The Journal of Tehran University Heart Center
Volume:8 Issue: 2, Apr 2013

Noninvasive techniques for the localization of the accessory pathways (APs) might help guide mapping procedures and ablation techniques. We sought to examine the diagnostic accuracy of strain imaging for the localization of the APs in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. We prospectively studied 25 patients (mean age = 32 ± 17 years, 58.3% men) with evidence of pre-excitation on electrocardiography (ECG). Electromechanical interval was defined as the time difference between the onset of delta wave and the onset of regional myocardial contraction. Time differences between the onset of delta wave (δ) and the onset of regional myocardial contraction (δ-So), peak systolic motion (δ-Sm), regional strain (δ-ε), peak strain (δ-εp), and peak strain rate (δ-SRp) were measured. There was a significant difference between time to onset of delta wave to onset of peak systolic motion (mean ± SD) in the AP location (A) and normal segments (B) versus that in the normal volunteers (C) [A: (57.08 ± 23.88 msec) vs. B: (75.20 ± 14.75) vs. C: (72.9 0 ± 11.16); p value (A vs. B) = 0.004 and p value (A vs. C) = 0.18] and [A: (49.17 ± 35.79) vs. B: (67.60 ± 14.51) vs. C: (67.40 ± 6.06 msec); p value (A vs. B) < 0.001 and p value (A vs. C) = 0.12, respectively]. Our study showed that strain imaging parameters [(δ-So) and (δ-Strain)] are superior to the ECG in the localization of the APs (84% vs. 76%).

Central venous (CV) catheters play an essential role in the management of critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).CV lines are, however, allied to catheter-associated blood stream infections. Bacterial colonization of CV lines is deemed the main cause of catheter-associated infection. The purpose of our study was to compare bacterial colony counts in the catheter site before CV line insertion in two groups of post-cardiac surgery patients: a group receiving Sanosil (an antiseptic agent composed of H2O2 and silver) and a control group. This interventional prospective double-blinded clinical trial recruited the patients in three post-cardiac surgery ICUs of a heart center. The participants were divided into interventional (113 patients) and control (136 patients) groups. Sanosil was added to the routine preparation procedure (Chlorhexidine bath one day before and scrub with Povidone-Iodine just before the CV line insertion). After the removal of the CV lines, the catheters tips were sent for culture and evaluation of colony counts. Catheter colonization occurred in 55 (22.1%) patients: 26 (23%) patients in the Sanosil group and 29 (21.3%) in the control group; there was no significant statistical difference between the two groups (p value = 0.75, RR = 1.05, 95%CI: 0.76-1.45). The most common organism having colonized in the cultures of the catheter tips was staphylococcus epidermis: 20 cases in the control group and 16 cases in the intervention group. Catheter colonization frequently occurs in post-cardiac surgery patients. However, our results did not indicate the effectiveness of adding Sanosil to the routine preparation procedure with respect to reducing catheter bacterial colonization.

The incidence of coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) in elderly patients has been increasing. There are contradictory reports on the early outcome of elderly coronary artery patients as compared with their young counterparts. We designed this retrospective study to address this issue. We retrospectively analyzed the results of 1489 on–pump CABG cases performed at our hospital during a 4.5-year period. Perioperative data such as demographic, medical, clinical, operative, and postoperative variables were collected and compared between patients 70 years old or younger (Group A, n = 1164) and patients above 70 years of age (Group B, n = 325). Statistical analysis was performed using the t-test for the continuous and the X2 tests for the categorical variables. Significant variables according to the univariate analysis (X2 and t-test) were further analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The variables of weight (P value < 0.001), preoperative PO2 (P value = 0.005), ejection fraction > 30% (P value = 0.001), body surface area (P value = 0.003), and hypercholesterolemia (P value = 0.007) were higher in Group A, whereas preoperative myocardial infarction (P value < 0.001), postoperative low cardiac output syndrome (P value = 0.019), emergent surgery (P value = 0.003), inotropic drug use (P value < 0.001), preoperative heparin use (P value < 0.001), re-exploration for bleeding (P value = 0.015), hospital stay (P value < 0.001), low ejection fraction (≤ 30%) (P value = 0.001), preoperative creatinine > 1.5 mg/dl (P value < 0.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P value < 0.001), intra-aortic balloon pump use (P value < 0.001), infection (P value < 0.001), pulmonary complications (P value < 0.001), atrial fibrillation (P value < 0.001), postoperative renal complications (P value < 0.001), and death (P value = 0.012) were more frequent in Group B. CABG in the elderly patients had certain surgical risks such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, preoperative myocardial infarction, emergent surgery, and death. Also, postoperative complications such as pulmonary complications, inotropic drug use, intra-aortic balloon pump use, and infection were more frequent in the elderly than in the younger patients.

