Transmission of electrocardiograms from a moving ambulance.

Delay is the enemy for patients with acute myocardial infarction. It would be helpful for the hospital cardiologist to interpret the patient's electrocardiogram (ECG) before the arrival of the ambulance. The aim of our study was to determine whether ECG transmission from an ambulance is feasible and to assess the time savings.

Corrected QT interval in relation to the severity of diabetic autonomic neuropathy.

The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent the existence of objective signs of diabetic autonomic neuropathy affects the corrected QT interval (QTc) in diabetic subjects. A total of 105 diabetic subjects (type 1, n = 53; type 2, n = 52) as well as 40 matched (by age and sex) control subjects were studied. All subjects underwent the battery of five Ewing tests.

Greek physicians' and dentists' compliance with the British society for antimicrobial chemotherapy (BSAC) guidelines for preventing bacterial endocarditis.

Two thousand questionnaires inquiring about applied prophylaxis for bacterial endocarditis were sent to practicing doctors in Greece. Two hundred and ninety-nine questionnaires were completed and returned (15% response rate) and were subsequently divided into two groups: Group A (163) consisting of responses from dentists, chest physicians and ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists and group B (136) including responses from gastroenterologists, gynecologists, urologists and radiologists. The percentage of correct answers given in response by clinicians in Groups A and B to the main questions and in accordance with the 1992 guidelines of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) were respectively: (a) 53% vs 35% asked patients their previous history pertaining to valve disease, rheumatic fever or prosthetic valve surgery; (b) 55% vs 33% administered prophylaxis to patients with relevant history prior to medical procedures; (c) 67% vs 0% of prescribing doctors administered the appropriate antibacterials; (d) 33% vs 31% initiated prophylaxis in proper timing prior to medical procedure; (e) 14% vs 13% administered antibiotics in correct time/route/duration of infusion where applicable, prior to medical procedure; (f) 7% of group A doctors administering recommended antibiotics, implemented prophylaxis with correct time/route/dosage while, although none of group B doctors administered recommended antibiotics, 7% implemented prophylaxis with correct time/route recommendations; (g) an overall 2% of doctors from both groups met the BSAC recommendations.

Peripheral occlusive arterial disease in longstanding diabetes mellitus. A population study.

One hundred and seventy-five diabetic patients belonging to the same cohort were investigated. They were all inhabitants of a suburb of Athens and were initially identified during a diabetes detection drive conducted 11 years earlier. The study comprised a full physical examination, answering of a detailed questionnaire--with emphasis on signs of intermittent claudication (IC)--and a 12 lead ECG (analyzed according to the Minnesota code).

Titration of nadolol in the treatment of hypertension.

An open, observer-blind, therapeutic titration trial was carried out in 28 patients with mild or moderate essential hypertension to determine the effective dose range of nadolol given once a day. 11 patients became normotensive (supine diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or below) with 80 mg, 4 with 120 mg and 1 with 160 mg. The largest step in the reduction of blood pressure was achieved with the first dose step of 80 mg, and only a small, nonsignificant further decrease was obtained with higher dose levels.