Safety trial with the 5HT1B/1D agonist avitriptan (BMS-180048) in patients with migraine who have experienced pressure, tightness, and/or pain in the chest, neck, and/or throat following sumatriptan.

We investigate whether symptoms of pressure, tightness, and/or pain in the chest, neck, and/or throat after administration of the 5HT1B/1D agonist avitriptan were associated with objective impairment of the myocardial function on 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), continuous ECG (Holter) monitoring, and echocardiography. Migraine sufferers who in two-thirds of all attacks treated with sumatriptan had experienced chest/throat/neck symptoms were chosen for study. Baseline measures included vital signs, a 12-lead ECG and an echocardiogram.

Electrocardiographic assessment of infarct size: comparison between QRS scoring of 12-lead electrocardiography and dynamic vectorcardiography.

Myocardial infarct size is one of the most important predictors of prognosis in patients suffering an acute myocardial infarction. It can be assessed by enzymatic and electrocardiographic methods. The present report compares dynamic vectorcardiographic monitoring, serial plasma enzyme activity measurements and QRS scoring according to Palmeri as techniques for infarct size estimation.

Follow-up of a 1-year media campaign on delay times and ambulance use in suspected acute myocardial infarction.

In order to reduce the delay times from onset of symptoms to arrival in hospital, and increase the use of ambulance in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a media campaign was initiated in an urban area. An initial 3-week intense campaign was followed by a maintenance phase of 1 year. Delay times and ambulance use during the campaign were compared with the previous 21 months.

Reaction to a media campaign focusing on delay in acute myocardial infarction.

A media campaign conducted to reduce delay time and to increase the use of ambulance transport in acute myocardial infarction was performed in an urban area with about half a million inhabitants during 1 year. The main message was that chest pain lasting more than 15 minutes might indicate acute myocardial infarction; dial 90,000 immediately for ambulance transport to the hospital. The target population was the general public.