Aspirin is insufficient in inhibition of platelet aggregation and thromboxane formation early after coronary artery bypass surgery.

Background: Aspirin administered early after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) improves graft patency and patients survival. However, the antiplatelet effect of aspirin seems to be variable and aspirin resistance is currently still being discussed. The aim of the study was to assess aspirin efficacy in the early postoperative period.

Determination of myocardial energetic output for cardiac rhythm pacing.

This research is aimed to the determination of the changes in the cardiac energetic output for three different modes of cardiac rhythm pacing. The clinical investigation of thirteen patients with the permanent dual-chamber pacemaker implantation was carried out. The patients were taken to echocardiography examination conducted by way of three pacing modes (AAI, VVI and DDD).

In-hospital arrhythmias in patients with acute myocardial infarction - the relation to the reperfusion strategy and their prognostic impact.

Arrhythmias are frequent complication in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). The importance of accelerated idioventricular rhythm (AIVR), ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia (VF, VT), atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF) and bradycardias is considered and discussed in this review article. The value of the presence of AIVR as a marker of reperfusion is small, but in combination with other non-invasive markers (ST-segment resolution), its presence is connected with a high probability of successful reperfusion.

Rates of contraindications and use of alternative vaccines in routine immunisation of children: a population based study in the Czech Republic.

Contraindications and requests for alternative vaccines can have important implications on vaccination coverage but population rates of contraindications and alternative vaccination occurring in routine immunisation programmes have not been reported. We investigated the rates of contraindications, the proportion of children who fail to complete regular vaccination, and the use of alternative vaccines within the compulsory immunisation of children in the Czech Republic. We conducted a retrospective review of medical records of all 5038 children born between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2004 and registered in 24 primary paediatric practices.

One-day kinetics of myocardial engraftment after intracoronary injection of bone marrow mononuclear cells in patients with acute and chronic myocardial infarction.

Objective: To investigate the kinetics of myocardial engraftment of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMNCs) after intracoronary injection using 99mTc-d,l-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO) nuclear imaging in patients with acute and chronic anterior myocardial infarction.

Design: Nuclear imaging-derived tracking of BMNCs at 2 and 20 h after injection in the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery.

Setting: Academical cardiocentre.

Glycemia, triglycerides and disease severity are best associated with higher platelet activity in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

Background: Inconsistent findings are reported about the relation of platelet activity to disease severity in stable patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD). Nevertheless, most reports studied only very small groups of patients. The purpose aim of our study was to assess the relation of platelet activity to disease severity in sufficient number of patients with chronic CAD.

Myocardial positive pre-ejection velocity accurately detects presence of viable myocardium, predicts recovery of left ventricular function and bears a prognostic value after surgical revascularization.

Aims: To assess the accuracy of tissue Doppler imaging-derived myocardial positive pre-ejection velocity (+Vic) in detecting myocardial viability defined by dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE), fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET), and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and in predicting recovery of left ventricular (LV) function after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with chronic ischaemic LV dysfunction.

Methods And Results: +Vic in dysfunctional segments was recorded in 54 patients treated medically and 65 patients undergoing CABG [age 67 +/- 9 year; LV ejection fraction (EF) 30 +/- 6%]. A good agreement was observed between +Vic and detection of viable myocardium at DSE, PET, and MRI (kappa = 0.

Constitutive NF-kappaB activity in colorectal cancer cells: impact on radiation-induced NF-kappaB activity, radiosensitivity, and apoptosis.

Constitutive NF-kappaB activity has been found in many cancer cells of different origin. In our study we focused on constitutive NF-kappaB activity and its impact on radiation-induced NF-kappaB activity, intrinsic radiosensitivity, and apoptosis. Using colorectal cancer cell lines (Caco-2, SW480, SW620) we demonstrated that each cell line expresses different level of constitutive NF-kappaB activity.

Soluble endothelial adhesion molecule concentration in patients with aortic coarctation.

Coarctation of aorta (CoA) is often associated with development of vascular abnormalities and hypertension despite successful correction. The aim of the study was to compare concentrations of adhesion molecules and interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory cytokine in following groups: children with CoA before operation, chidren with CoA after operation, and healthy control children. Seventeen children with CoA and 18 healthy children (control) were investigated.

Changes of collagen metabolism predict the left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction.

Objectives: To analyze the predictive value of cardiac collagen metabolism "in vivo" in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Design: Forty-five patients (age 66 +/- 8.27) underwent biochemical analysis for cardiac collagen metabolism (groups A, B and C); 30 patients with their first MI were treated with successful PCI (group A; n = 30), group B (n = 5) were MI patients with unsuccessful PCI.

Influence of primary coronary intervention on myocardial collagen metabolism and left ventricle remodeling predicted by collagen metabolism markers.

The aims of the present study were to analyze cardiac collagen metabolism changes in vivo during acute and nonacute phases of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in patients who were treated with primary coronary intervention (PCI) only, and to determine the predictive significance of collagen I and III synthesis markers (PICP, PIIINP) as well as the collagen I degradation marker (ICTP) on left ventricular function and volume changes after STEMI. Serum levels of the carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) and amino-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) assessed on the 30th day and the carboxyterminal telopeptide located at the C end of collagen type I (ICTP) assessed on the 7th day after STEMI were significantly higher (P = 0.01, P = 0.

