Predictors of coronary in-stent restenosis: importance of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism and treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to clarify the role of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism in the development of in-stent restenosis. BACKGROUND: In-stent restenosis occurs after treatment of coronary artery stenosis in 12% to 32% of coronary interventions with stents. Experimental and clinical studies have suggested that the deletion/insertion (D/I) polymorphism of the ACE gene plays a role in this. METHODS: Quantitative coronary angiography before, immediately after and six months after stent implantation were compared in 369 patients, in whom D/I typing of the ACE gene was performed. RESULTS: At follow-up we found no differences between the three genotypes in minimal lumen diameter (homozygotes with two deletion alleles in the ACE gene [DD], 2.20 mm; heterozygotes with one deletion and one insertion allele in the ACE gene [DI], 2.19 mm; and homozygotes with two insertion alleles in the ACE gene [II], 2.25 mm). The corresponding diameter stenoses were: DD: 25%, DI: 27%, II: 27% (p = NS), and the frequency of restenosis (>50% diameter stenosis) was: DD: 15.7%, DI: 11.0% and II: 16.4% (p = NS). Logistic regression analysis identified diabetes (odds ratio [OR]: 3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0 to 8.7), lesion length (OR: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.30) and minimal lumen diameter immediately after the intervention (OR: 0.3, 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.85) as predictors of in-stent restenosis. In a post hoc analysis of patients treated versus those not treated with an ACE-inhibitor antagonist or an angiotensin receptor antagonist, we found an increased frequency of in-stent restenosis in the DD genotypes (40% vs. 12%, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: The D/I polymorphism is not an independent predictor of coronary in-stent restenosis in general, but it may be of clinical importance in patients treated with ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor antagonists.

Accelerating impact of diabetes mellitus on mortality in the years following an acute myocardial infarction. TRACE Study Group. Trandolapril Cardiac Evaluation.

AIMS: The development of risk associated with diabetes mellitus during long-term follow-up after a myocardial infarction has not been studied in detail. We have studied time-related changes of risk of death during 10 years of follow-up in a cohort of patients not treated with thrombolytic therapy (the Glostrup cohort) and during 6 years in a cohort receiving such treatment in 40% of cases (the TRACE cohort). METHODS: A subgroup analysis of two cohorts: the Glostrup cohort, which consisted of consecutive cases of acute myocardial infarction who were admitted to one hospital between 1979 and 1983; the TRACE cohort which was comprised of patients with an acute myocardial infarction screened for entry into the Trandolapril Cardiac Evaluation study between May 1990 and June 1992. The Glostrup cohort consisted of 1954 patients and follow-up was for 10 years, The TRACE cohort consisted of 6676 patients and follow-up was for 6 years. Outcome measure was total death. RESULTS: A diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was present in 12% of the two study populations. In multivariate analysis, diabetes mellitus had an independent adverse effect on mortality which increased with time. In the Glostrup cohort risk ratio between day 0 and day 30 was 1.17 and increased to 2.51 (P=0.0002) 7-9 years after discharge from hospital. A similar increase in the risk ratio of diabetes mellitus on mortality was observed in the TRACE cohort (risk ratio for days 0-30 was 1.03, and for years 4-6 was 1.74 (P=0.0001). CONCLUSION: Diabetes mellitus has no independent influence on mortality immediately following an acute myocardial infarction, but has an important influence on long-term mortality which increases with time. The implication is that the effect of intervention against diabetes in patients with acute myocardial infarction and diabetes mellitus must be evaluated over a long course of time.

University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics: outcomes management.

Delivery of quality patient care and management of patient outcomes is critical to the success of academic medical centers in the ever-changing health care market. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) promotes quality care through the provision of organizational structures and processes that are described in this article. In addition, quality of care and outcomes management are described by members in various roles within the UIHC health care system. It is the authors' belief that understanding quality from these various perspectives helps UIHC work across departments to achieve excellence in patient care.

Improvement in long-term prognosis of elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction after the introduction of intravenous thrombolytic therapy.

