Normality index of ventricular contraction based on a statistical model from FADS.

Radionuclide-based imaging is an alternative to evaluate ventricular function and synchrony and may be used as a tool for the identification of patients that could benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). In a previous work, we used Factor Analysis of Dynamic Structures (FADS) to analyze the contribution and spatial distribution of the 3 most significant factors (3-MSF) present in a dynamic series of equilibrium radionuclide angiography images. In this work, a probability density function model of the 3-MSF extracted from FADS for a control group is presented; also an index, based on the likelihood between the control group's contraction model and a sample of normal subjects is proposed.

Cardiovascular medicine at face value: a qualitative pilot study on clinical axiology.

Introduction: Cardiology is characterized by its state-of-the-art biomedical technology and the predominance of Evidence-Based Medicine. This predominance makes it difficult for healthcare professionals to deal with the ethical dilemmas that emerge in this subspecialty. This paper is a first endeavor to empirically investigate the axiological foundations of the healthcare professionals in a cardiology hospital.

[Cost-effectiveness of stress-only myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging].

Unlabelled: Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging is widely used for diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD). However, SPECT costs, imaging time, and radiation exposure, limit SPECT indications.

Objective: Determine whether a stress-only SPECT imaging would be enough to obtain a diagnosis of CAD improving nuclear laboratory efficiency.

[Importance of the heart-brain binomial in the management of congenital heart disease].

A case of a two month infant with complex congenital heart disease (aortic coarctation with ventricular septal defect) associated to a cellular brain migration failure is presented. The management strategy consisted on the correction of congenital heart disease by means of a two-stage surgery without a further preoperative evaluation of the neurological status. The patient developed several perioperative complications such as two episodes of cardiac arrest, reconnection to cardiopulmonary bypass, cardiac tamponade, chilothorax and septic shock.

Evaluation of ventricular synchrony with equilibrium radionuclide angiography: assessment of variability and accuracy.

Background And Aims: Equilibrium radionuclide angiography (ERNA) has become an established method for assessing cardiac function. However, limited data are available to evaluate ventricular synchrony with ERNA. The aim of this study was to assess the variability and accuracy of ERNA to evaluate ventricular synchrony by means of phase images in healthy individuals and to compare them with a group of subjects with left bundle-branch block (interventricular dyssynchrony, LBBB) and with a group of patients with nonischemic, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (inter- and intraventricular dyssynchrony).

[Evaluation of the function and ventricular synchrony in patients with latency stage of Chagas' disease].

Objective: To compare the left ventricular function and the ventricular synchrony in patients with Chagas disease in latency stage respect to a control group.

Methods: We analyze a prospective, comparative, transversal and non randomized study of the left ventricular function (LVF) and the ventricular contraction synchronicity (VCS) in 36 subjects with positive serology for Chagas disease (18 males and 18 females), with mean of 15 +/- 5-years-old. The findings were compared with respect to 23 control volunteers (11 males and 12 females) with mean of 28 +/- 5-years-old.

Clinical utility of 99mTc-labeled ubiquicidin 29-41 antimicrobial peptide for the scintigraphic detection of mediastinitis after cardiac surgery.

Background: Previous studies demonstrated that (99m)Tc-labeled-ubiquicidin 29-41 ((99m)Tc-UBI 29-41) imaging is an accurate method for detection of bacterial infections. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical use of (99m)Tc-UBI 29-41 for detection of mediastinitis after cardiac surgery.

Methods: Thirteen patients with suspected mediastinitis after cardiac surgery were included.

Myocardial perfusion and ventricular function assessed by SPECT and Gated-SPECT in end-stage renal disease patients before and after renal transplant.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Renal transplant is known to improve left ventricle hypertrophy and systolic dysfunction in selected groups of patients.

Methods: We assessed myocardial perfusion, wall motion and functional parameters by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and Gated-SPECT in 30 consecutive ESRD patients with normal coronary angiograms before and after renal transplantation.

Myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging in patients with myocardial bridging.

Background: Although myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging is widely used to assess myocardial ischemia in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease, only a few patients with myocardial bridging have been evaluated with nuclear techniques. Furthermore, it has been suggested that dipyridamole stress images might underestimate perfusion defects compared with exercise stress images. This study was done to determine the concordance of exercise stress SPECT images with that obtained by dipyridamole stress SPECT images as a means of detecting ischemia in patients with myocardial bridging.

[Chest pain syndrome in normal or non-diagnostic conventional ECG at the emergency service. Assessment with myocardial perfusion (SPECT) and ventricular function (Gated-SPECT)].

The arrival of a patient with chest pain syndrome (precordial) to the emergency represents a diagnostic challenge for the physician. Around 6 million persons are seen each year at the Emergency units in the USA. More than half of the patients are admitted for their cardiac evaluation.

Variability of serial same-day left ventricular ejection fraction using quantitative gated SPECT.

Background: The accuracy of quantitative gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) (QGS) and the potential limitations for estimation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) have been extensively evaluated. However, few studies have focused on the serial variability of QGS. This study was conducted to assess the serial variability of QGS for determination of LVEF between 2 sequential technetium 99m sestamibi-gated SPECT acquisitions at rest in both healthy and unhealthy subjects.

Multiplane Transesophageal Echocardiography with Dobutamine in Patients with Biventricular Inferior Myocardial Infarction.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the alterations of ventricular wall movement in patients with acute posteroinferior myocardial infarction with extension to right cavities with multiplane transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), as well as the utility of dobutamine with this technique to analyze myocardial viability. Nine men with a mean age of 51 years fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Myocardial TEE was performed in all the men 72 hours after the acute event with long- and short-axis transgastric images of both ventricles under basal conditions and with dobutamine infusions of 5 and 10 µg/kg per minute.

Utility of Transesophageal Echocardiography in Diagnosis of a Left Atrial Myxoma with Regional Pulmonary Venous Obstruction.

A case of a 57-year-old patient with regional pulmonary edema secondary to obstruction of the right lower pulmonary vein by a left atrial myxoma is described. Diagnosis was established by transesophageal echocardiography.