The study of the association between genotype and phenotype is of great importance for the prediction of many diseases and pathophysiological conditions. The relationship between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/ deletion (I/D) polymorphism and pathological processes such as coronary artery disease (CAD) has been investigated previously with discordant results.This study was designed to determine the association between ACE gene I/D polymorphism and CAD in an Iranian population. A total of 1050 individuals who were referred to Tehran Heart Center for coronary angiography were recruited. Six hundred seventy-six CAD-positive patients (documented by coronary angiography and Gensini scores higher than 6) and 374 CAD-negative patients were evaluated for ACE gene I/D polymorphism via the Polymerase Chain Reaction Amplification method. The patients’ age, sex, smoking status and its duration as well as familial history of CAD, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were recorded. Five hundred four (74.6%) of the CAD-positive patients were male, and the mean age of this group was 60 (60 ± 10). In the CAD-negative individuals, the mean age was 56 (56 ± 10) and 196 of them were male (52.4%). After the analysis of all the groups and gender subgroups, neither genotype nor allele frequency was significantly different between the CAD-positive and CAD-negative groups (p values for genotypes and allele frequencies were 0.494 and 0.397, respectively). ACE gene I/D polymorphism was not associated with an increased risk of CAD in an Iranian population.

Several echocardiographic markers have been introduced to assess the left ventricular (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony. We studied dyssynchrony markers and the latest LV activation site in heart failure patients with and without left bundle branch block (LBBB). Conventional echocardiography and tissue velocity imaging were performed for 78 patients (LV ejection fraction ≤ 35%), who were divided into two groups: LBBB (n = 37) and non-LBBB (n = 41). Time-to-peak systolic velocity (Ts) was measured in 12 LV segments in the mid and basal levels. Seven dyssynchrony markers were defined: delay and standard deviation (SD) of Ts in all and basal segments, septal-lateral and anteroseptal-posterior wall delay (at the basal level), and interventricular mechanical delay (IVMD). The LBBB patients had significantly higher QRS duration and IVMD. The posterior wall was the latest activated site in the LBBB and the inferior wall was the latest in the non-LBBB patients. The most common dyssynchrony marker in the LBBB group was the SD of Ts in all segments (73%), whereas it was Ts delay in the basal segments in the non-LBBB group (48.8%). Ts delay and SD of all LV segments, septal lateral delay, septal-to-posterior wall delay by M-mode, pre-ejection period of the aortic valve, and IVMD were significantly higher in the LBBB group than in the non-LBBB group. Also, 29.3% of the non-LBBB and 10.8% of the LBBB patients did not show dyssynchrony by any marker. The number of patients showing dyssynchrony by ≥ 3 markers was remarkably higher in the LBBB patients (73% vs. 43.9%, respectively; p value = 0.044). The LBBB patients presented with a higher prevalence of dyssynchrony according to the frequently used echocardiographic markers. The latest activation site was different between the groups.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is accountable for more than 30% of deaths worldwide and is, thus, deemed the most important factor in terms of disease burden around the globe. This study aimed to evaluate CAD and its risk factors in hospitalized patients in the East Azerbaijan Province, northwest Iran, from 2006 to 2007. Data on 18.323 patients hospitalized due to cardiovascular diseases were collected to evaluate the diseases and their risk factors in 15 hospitals in the East Azerbaijan Province, northwest Iran. We assessed the main diagnosis of cardiovascular disease on admission in each hospital. Also, types of interventional and surgical procedures were assessed and all these variables were compared between men and women. The study population consisted of 56.6% male and 43.4% female patients. The median and range between quartile 1 and 3 (Q1-Q3) ages of the males and females were 59 (49-70) and 62 (51-71) years, respectively. Ischemic heart diseases were diagnosed in 68.4%, electrophysiological disorders in 6.5%, and valvular heart diseases in 4.5% of the patients. The frequencies of the studied risk factors were as follows: cigarette smoking (47.5%); hypertension (66.95%); diabetes mellitus (35.9%); and history of cerebrovascular accident (16.4%) and renal disease (13.4%). Medical therapy was performed in 79.23%, surgery in 6.28%, and cardiovascular interventional therapy in 13.99% of the patients. The in-hospital mortality rate was 1.57% (1.42% in the males and 1.76% in the females; p value = 0.009). The most frequent known risk factors in the hospitalized patients were smoking, alcohol consumption, and diabetes. In the northwest of Iran, age at hospitalization due to cardiovascular diseases is slightly lower than that in the Western populations; however, sex distribution, diagnoses, and treatment modalities are not significantly different from those reported in Western countries.

