Haemodynamic and gas exchange measurements were made at rest, on supine exercise and on acute vasodilatation with intravenous prostacyclin in eight patients with pulmonary hypertension. This enabled an assessment of the contribution of V/Q imbalance to the abnormal gas exchange on the condition. At rest arterial oxygen tension, PaO2 (mean 8.1 +/- 1.7 kPa) and mixed venous oxygen tension, PVO2 (...

The author reviewed electrocardiographic records of 150 patients with acute stroke and 150 age- and sex-matched controls, to assess the relative frequencies of ECG abnormalities among the pathophysiologic categories of stroke, and to distinguish new abnormalities at the time of the stroke from those noted on prior tracings. Of the 150 patients with stroke, 138 (92%) showed ECG abnormalities. Th...

BACKGROUND Carbamazepine is an iminostilbene derivative structurally related to cyclic antidepressants which implies its potential cardiotxic properties, especially in acute poisoning. This study aimed to determine the frequency and severity of cardiovascular complications in carbamazepine intoxication and its relationship with level of consciousness. METHODS Patients with carbamazepine intox...

Background and Objectives: Neural blockade techniques are associated with a risk of acute cardiac toxicity after accidental intravenous (IV) injection of local anesthetics (LAs). The aim of this study was to compare electrocardiographic (ECG) and hemodynamic (HEM) effects induced by IV infusion of LAs in an anesthetized ewe model. Methods: Thirty-two anesthetized ewes received IV bupivacaine (B...

INTRODUCTION It was aimed to calculate QT intervals in patients with acromegaly and to reveal its correlation between QT intervals, and growth hormone and insulin like growth factor-1. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty-one patients with acromegaly were enrolled into the study. Another 41 individuals with similar features, such as comorbid diseases, age and sex constituted the control group. The elec...

Background: Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder in which electrical cardiac ventricular repolarization is impaired. It results in an increased risk of an irregular heartbeat which can result in palpitations, fainting, drowning, or sudden death. Long QT Syndrome may present as tonic-clonic seizure or a seizure-like disorder. By taking a superficial electrocardiogram (ECG) and proper diagnosis,...

Congenital long QT syndrome is a rare disease in which the electrocardiogram QT interval is prolonged due to dysfunctional ventricular repolarization. Variant 3 (LQT-3) is associated with mutations in SCN5A, the gene coding for the heart Na(+) channel alpha subunit. Arrhythmias in LQT-3 mutation carriers are more likely to occur at rest, when heart rate is slow. Several LQT-3 Na(+) channel muta...

Background The attribute of certain drugs to alter the characteristics of cardiac repolarisation has been recognized as an important safety aspect. The QT interval is the key parameter to assess the risk of such changes. However, this interval depends on the actual heart rate (determined as the RR interval) and might be affected by systematic changes. Introduction In the analysis of the QT inte...

BACKGROUND Exercise stress testing has shown diagnostic utility in adult patients with long-QT syndrome (LQTS); however, the QT interval adaptation in response to exercise in pediatric patients with LQTS has received little attention. METHODS AND RESULTS One-hundred fifty-eight patients were divided into 3 groups: Those with LQTS type 1 (LQT1) or LQTS type 2 (LQT2) and normal control subjects...