Relation of biventricular function quantified by stress echocardiography to cardiopulmonary exercise capacity in adults with Mustard (atrial switch) procedure for transposition of the great arteries.

Background: Mustard repair for transposition of the great arteries (TGA) is frequently associated with impaired systemic (right) ventricular function and sometimes exercise intolerance. We hypothesized that a simple quantitative measurement of ventricular function, during rest and pharmacological stress, could identify abnormalities and predict objective exercise capacity.

Methods And Results: We quantified the performance of systemic and pulmonary (left) ventricles by using echocardiography, at rest and during dobutamine stress, in 27 adults who had undergone Mustard repair for TGA.

Effect of atrial flutter on exercise tolerance in patients with grown-up congenital heart (GUCH).

Objectives: To assess the effect of atrial flutter (AFL) on exercise tolerance in patients with grown-up congenital heart (GUCH), exercise tests with modified Bruce protocol were performed in 20 patients aged 21 to 62 years with GUCH (11 females, 9 males) during symptomatic AFL and again 24 to 48 hours after DC conversion to sinus rhythm (SR). At the same time, cardiac function was assessed by means of transthoracic Doppler echocardiography.

Results: Mean exercise duration was significantly less during AFL (6.

The histology of viable and hibernating myocardium in relation to imaging characteristics.

Objectives: This study characterizes the histology of myocardium predicted to be hibernating using three different imaging techniques to explain the discordance among them.

Background: Both radionuclide and functional imaging techniques were used to assess myocardial hibernation. The former have high sensitivity and the latter high specificity for predicting functional recovery.

Non-invasive investigations.

The most commonly used techniques for imaging the effects of coronary artery disease (CAD) on the heart are myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) and echocardiography. Both tests have been validated during exercise and pharmacological stress and they are valuable for the diagnosis and aiding management decisions in patients with suspected or known CAD. In a proportion of these patients, repetitive episodes of myocardial ischaemia can lead to intracellular and extracellular changes so that myocytes, although viable, have insufficient energy to sustain contraction.

Disturbed atrioventricular electromechanical function long after Mustard operation for transposition of great arteries: a potential contributing factor to atrial flutter.

Objective: The objectives were to study atrial and ventricular electromechanical function in patients long after Mustard repair for transposition of great arteries and to identify possible causes and physiologic disturbances in those with recurrent atrial flutter.

Methods: Electromechanical atrial and ventricular function was assessed in 22 patients (11 women) aged 27 +/- 5 years, 10 to 29 (mean 24) years after initial Mustard operation with electrocardiography and echocardiography. The study subjects involved 12 patients with documented atrial flutter and the remaining 10 without history of atrial arrhythmia served as controls.

Occupational asthma caused by bacillary amylase used in the detergent industry.

Four cases are reported of occupational asthma due to amylase derived from Bacillus licheniformis, used in detergent washing powders. It is thought that these are the first reported cases of asthma due to this enzyme in the detergent industry. All four employees (men) were from the same factory and none had a history of asthma or atopy.

Echocardiographic and morphological correlations in tetralogy of Fallot.

Aims: Our aim was to clarify the location and structure of the outlet septum relative to the free-standing subpulmonary infundibulum in the setting of tetralogy of Fallot and to examine its relationship to the other components of the subpulmonary outflow tract, determining their potential influence on clinical outcome.

Methods And Results: We studied prospectively 41 patients with tetralogy of Fallot (mean age 14 +/- 10.9 months) prior to surgical repair, and compared them with 15 patients undergoing closure of a ventricular septal defect associated with malalignment of the outlet septum but no subpulmonary infundibular stenosis (Eisenmenger ventricular septal defect), and 20 healthy controls.