Survival rate from a "thrombolytic" period of 351 patients above 66 years of age with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was compared with that of 289 patients from a "prethrombolytic" period. The two groups were comparable regarding sex, age, previous AMI, cerebrovascular events, morbidity and mortality during admission. Survival rates after four years were 45.0% in the "thrombolytic" group and 38.4% in the "prethrombolytic" group (p = 0.047, log rank test). Using the Cox proportional hazard analysis, thrombolytic therapy was shown to be an independent prognostic predictor in "the thrombolytic population" with a relative risk of death from day 30 to end of follow-up of 0.4 (95% confidence interval 0.2-0.8). No interaction was found between age and thrombolysis. Although only one-fifth of the patients with AMI were eligible for thrombolysis, this treatment may have contributed to the improved long-term survival.

Does in-hospital ventricular fibrillation affect prognosis after myocardial infarction?

AIM: The aim of this study was to estimate the prognostic information to be gained from ventricular fibrillation in patients with myocardial infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 4259 consecutive patients with myocardial infarction admitted to one centre in 1977-1988. Five hundred and twenty-eight (12.4%) of the patients had ventricular fibrillation in hospital. The following risk factors were included in multivariate models to estimate their importance for 30-day and long-term (median 7 year) prognosis: age, gender, ventricular fibrillation, congestive heart failure, pulmonary oedema, cardiogenic shock, other cardiac arrest and atrial fibrillation. We found that the odds ratio for death on days 6.30 was 6.34 (3.55-11.30, 95% confidence limits, P < 0.001) for patients with primary ventricular fibrillation (without heart failure) and 4.06 (2.68-6.14, P < 0.001) for patients with ventricular fibrillation secondary to heart failure compared to patients without ventricular fibrillation. For patients surviving more than 30 days, relative risk of death in those with ventricular fibrillation was 1.11 (95% confidence interval 0.93-1.34, P = 0.26). Logistic regression analysis of relative risk associated with ventricular fibrillation in time intervals, indicated that the importance of ventricular fibrillation for risk of death was exhausted during the initial 60 days after infarction. CONCLUSION: Ventricular fibrillation is associated with an independent increased risk of death within 0-60 days after infarction. After this period, the prognosis in survivors of ventricular fibrillation does not differ significantly from patients without ventricular fibrillation.

Education of staff and students in health care settings: integrating practice and research.

A cooperative program between the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) Department of Social Service (DSS) and the University of Iowa School of Social Work (UISSW) integrates faculty and students with clinicians for both practice and/or research internships. This program has endeavored to enhance practice and research social work through the development of (1) multiple student training programs offering both practice and research placement opportunities, (2) a jointly appointed faculty position between the UISSW and the UIHC DSS designed to improve researchers' access to and involvement with practice and practitioners' involvement in practice research, and (3) specialized student training programs including research projects in practice specialties. This project has helped clinicians conduct research, provided students with practical research experience within a clinical setting, and has increased the likelihood that both staff and students will participate in research.

[Adverse effects of subcutaneous administration of erythropoietin solution versus lyophilisate in patients receiving hemodialysis]. / Bivirkninger ved subkutan administration af erytropoietinopløsning versus lyofilisat hos haemodialysepatienter.

Twenty-two patients in haemodialysis were treated with erythropoietin subcutaneously in a double-blinded cross-over study with erythropoietin prepared either as a lyophilisate or an albumin-solution. The aim was to compare local reactions and pain. Both preparations were tolerated well. No major adverse reactions were seen. Erythropoietin albumin-solution was associated with significantly more burning pain than erythropoietin lyophilisate. Allergy does not seem to be involved. Albumin could be the irritative agent.

Prognosis of ventricular fibrillation in hospital.