Relapse prevention in schizophrenia: does group family psychoeducation matter? One-year prospective follow-up field study.

Objectives. Relapse prevention is one of the most important goals of long-term schizophrenia management, as relapse is both distressing and costly. Family intervention supplementation to standard treatment could reduce the relapse rate.

Correlation between ECG and myocardial perfusion after mechanical reperfusion of acute myocardial infarction.

Unlabelled: The identification of viable myocardium after myocardial infarction (MI) carries major prognostic impact. Due to myocardial stunning early after successful mechanical reperfusion of acute myocardial infarction, analysis of myocardial perfusion but not of contractile function can be used to differentiate between necrotic and viable myocardium. Although being widely regarded as an indicator of infarct transmurality, the relation between post-infarct Q-wave formation and the amount of viable myocardium has not been studied.

Fibrinolytic inhibitors in off-pump coronary surgery: a prospective, randomized, double-blind TAP study (tranexamic acid, aprotinin, placebo).

Objective: To evaluate and compare hemostatic effects of tranexamic acid vs. aprotinin vs. placebo in off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery and, in addition, to assess the safety of fibrinolytic inhibitors therapies.

Use of recombinant activated factor VII in cardiac surgery for an effective treatment of severe intractable bleeding.

Experience gained with administration of supranormal-therapeutic doses (90 microg/kg) of recombinant activated factor VII in 7 cardiac surgery patients is presented. The patients were given recombinant activated factor VII postoperatively for intractable bleeding, 5 of them after surgical revision. Administration of recombinant activated factor VII was associated with significant reduction in blood loss (P < 0.

One-year coronary bypass graft patency: a randomized comparison between off-pump and on-pump surgery angiographic results of the PRAGUE-4 trial.

Background: Off-pump coronary bypass surgery has become a widely used technique during recent years. However, limited data are available with regard to 1-year patency of bypass grafts implanted on the beating heart in unselected consecutive bypass surgery candidates. The aim of this study was to compare 1-year angiographic patency of bypass grafts done on the beating heart (off pump) with those done classically (on pump).

Off-pump versus on-pump coronary surgery: final results from a prospective randomized study PRAGUE-4.

Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery is becoming increasingly popular despite the lack of sufficient evidence from randomized trials. The aim of our prospective, randomized, single-center study was to examine the role of off-pump revascularization among nonselected patients.

Methods: A total of 400 consecutive nonselected patients (mean age 63 years) scheduled for isolated coronary revascularization were randomized by a cardiologist into two groups: A (on-pump) and B (off-pump).

Changes in cholesterol and its precursors during the first days after major trauma.

Background: The causes of hypocholesterolemia in the critically ill, including major trauma patients, have not yet been fully elucidated.

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that hypocholesterolemia is caused by decreased production of cholesterol precursors.

Design: Serum concentrations of squalene, lanosterol, and lathosterol were measured on admission, and then at 24 and 48 hours after injury using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.

Tranexamic acid reduces bleeding after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Aim: To assess the ability of tranexamic acid, compared with an untreated control group, to decrease bleeding and transfusion requirements in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting on the beating heart.

Methods: Forty-nine randomly selected patients were enrolled to elective coronary artery bypass grafting without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. Of these, 23 received tranexamic acid (bolus of 1 g before surgical incision, followed by infusion 200 mg/hour during surgery) and 26 patients were enrolled into a control group.

Value of first day angiography/angioplasty in evolving Non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction: an open multicenter randomized trial. The VINO Study.

Aims: Direct angioplasty is an effective treatment for ST-elevation myocardial infarction. The role of very early angioplasty in non-ST-elevation infarction is not known. Thus, a randomized study of first day angiography/angioplasty vs early conservative therapy of evolving myocardial infarction without persistent ST-elevation was conducted.

The state of health of the Romany population in the Czech Republic.

The health state pilot study of Romany nationality people (432 adults and 105 children) intended on relationship between social characteristics and presentation of health problems, further on the index of absence from work due to illness and mutual relations. The frequent occurrence of diagnostic groups E10-14, F70-79 and M00-99 was found among the group of men. The results of investigation are valid in particular for our examined group.

Suction lipectomy.

Suction lipectomy is a very effective and safe method, if performed by an experienced plastic surgeon. The authors demonstrate using a group of 284 patients operated on at the University Clinic of Plastic Surgery in Prague between 1994-1998, indications, the method and complications.

Influence of primary septal cartilage reposition on development of the nose in UCLP.

The preceding study (Smahel, 1987) showed that after the abolishment of osteoplasty and introduction of primary reposition of nasal septum base in the 1970's the nasal deviation and asymmetry of nasal wing length in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate had been reduced. The present study shows that this reduction continues after the introduction of total septum reposition. The deviation of septal base (columella) from the median plane and asymmetry in nostril position is reduced as well.