RESUMO
Background: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of gabapentin and oxazepam on sleep quality, the severity of anxiety, and pain level in patients admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU). Materials and Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was done on the patients with unstable angina (UA) admitted to the CCU of Hazrat Rasool Akram Hospital in Tehran. A total of 56 patients were entered the study and randomly divided into two groups of 26. The first group was given a gabapentin capsule at a dose of 300-1200 mg/day, and the second group was given 10-20 mg of oxazepam tablets per day until hospitalization in the CCU. On the first and 4th days of hospitalization, Groningen sleep quality score (GSQS), Beck Anxiety Inventory, and severity of pain experienced by Visual Analogue Scale were recorded, and the mean frequency of chest pains was calculated in 24 h during the first 4 days. The amount of drug (morphine) prescription in CCU also compared between the two groups. Results: There was no significant difference in GSQS scores between both groups. The mean score of Beck's anxiety scale did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, the incidence of chest pain was significantly lower in the gabapentin-receiving group than in the oxazepam-receiving group (<0.001). The days that the patients experienced chest pain were significantly less in the gabapentin-receiving group than in the oxazepam-receiving group (<0.001). Conclusion: The results of our study showed that gabapentin compared to oxazepam could significantly reduce chest pain in patients with UA.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a myofibrillar protein regulating the interaction of actin and myosin. It is 100% tissue specific for the heart and is an excellent serum marker for detecting myocardial injury. Based on previous studies, contradictory results have been reported about elevation of serum levels of cTnI in patients presenting with subacute or acute neurological disorders with or without seizures. Here we assess serum levels of cTnI in patients following uncomplicated epileptic seizures and with a healthy cardiovascular system. METHODS: In this analytical cross-sectional study, 49 patients (age range: 12-65 years) with uncomplicated epileptic seizure and no history of cardiac problems were included. cTnI level was evaluated in patients between 6 h and 10 days after a seizure. Electrocardiography and echocardiography were also performed. Variables including number of seizures, age at first seizure, and time elapsed from the last seizure, in addition to demographic variables, were also evaluated. RESULTS: Average age of patients was 21.18 years (standard deviation [SD] +/-8.37) with a male/female ratio of 2.26. Mean elapsed time from the last seizure was 54 h (SD +/-52.97). cTnI level was within the normal range (<0.1 ng/mL) in all patients with a mean level of 0.026 ng/mL (SD +/-0.015). A significant statistical correlation was found between serum level of cTnI and number of epileptic seizures (Spearman r = 0.743, p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Serum level of cTnI following seizure was within normal limits in 12 to 65-year-old patients with uncomplicated epileptic seizures and healthy cardiovascular system. However, this level was higher in patients with more than three repeated seizures. Repeated measurement of level of cTnI up to several days after presence of a seizure may be helpful in further assessment of this relationship.