In a retrospective study of 520 patients with in-hospital ventricular fibrillation 421 (81%) had acute myocardial infarction (MI), 66 (13%) had ischaemic heart disease (IHD) without MI, 33 (6%) had no signs of IHD. The in-hospital mortality of these three groups was 51%, 52%, and 27%, respectively (P = 0.01). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that heart failure and cardiogenic shock were significant risk factors for in-hospital death among patients with IHD. Among discharged patients 1 and 5 years survival was 78% and 51% for patients with MI, 63% and 25% for patients with IHD, 67% and 54% for patients without IHD. A proportional hazard model demonstrated old age, heart failure and cardiogenic shock as risk factors for long-term prognosis, while MI was associated with a reduced relative risk ratio = 0.58 of long-term mortality among patients with IHD. In conclusion, patients with known IHD suffering in-hospital VF without AMI have a very poor short- and long-term prognosis. These patients need extensive cardiac examination.

[Hypercalcemia during immobilization and prolonged anuria treated with disodium clodronate]. / Hyperkalcaemi ved immobilisation og protraheret anuri behandlet med dinatriumklodronat.

Severe hypercalcaemia was observed during prolonged anuria and prolonged immobilization in a previously healthy 34 years old male after a severe trauma caused by a traffic accident. Other causes of the hypercalcaemia were evaluated, and even though granulomas of unidentified nature were found in the liver after partial resection due to traumatic rupture the immobile state was concluded to be the major cause. A maximum calcium value of 4.44 mmol/l was seen after 10 weeks immobilization. The patient was treated with daily dialysis and, even though the calcium content in the dialysis fluid was reduced, only a minor effect was seen on the calcium level. After eight weeks of hypercalcaemia, the patient was treated with disodium clodronate intravenously 400 mg for daily five days. However, the calcium level was not normalized and the treatment was repeated with a further reduction in the calcium level. If immobilization is a major contributory factor to hypercalcaemia, disodium clodronate seems to be a safe and effective treatment.

[Prognosis in early and late ventricular fibrillation after acute myocardial infarction]. / Prognosen ved tidlig og sen ventrikelflimmer efter akut myokardieinfarkt.

Of 413 patients with in-hospital ventricular fibrillation complicating acute myocardial infarction 281 had early (less than 48 hours post infarction) ventricular fibrillation and 132 had late ventricular fibrillation. In-hospital and longterm prognoses were not influenced by time of ventricular fibrillation, but advanced age and signs of reduced left ventricular function were found to be independent significant risk factors for short and longterm prognoses.

Prognosis of late versus early ventricular fibrillation in acute myocardial infarction.

To determine the prognosis of late ventricular fibrillation (VF) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the length of the monitoring period after AMI was extended. All patients in this series were continuously monitored in a coronary care unit to ensure observation of all VF within 18 days of AMI. From 1977 to 1985, 4,269 patients were admitted with AMI and 413 (9.6%) had in-hospital VF. Of these 281 (6.8%) had early VF (less than 48 hours after AMI) and 132 (3.2%) had late VF (greater than or equal to 48 hours after AMI). In-hospital mortality was 50 and 54% for early and late VF, respectively (p = 0.31). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed better survival after discharge for patients with early versus late VF (p = 0.009) but this difference was fully explained by the presence of heart failure. Survival analysis showed the same prognosis after 1, 3 and 5 years for early and late VF, when VF was not associated with heart failure. When VF was associated with heart failure (secondary VF) early VF had a greater mortality than late VF after 2 and 5 years. Logistic regression analysis showed that heart failure (relative risk 1.9 [1.1 to 3.1]) and cardiogenic shock (relative risk 3.9 [1.8 to 8.5]) were significant risk factors for in-hospital death. Late VF compared to early VF had no prognostic implication (relative risk 1.0 [0.6 to 1.6]). For patients discharged from the hospital, risk factors were heart failure (1.8 [1.1 to 2.8]) and previous AMI (1.6 [1.3 to 2.1]).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Propofol and 3-in-1 block in ambulatory varix surgery]. / Propofol og 3-i-1 blokade ved ambulant varicekirurgi.

A method of anaesthesia for surgical treatment of varicose veins is presented. This consists of a combination of propofol and three-in-one blockade. In a non-blind, non-randomised series, this method was accepted just as well as epidural analgesia or general anaesthesia. The method is recommended for outpatient surgical treatment of varicose veins on account of rapid waking of the patients, reduced need for observation after anaesthesia and reduced pollution with anaesthetic gases in the operation theatre.