Depression and anxiety symptoms as predictors of mortality in PCI patients at 10 years of follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Depression has been shown to be an independent risk factor for short-term mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). There are studies suggesting that depression might also be associated with long-term mortality. Anxiety has also been associated with mortality. This study aimed to further investigate the predictive value of depression and anxiety symptoms on all-cause mortality, 10 years after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: The study population comprised a consecutive series of CAD patients (n = 1411) treated with PCI between September 2001 and October 2002 at the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was completed by 1112 patients at baseline to assess levels of depression and anxiety. The endpoint was defined as all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression and anxiety was 24.8% and 27.7%, respectively. The cumulative all-cause mortality rate in depressed patients was 37% versus 20% in non-depressed patients (log-rank p < 0.001). After adjustment, depression remained a predictor of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 1.77; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36-2.29). Cumulative survival rates did not differ for anxious versus non-anxious patients (log-rank p = .79). However, after adjustment, anxiety was associated with an increased risk for all-cause mortality (HR 1.50; 95% CI 1.14-1.98). A sub-analysis showed that cumulative survival rates did not differ for depressed and anxious patients versus depressed but non-anxious patients (log-rank p = 0.46). CONCLUSIONS: Depression is associated with an increased risk of 77% for all-cause mortality, 10 years post-PCI, independently of anxiety. Although anxiety was associated with all-cause mortality, it has no additional value in the case of co-occurring depression.

Comparison of topical glyceryl trinitrate ointment and oral nifedipine in the treatment of chronic anal fissure.

This study was designed to compare the effect of topical glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) and oral nifedipine treatments on maximal anal resting pressure (MARP) and subsequently to assess their effectiveness in healing of chronic anal fissure (CAF). Patients were allocated randomly to receive either oral nifedipine retard (10 patients) 20 mg twice daily or instructed to apply glyceryl trinitrate (0.2 percent) ointment (10 patients) into the lower half of the anal canal twice daily. They were reviewed and assessed at the first visit and every fortnight for measurement of MARP, pain scores, blood pressure, pulse rate, healing of the fissure and adverse effects. Treatment were continued until healing had occurred or for up to 8 weeks. MARP values before and after application of the GTN ointment was 113.2 cm H2O and 72.5 cm H2O respectively (P < 0.001). Nifedipine caused a reduction in mean MARP from 105.2 to 74.0 cm H2O (P < 0.001). Linear analogue pain scores were significantly reduced after 2 weeks treatment with GTN and nifedipine (P < 0.001) and continued throughout the treatment period. At the end of the study; 7 of the 10 patients in the GTN group were deemed to be healed (5) or improved (2), compared with 6 of the 10 patients in the nifedipine group (5 healed, 1 improved). Headaches occurred in 3 patients in the GTN group, compared with one patient in the nifedipine group. There was no significant difference between GTN and nifedipine in terms of reduction in MARP and pain score, healing of the fissure and incidence of early recurrence and side effects of treatments. We conclude that GTN ointment and oral nifedipine are equally effective in the treatment of chronic anal fissure.

Effect of pentoxifylline on the ischemia-reperfusion injury of the intestine.

Intestinal ischemia is a common clinical event and reperfusion results in further tissue damage exceeding that of ischemia alone. The present study was designed to test this and to assess the role of pentoxifylline, (administered intravenously as a bolus dose of 25 mg/kg in 1 ml normal saline, followed by continuous infusion of 0.2 mg/kg/minute for 95 minutes), in ischemia-reperfusion injury of the rat intestine. Intestinal ischemia was produced by occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) with interruption of the collateral flow for 30 minutes. Reperfusion was established by declamping the (SMA) for 1 hour and evaluation of the mucosal damage was determined using a grading scale from 0 to 5, with estimation of mean mucosal thickness, villous height and crypt depth. The grade of mucosal damage, mucosal thickness, villous height and crypt depth were 2.2, 407 microns, 210 microns, and 196 microns respectively in the ischemia group, and 3.6, 327 microns, 156 microns, and 171 microns respectively in the ischemia reperfusion group, while these values in ischemia reperfusion with administration of pentoxifylline group were 2.5, 505 microns, 294 microns, and 200 microns respectively. The severity of the tissue injury increased considerably after reperfusion of the ischemic intestine and pentoxifylline was effective in attenuating the reperfusion injury significantly.

Role of diltiazem in ischemia-reperfusion injury of the intestine.

It is well recognized that reperfusion causes tissue damage in excess of that produced by ischemia alone. The present study was designed to test this and to evaluate the role of the calcium antagonist, diltiazem (400 micrograms/kg body weight administered intravenously over 95 min), in ischemia-reperfusion injury of the intestine. Intestinal ischemia was produced by occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) with interruption of the collateral flow for 30 min. Reperfusion was established by declamping the SMA for 1 h, and mucosal injury was assessed using a grading scale from 0 to 5. The severity of mucosal damage increased significantly after 1 h of reperfusion, from a mean grade of 2.1 in the ischemia group to 3.8 in the ischemia-reperfusion group (p < 0.01). Diltiazem was effective in the amelioration of histologic changes of reperfusion injury and reduced the degree of mucosal injury from a mean grade of 3.8 in the ischemia-reperfusion group to 2.5 in the diltiazem group (p < 0.05). This study strongly suggests that calcium ions are involved in the pathogenesis of ischemia-reperfusion injury and that diltiazem attenuates this injury by preventing the intracellular calcium influx that occurs during reperfusion.

Splenorrhaphy versus splenectomy.

Splenorrhaphy is considered a safety procedure in the traumatic splenic injury and should be attempted in all patients except when the spleen is shattered, or avulsed and in multiple concomitant injuries where splenectomy is advised. We report on 16 patients of traumatic splenic injuries from January 1988 to December 1988. In 10 patients (62.2%) splenorrhaphy was performed with catgut and omental patch reinforcement in addition to topical haemostatic synthetic material "Gelfoam" application with mortality of 10% due to unrelated causes. Splenectomy was performed in 6 patients (37.8%) with mortality of 2 patients (33.3%) due to multiple associated intra-abdominal injuries.

Conservative surgical management of pancreatic injuries.

Seven cases of pancreatic injuries of various severity ranging from grade I to grade IV treated by closed tube drainage are presented. Only one patient developed pancreatico-duodenal fistula postoperatively which was managed conservatively and closed within four weeks. Simple drainage is a satisfactory method in the treatment of pancreatic injuries.