Right ventricular failure due to right coronary artery disease, right ventricular hypertrophy, stunning, abnormal septal motion, myocardial infarction, or non-homogeneous distribution of cardioplegia is an uncommon but serious complication of open heart surgery. We report a patient with severe right ventricular hypertrophy secondary to severe mitral valve stenosis and another patient with detachment of the right coronary artery due to the dissection of the ascending aorta. The patients developed right ventricular failure, which persisted after surgery and rendered weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass unsuccessful. Through a hemi-Fontan, or bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt, and an intra-aortic balloon pump, the patients were successfully weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass. This shunt may be an alternative to a right ventricular assist device in some patients with right ventricular failure. The long-term outcome and the indication of bi-directional cavopulmonary shunt has not been confirmed, although it is believed to be effective for saving the life of patients with low cardiac output and acute right ventricular failure. In our cases, six months following the operation, there was some degree of recovery of the right ventricular function. In long-term follow-up, however, it would be interesting for the authors to know if the improved right ventricular function, with better antegrade pulsatile flow in the pulmonary artery, in any way interferes with the functioning of the bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt.

Catheter ablation is an accepted, highly effective modality of treatment for cardiac arrhythmias in children. The success rate depends on the operator’s experience, especially in cases involving complex anatomies. We hereby report our recent experience of successful ablation of accessory pathways in three children with complex congenital heart diseases.The first case was a 7-year-old girl with tricuspid atresia and a previous Glenn shunt, in whom a sub-epicardial overt accessory pathway was successfully ablated via the coronary sinus. The second case, a 9-year-old girl, received accessory pathway ablation via the fenestration of an extracardiac Fontan pathway. The third case was a 14-year-old boy with dextrocardia, common atrium, common ventricle, and a previous extracardiac Fontan operation, in whom ablation of a concealed accessory pathway was carried out retrogradely from the aorta. All the ablations were done in Rajaie Cardiovascular, Medical and Research Center, Tehran, and all the patients were discharged from the hospital without any complication.

Isolated bilateral internal iliac artery (IIA) aneurysm is a rare and potentially lethal disease. Endovascular repair of this disorder is a matter of debate. A symptomatic 68-year-old male presented with severe pelvic pains. Computed tomography revealed a leaking 46-mm aneurysm in the right IIA, a 27-mm aneurysm in the left IIA, and ectatic changes at a diameter of 31 mm in the right common iliac artery (CIA). Due to lower rates of morbidity and mortality, an endovascular approach was chosen instead of open surgical repair. However, due to anatomical constraints, an endograft had to be implanted in a healthy aorta in order to support an iliac branch endograft in the left CIA. Subsequently, following coil embolization of the left IIA, an iliac stent graft was extended to the right external iliac artery (EIA). Two-year follow-up CT imaging showed complete exclusion of all the aneurysms and patency of the pelvic visceral arteries. The patient is currently asymptomatic.Endovascular repair of bilateral isolated IIAs can be a feasible treatment option. However, due to the limited availability of sizes in iliac branch devices currently on the market, a main body device is sometimes required to be deployed in a healthy aorta for additional endograft support.