Do Electrode and Lead Design Differences for Permanent Cardiac Pacing Translate into Clinically Demonstrable Differences? (Comparison of Sintered Platinum and Activated Vitreous and Porous Carbon Electrodes)

A randomized prospective study was undertaken to compare the electrical performances of three permanent, endocardial, tined pacing leads with different electrode designs--sintered platinum, vitreous carbon, and porous carbon. Ninety-nine patients received one of the leads (S80 31; 423S 32; S100 36). Acute R wave amplitude and ST elevation of the native endocardial electrogram, voltage threshold, impedance, and current flow at four pulse durations (0.25-1.0 msec) were measured. Voltage thresholds were measured noninvasively at each of four pulse durations at 2 days and 1, 3, and 6 months after implantation. No significant differences were found in sensing properties, or current flow at threshold at 0.5 msec pulse duration. The 423S lead had a significantly higher impedance at threshold and both a higher impedance and lower current flow at 5 V. No significant differences in threshold voltages were found between the three leads at any pulse duration, at any of the assessed times after implantation. Six-month thresholds for the S80, 423S, and S100 leads were 1.18 +/- 0.35, 1.17 +/- 0.29, and 1.06 +/- 0.38 V respectively at 0.5 msec pulse duration. Differences between 'high performance' pacing leads need to be of a greater order of magnitude before they can be exploited to give any real clinical advantage to patients.     

A randomized trial comparing two different approaches of pacemaker selection.

AIMS: DDD-pacemakers are favoured in patients with sick-sinus-syndrome or AV-block. However, AAI-pacemakers for sick-sinus-syndrome or VDD-pacemakers for AV-block may provide similar benefit with lower costs. The aim is to show that a tailored approach (TA) with arrhythmia-specific pacemaker selection was equal to a standard approach (SA) regarding quality of life (QoL) at lower costs. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study was prospective and randomized with QoL as primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints were a combined endpoint of all-cause mortality, worsening heart failure or angina, atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke, these endpoints individually and costs. Of 198 patients (age 77 +/- 10 years, 43% female, ejection fraction 54 +/- 12%, follow-up 38 +/- 15 months), 94 were randomized to SA and 104 to TA. Thirty-two patients (34%) died in the SA group vs. 25 (24%) in the TA (P= ns). QoL showed no differences in all dimensions. The combined secondary endpoint was reached more frequently with SA (51%) compared to TA (37%, P = 0.045). There was no difference regarding all single secondary endpoints. Hardware costs were reduced by 15% (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In long-term follow-up, a TA is equal to SA regarding the primary endpoint QoL and secondary endpoints as AF and mortality. Depending on the healthcare system, it may significantly reduce costs.     

Assessment of Rhythm and Rate Control in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

A recent series of randomized prospective clinical trials that compared rate control with rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) found no significant difference in primary outcome between the two strategies. However, these trials lacked clear criteria for defining "successful" rate or rhythm control. Various measures have been used to gauge the success of antiarrhythmic drug therapy, including time to first recurrence of AF, any AF recurrence, AF burden, and a reduction in symptoms. Determining the success of antiarrhythmic therapy can be relatively straightforward by using how patients feel during therapy as a key endpoint. Most patients are satisfied with a major reduction in symptomatic AF episodes and can live comfortably with occasional episodes of AF. For those who are bothered by even infrequent, brief AF episodes, a treatment regimen that eliminates nearly all AF recurrences is required, although often hard to achieve. Catheter ablation may be necessary to achieve a successful outcome in these patients. Suppression of AF in a patient at high risk of stroke does not, however, remove the need for concomitant warfarin therapy. The endpoints of ventricular rate control are not clear, and the recently published rhythm versus rate control trials lacked standard criteria for judging acceptable rate control. One relatively simple method is to try and achieve a 24-hour heart rate that mimics expected normal sinus rhythm. It is important to achieve good rate control to minimize symptoms and the risk of tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy.     

心房颤动外科手术的发展与评价

随着电生理学对房颤机制的深入研究和新型标测技术消融能源的发展,房颤的外科治疗不断取得新的突破.由Cox迷宫手术的复杂术式逐渐向左迷宫、放射迷宫衍变.减少创伤提高治愈率,成为房颤外科治疗不断追求的新目标.本文概述了房颤外科治疗的各种术式设计原理和房颤根治术新消融技术的应用及其疗效评价.     

