Showing papers on "Cardiac arrhythmia published in 1978"

Use of Transtelephonic Electrocardiography in Patients With Symptoms Suggesting Cardiac Arrhythmia

Abstract: Fast or irregular heartbeats in childhood may be described as palpitations or fluttering in the chest or throat; they may or may not represent true arrhythmias. Documentation of these symptoms as true arrhythmias is imperative before treatment can be instituted but is difficult if these symptoms occur less than once a day or for a duration of less than one hour. No therapy is indicated if the symptoms arise from occasional ectopic beats or variations of sinus rhythm, and selection of those patients for whom therapy is indicated, as well as the selection of antiarrhythmic medication, is dependent on demonstration that the arrhythmia originates from a supraventricular or ventricular focus.

A pill electrode for the study of cardiac arrhythmia.

Abstract: A swallowable electrode has been developed which permits accurate P wave detection without patient risk or discomfort. This esophageal lead, together with a simultaneous surface ECG, is the basis for a new two-channel computer system for arrhythmia detection and analysis.

Some Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Impulse Initiation in Cardiac Fibers; its Relevance for the Determination of the Mechanisms of Clinical Cardiac Arrhythmias

Abstract: Circus movement of excitation, spontaneous diastolic depolarization and other causes of rhythmic activity have been the subject of intensive investigation for many years, and studies utilizing microelectrode techniques have defined many important mechanisms (163, 168). These studies have suggested physiological and pharmacological interventions which can terminate such ectopic impulse initiation. Some interventions are specific for arrhythmias that depend on automaticity and others for arrhythmias that result from reentry (374). An ideal goal for therapy of any human cardiac arrhythmia would require determining the mechanism underlying its origin and the use of a therapeutic intervention specific for that mechanism to terminate the arrhythmia. Although attaining this goal is still in the future many basic electrophysiological discoveries have been applied to determine the mechanisms for human arrhythmias.

Cardiac arrhythmias during outpatient dental anaesthesia: a comparison of controlledventilation with and without halothane

Abstract: SUMMARY The frequency and nature of cardiac arrhythmia during two controlled ventilation techniques for endotracheal anaesthesia in dental outpatients have been compared. Both techniques used nitrous oxide and oxygen with alcuronium, but in one the additional agent was halothane and in the other it was fentanyl. The frequency of arrhythmia in both groups was 5%. No ventricular arrhythmia was seen but benign nodal rhythm was noted. It is suggested that the anti-arrhythmia effect of non-depolarizing muscle relaxants may prevent ventricular arrhythmia in patients receiving halothane.

Exacerbation of coronary occlusion induced ventricular arrhythmias by the vagolytic effect of procainamide

Abstract: The influence of the vagolytic effect of procainamide on the early ventricular arrhythmias induced by left anterior descending coronary (LAD) occlusion was studied in chloralose-anaesthetised cats. All control animals developed a ventricular arrhythmia (1119 ± 166 PVCs per hour), with a consistent onset time, duration, and overall mortality due to ventricular fibrillation (ie 20%). In 18 animals pretreated with procainamide (0.5 mg·kg−1·min−1 for 50 min), there was no effect on the ventricular arrhythmia in terms of ectopic frequency (1020 ± 180 PVCs per hour), time to onset of arrhythmia, duration of arrhythmia, and mortality incidence (ie 16.7%). However, subdividing the data according to whether or not vagal blockade had been produced by procainamide revealed that animals exhibiting complete vagal blockade demonstrated significantly more ectopic beats (1606± 310 PVCs per hour) and 33% developed ventricular fibrillation. Treated animals without complete vagal blockade exhibited an ectopic frequency rate of 620 ± 98 PVCs per hour and none of the animals developed ventricular fibrillation. The haemodynamic parameters were similar between both procainamide treated subgroups. These results suggest that an important factor in response of the ischaemic heart to the cardiac rhythm effects of procainamide is the degree of vagal blockade induced by this agent.

Cardiac arrhythmia after mushroom ingestion.

Abstract: obsessions about food.\" Reports also existl 2 of anorectic patients responding well to oral pimozide. In each case weight gain and general improvement were associated with disappearance of an \"implacable obsession with weight\"' or a \"delusion of fatness.\"2 Fluspirilene and pimozide are closely related members of the diphenylbutylpiperidine class of neuroleptics. They differ from the majority of such agents by being selective blockers of central dopaminergic neurotransmission, at least part of this blockade occurring in the hypothalamus. Barry and Klawans3 have demonstrated how many of the features of anorexia nervosa may be attributed to increased activity of dopaminergic neuronal systems in the hypothalamus. Anorectic patients may be most likely to respond to a diphenylbutylpiperidine agent when a delusional disturbance of body image is central to the psychopathology. Bruch4 and others believe this to occur commonly, although substantial doubt about this must be entertained. Where such \"delusional fatness\" is present the patient may be considered to exhibit a monosymptomatic hypochondriacal psychosis. Patients within this general category appear to respond well to pimozide,5 6 and increased central dopaminergic neurotransmission has also been implicated in this condition.' I intend to test the above hypothesis and am currently planning a controlled study of the effects of pimozide in anorexia nervosa.

[Cardiac arrhythmia during pneumatic dilatation of achalasia of the esophagus (author's transl)].

Abstract: ECG was recorded in 38 patients with achalasia of the esophagus before, during and after pneumatic dilatation. During the dilatation both marked increases as well as decreases of heart frequency were observed. The mean values of all patients remained virtually unchanged. The most frequent type of arrhythmia were ventricular extrasystolies (16 patients), whereas supraventricular extrasystolies (4 patients), second degree-av-block (2 patients) and av-dissociation (1 patient) occured infrequently. In none of our patients arrhythmia was critical, even in a patient with preexisting cardiac insufficiency. Thus, patients with achalasia of the esophagus are not endangered to a major degree by cardiac arrhythmia during pneumatic dilatation.

Use of the esophageal electric countershock

Abstract: Transesophageal cardioversion was applied in 277 patients 296 times for arrest of cardiac arrhythmia. Paroxysmal fibrillation and flutter of the atria, and paroxysmal tachycardia were arrested in all cases, chronic atrial fibrillation in 92.4% and chronic irregular atrial flutter in 94.1% of cases. In the group of patients where transthoracic cardioversion at a voltage of 7 kV proved ineffective, the sinus rhythm was restored in 76.5% of cases with atrial fibrillation and 84.2% of cases with irregular atrial flutter when one of the electrodes was introduced into the esophagus. The mean defibrillating voltage in transesophageal cardioversion for chronic atrial fibrillation was by 53.8% lower than that in transthoracic cardioversion. The design of the esophageal electrode proposed provides for the continous recording of the ECG in the esophageal lead for the purpose of determining the optimum position of the electrode and identifying the character of disorders in the cardiac rhythm more precisely.