs and symptoms due to obstruction of pulmonary arterial blood flow. We present a healthy, 27-year-old, full-term parturient admitted for postdate induction of labor. Cesarean delivery was required following fetal distress. During delivery, the mother became bradycardic and required advanced cardiac life support for resuscitation. Serial hemoglobin values, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, and a magnetic resonance image of the head were all normal. No fetal squamous cells were found in the patient's blood. She required 6 days of ventilation, was successfully extubated, and was discharged 14 days after the cesarean delivery. The differential diagnosis in this patient's care centered on a pulmonary embolic event. thromboembolism was unlikely, based upon the patient's rapid clinical improvement without definitive therapy for thrombotic disease or detection of peripheral thrombosis. amniotic fluid embolus was unlikely, although not excluded, by the absence of fetal cells in the maternal circulation and the lack of an accompanying intravascular coagulopathy. air embolism may occur in up to 50% of women undergoing cesarean delivery. A lethal embolism may follow a bolus of 3 to 5 mL/kg of air. Chief among the many symptoms of air embolism are tachypnea, chest pain, and gasping. The diagnosis may be facilitated by precordial Doppler monitoring, transesophageal echocardiography, or by the identification of air when aspirating from a right heart catheter. Management includes optimum patient positioning, aspiration of air, discontinuation of nitrous oxide, administration of 100% oxygen, and flooding the surgical site with saline to avoid further air entry. Preventive strategies are also discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.057547519589119keywords = circulation (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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