定量组织速度成像对右室起搏患者左室收缩运动的研究

目的　应用定量组织速度成像 (QTVI)评价右室心尖起搏 (RVAP)VVI型对左心收缩功能的影响。方法　应用GEVivid 7彩色多普勒超声显像仪对 2 0例RVAP患者和 2 0例正常人的心尖四腔切面的室间隔和左室外侧壁速度和位移曲线进行观察 ,测量心电图Q波分别至室间隔和左室外侧壁收缩期峰速度的时间 ,并除以R R间期进行校正。结果　QTVI显示右室起搏器置入者的室间隔与左室外侧壁速度曲线的收缩期S波非同步出现。Q波至室间隔收缩期峰速度的时间短于Q波至左室外侧壁收缩期峰速度的时间 ,两者分别为 ( 0 .12± 0 .0 2 )s和 ( 0 .14± 0 .0 2 )s,P <0 .0 5。结论　右室起搏后早期的左室整体收缩功能虽未见明显下降 ,但QTVI可以发现室间隔与左室壁收缩明显的不协调 ,可作为早期分析左室收缩运动的定量方法。     

经导管封闭治疗小儿继发孔房间隔缺损

目的探讨应用经导管封闭治疗小儿房间隔缺损的临床效果.方法 16例ASD患儿.男6例,女10例;年龄2～14(8±4)岁,体重10～40(23±9)Kg.先行右心导管用球囊导管测量ASD大小,选择适合的封堵器,在X线及超声引导下释放封堵器堵闭ASD,术后随访疗效,追踪残余分流率和并发症.结果应用此法封闭16例ASD,全部成功.手术时间为(70±30)血n,透视时间(13±8)min,术中无明显并发症.术后随访右房、右室径较术前明显缩小,恢复正常(P＜0.05);无残余分流发生.结论经导管封闭治疗小儿房间隔缺损术具有创伤小,成功率高,安全性好的优点,但其长期疗效需进一步随访观察.     

ELECTRICAL REMODELLING OF CHRONIC ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

1. It is now recognized that atrial fibrillation (AF) is not a benign condition, as it is associated with a 40% increase in mortality and a doubling of the risk of stroke. 2. The development of AF leads to mechanical, electrophysiological and cellular changes in the atria that tend to sustain AF. This process is known as atrial remodelling. 3. The three electrophysiological elements in the atria that initiate and sustain AF are: (i) shortening of the refractory period and an increase in dispersion; (ii) slowing of conduction velocity; and (iii) the presence of triggerin. foci. 4. As AF is a heterogeneous disorder, therapeutic strategies include the use of devices (pacemakers and atrial defibrillators), radiofrequency ablation (focal ablation or the creation of linear lines) and drug therapy that may reverse a remodelle. atrium.     

Incremental Value of Three-Dimensional Echocardiography Over Transesophageal Multiplane Two-Dimensional Echocardiography in Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Cardiac Masses and Defects

In the present study, we compared three-dimensionally (3-D) reconstructed images with multiplane two-dimensional (2-D) transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) images in 17 patients with various cardiac masses and defects. To overcome the problem of making measurements from 3-D reconstructed images, we carefully "dissected" the 3-D dataset using paraplane and anyplane 2-D sections, which were then used to obtain the maximum sizes of the cardiac masses and defects. Of the 15 vegetations and 9 abscesses detected by 3-D TEE in 7 patients, only 8 (53%) vegetations and 4 (44%) abscesses were detected by multiplane 2-D TEE (P < 0.02). Also, the exact anatomical location, shape, geometry, and extent of various cardiac masses and defects were more clearly delineated by 3-D than 2-D TEE. The maximum dimensions of cardiac masses and defects were larger by 3-D than by 2-D TEE in 17 (89%) of the 19 lesions available for comparison (P < 0.002). In addition, 3-D TEE correlated more closely than 2-D TEE when compared to surgical measurements in three patients in whom they were available. Thus, it would appear that in several instances, the exact size of the cardiac lesion could only be assessed by analysis of the 3-D volumetric dataset. Out preliminary study has demonstrated the superiority of transesophageal 3-D reconstruction over multiplane 2-D TEE in both qualitative and quantitative assessment of various cardiac mass lesions and pathological defects.     

Vasodilator effects of C-type natriuretic peptide on cerebral arterioles in rats

The vasodilator effects of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) were investigated in isolated rat cerebral arterioles. CNP caused dose-dependent vasodilation, maximally by 10.0±2.2% at 10⁻⁶ M. The median effective concentration (EC₅₀) was 5.2×10⁻¹⁰ M. In contrast, atrial natriuretic peptide and B-type natriuretic peptide, other members of the natriuretic peptide family, produced little or no vasodilation. Pretreatment with methylene blue (10⁻⁴ M) abolished CNP-induced vasodilation, whereas pretreatment with N^G-monomethyl-

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-arginine or indomethacin did not inhibit vasodilation. Thus, CNP is suggested to cause significant vasodilation in cerebral arterioles via a cyclic guanosine monophosphate-dependent mechanism. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.