Sex-related differences in outcome after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated by primary angioplasty: data from the Zwolle Myocardial Infarction study.

Background: Several studies have found that among patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by thrombolysis, female sex is associated with a worse outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate sex-related differences in clinical and angiographic findings and in long-term outcome in patients with STEMI treated with primary angioplasty.

Methods: Our population is represented by 1548 consecutive patients with STEMI treated by primary angioplasty from April 1997 to October 2001.

Immediate radical prostatectomy in patients with atypical small acinar proliferation. Over treatment?

Purpose: The term atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP) has been proposed by pathologists to indicate foci of small atypical acini found in prostatic biopsies that have some but not all of the features of adenocarcinoma. We determined the incidence of ASAP at our institution and evaluated the role of immediate radical prostatectomy (RP) in these patients.

Materials And Methods: From January 2001 to December 2002, 1,327 patients underwent systematic transrectal prostate biopsies because of increased prostate specific antigen (PSA).

Folate therapy and in-stent restenosis after coronary stenting.

Background: Vitamin therapy to lower homocysteine levels has recently been recommended for the prevention of restenosis after coronary angioplasty. We tested the effect of a combination of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 (referred to as folate therapy) on the risk of angiographic restenosis after coronary-stent placement in a double-blind, multicenter trial.

Methods: A total of 636 patients who had undergone successful coronary stenting were randomly assigned to receive 1 mg of folic acid, 5 mg of vitamin B6, and 1 mg of vitamin B12 intravenously, followed by daily oral doses of 1.

Time-to-treatment significantly affects the extent of ST-segment resolution and myocardial blush in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated by primary angioplasty.

Aims: The prognostic role of time-to-treatment in primary angioplasty is still a matter of debate. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between time-to-treatment and myocardial perfusion in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary angioplasty.

Methods And Results: Our study population consisted of 1072 patients with STEMI treated by primary angioplasty from 1997 to 2001.

Comparison between ticlopidine and clopidogrel in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with coronary stenting.

Controversy still surrounds the question, which antiplatelet drug should be added to aspirin in patients undergoing coronary stent implantation. The aim of the current study was to compare ticlopidine and clopidogrel in a consecutive series of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary stenting. Our population is represented by 883 consecutive patients with STEMI undergoing primary stenting from April 1997 to October 2001.

Prognostic assessment of patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with primary angioplasty: implications for early discharge.

Background: The aim of this study was to create a practical score for risk stratification in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary angioplasty and to assess the feasibility of early discharge in low-risk patients.

Methods And Results: A prognostic score was built according to 30-day mortality rates in 1791 patients undergoing primary angioplasty for STEMI. For the identified low-risk patients without any contraindication to early discharge, we estimated and compared the costs of conventional care (prolonged 24-hour hospitalization) with the costs of shifting the care from inpatient to outpatient setting (early discharge) between 48 and 72 hours.

Preprocedural TIMI flow and mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated by primary angioplasty.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of preprocedural Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow on one-year mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary angioplasty.

Background: Although there is an excellent outcome conferred by primary angioplasty in patients with STEMI, the prognostic role of early recanalization in these patients has yet to be investigated.

Methods: Our population is composed of 1,791 patients with acute myocardial infarction treated by primary angioplasty at our institution from 1994 to 2001.

Time delay to treatment and mortality in primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction: every minute of delay counts.

Background: Although the relationship between mortality and time delay to treatment has been demonstrated in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by thrombolysis, the impact of time delay on prognosis in patients undergoing primary angioplasty has yet to be clarified. The aim of this report was to address the relationship between time to treatment and mortality as a continuous function and to estimate the risk of mortality for each 30-minute delay.

Methods And Results: The study population consisted of 1791 patients with STEMI treated by primary angioplasty.

Impaired myocardial perfusion is a major explanation of the poor outcome observed in patients undergoing primary angioplasty for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and signs of heart failure.

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic implication of myocardial perfusion in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and signs of heart failure, treated with primary angioplasty.

Methods And Results: Our population is represented by 1548 consecutive patients undergoing primary angioplasty for STEMI. Congestive heart failure was defined as Killip class >1 at admission.

Symptom-onset-to-balloon time and mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated by primary angioplasty.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between symptom-onset-to-balloon time and one-year mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary angioplasty.

Background: Despite the prognostic implications demonstrated in patients with STEMI treated with thrombolysis, the impact of time-delay on prognosis in patients undergoing primary angioplasty has yet to be established.

Methods: Our study population consisted of 1,791 patients with STEMI treated by primary angioplasty from 1994 to 2001.

Relationship between contractile reserve, Tl-201 uptake, and collateral angiographic circulation in collateral-dependent myocardium: implications regarding the evaluation of myocardial viability.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare collateral angiographic circulation (CC), thallium 201 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), low-dose dobutamine echocardiography (LDDE), and their combination in identifying viable myocardium beyond a chronic occlusion.

Methods And Results: We studied 33 consecutive patients with a chronic occluded coronary artery and regional ventricular dysfunction who underwent dobutamine infusion (5-10 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1)), Tl-201 SPECT, and coronary revascularization (15 patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and 18 patients percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty). Echocardiography and Tl-201 SPECT at rest were repeated 90 +/- 48 days after revascularization.

[Role of transrectal ultrasonography in prostatic brachytherapy].

Unlabelled: The rationale for interstitial brachytherapy (seed implant) is based on the principle that dissipation of radiation energy in tissues decreases exponentially as the square of source would receive maximal doses of radiation, there will be a rapid fall-off the dose in surrounding normal tissues. Over the years, a range of isotopes have been tested, and the technique have evolved from free-hand implantation to ultrasound guided template system.

Materials And Methods: From September 2001 to March 2002 we treated 17 patients with clinically localized prostatic cancer.

Intra- and inter-laboratory variation in the scoring of micronuclei and nucleoplasmic bridges in binucleated human lymphocytes. Results of an international slide-scoring exercise by the HUMN project.

One of the objectives of the HUman MicroNucleus (HUMN) project is to identify the methodological variables that have an important impact on micronucleus (MN) or micronucleated (MNed) cell frequencies measured in human lymphocytes using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. In a previous study we had shown that the scoring criteria used were likely to be an important variable. To determine the extent of residual variation when laboratories scored cells from the same cultures using the same set of standard scoring criteria, an inter-laboratory slide-scoring exercise was performed among 34 laboratories from 21 countries with a total of 51 slide scorers involved.

Prediction of long-term effects of revascularization on regional and global left ventricular function by dobutamine echocardiography and rest Tl-201 imaging alone and in combination in patients with chronic coronary artery disease.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of low-dose dobutamine echocardiography (DE) and resting thallium 201 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) alone and in combination for prediction of functional recovery at late follow-up (1 year) after revascularization.

Methods And Results: Twenty-six patients with coronary artery disease and ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction, 42% +/- 9%) underwent DE and Tl-201 SPECT 14 +/- 9 (mean +/- SD) days before revascularization and repeated echocardiography 12 +/- 5 months thereafter. Discriminant analysis was applied to combine Tl-201 SPECT and DE data to classify dysfunctional segments as viable or nonviable.