Brainstem auditory evoked potentials in patients with ischemic heart disease.

The authors of this study used the method of increased stimulus rate on brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) in 30 patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and in an equal number of healthy age-matched control subjects. The BAEPs were recorded using 100- to 3000-Hz alternating polarity clicks at a rate of 22.6 per second.

Pregnancy-induced increase of supraventricular arrhythmias in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

Six women suffering from Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and who were previously asymptomatic or nearly asymptomatic, were followed prospectively during and after their subsequent pregnancies. Three women experienced several attacks of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) for the first time and the rest experienced an increase in their attacks. It seems that there is an increased tendency for SVT in pregnancy.

Endocarditis, pyrexia of unknown origin and occult abdominal malignancy.

Two patients who presented with pyrexia of unknown origin were found to have carcinoma of the caecum without gastrointestinal symptoms. Blood cultures were positive for Escherichia coli, and in one patient the diagnosis of endocarditis was confirmed by echocardiography. This rare association may be fortuitous, but a common pathogenetic basis cannot be excluded.

Effects of nitroglycerin on myocardial excursions and velocities in the early hours of acute myocardial infarction.

The effects of sublingual nitroglycerin on septal and left ventricular wall motion were determined by echocardiography in the early hours of acute myocardial infarction (MI) in 20 patients admitted via a mobile coronary care unit. Left ventricular and septal echoes were obtained in 11 patients with acute anterior MI and in 9 with acute inferior MI before and after administration of 500 micrograms sublingual nitroglycerin. In the group with acute anterior MI, nitroglycerin did not significantly affect the B-C excursion, posterior wall excursion, and mean posterior wall velocity.

Systolic and diastolic septal and posterior wall echocardiographic measurements in normal subjects.

M-mode echocardiographic measurement of septal and left ventricular excursions and velocities was attempted in 109 subjects. Seventy subjects had adequate echocardiograms enabling detailed measurement. Two groups of subjects were studied: a group of normal adults aged nineteen to seventy-eight years and a group of normal juveniles aged nine to eighteen years.