Atrial late potentials in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation detected using a high gain, signal-averaged esophageal lead.

High gain, signal-averaged ECGs using conventional surface lead technique and a transesophageal lead technique were performed in 45 idiopathic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation patients and in 33 normal controls. Both techniques showed increased P wave duration in patients compared with the controls (P < 0.001), but higher P wave amplitudes were obtained using the transesophageal technique compared with surface leads (patients: 169.

[The high-resolution analysis of the P wave recorded via the esophagus: a new diagnostic approach in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation].

Background: P-wave signal averaged ECG has recently been proposed in the evaluation of patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation (PAF). The aim of this study was to verify the utility of this method in the characterisation of these patients utilizing a transoesophageal signal.

Methods: The study population consisted of two groups of subjects: Group A, 34 consecutive patients (16 males; 57 +/- 9 yrs) with a documented PAF and without any underlying heart disease, and Group B, normal controls (9 males; 44 +/- 6 yrs).

[The efficacy of oral treatment with flecainide for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: correlation with plasma concentration].

In the acute treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation several drugs can be used. The aim of our work was to assess the efficacy of a single oral dose of flecainide in the conversion to sinus rhythm by correlating this data with flecainide plasma concentration. We have considered 37 patients affected by paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (for more than 8 hours) randomly assigned to the following two groups: group A, 19 patients, mean age 44.

[Early peak of CPK in acute myocardial infarct: a marker of clinical instability?].

The evaluation of the CPK-peak time (CPK-p) during Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) is now considered as a reliable method to identify ischemic myocardial tissue reperfusion both spontaneous and pharmacologically-induced. The purpose of this study is to assess the clinical significance of this index over a non selected group of patients (pts) affected by a first episode of AMI looking for some variables possibly connected with it. This study includes 114 pts hospitalized in our Unit Coronary Care (UCC) and diagnosed as affected by AMI and not treated with anticoagulant and/or fibrinolytic drugs.

Monitored long-term treatment with ibopamine in patients suffering from severe congestive heart failure.

50 patients with congestive heart failure underwent monitored long-term treatment aimed at evaluating the effect of ibopamine (SB-7505), the 3,4-diisobutyryl ester of N-methyldopamine, on their condition. Ibopamine was administered alone or in combination with traditional therapy mainly at a dose of 100 mg t.i.