• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.88-95
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• 2005

Even though the echocardiograph has been recognized as the method of choice among various diagnostic tools to detect congestive heart failure (CHF), there were some limitations in relation to the consumption of time, labor and process. We analyzed results of N-terminal probrain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and various parameters of the echocardiographic findings to clarify the diagnostic usefulness of NT-proBNP in detecting patients with CHF. We analyzed the sera from total of 242 cases from in-patients and out-patients, which were requested from the cardiovascular section of department of Internal Medicine at Chungnam National University Hospital from March 2003 to May 2004. The procedures were performed in order as shown below; sampling, NT-proBNP analysis, data acquisition and data analysis. All data including personal information and echocardiographic findings ware acquired by medical record review. When classifying the study population into six groups according to the degree of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the serum level of NT-proBNP was higher in the group with 51-60% of LVEF (P=0.023). There were low correlation between the serum level of NT-proBNP and various parameters of the echocardiographic findings with LVESD (r=0.1513), LVEDD (r=0.0831), LVEF (r=0.2035), IVST (r=0.03) and LVPWT (r=0.0728), respectively. When comparing NT-proBNP with atrial and/or ventricular enlargement, the patient group with both left atrial and left ventricular enlargement (p=0.186) or only left atrial (p=0.105) or only left ventricular enlargement (p=0.256) showed higher level of NT-proBNP without statistical significance than patient group with no enlargement. Searching the optimal cutoff of the serum level of NT-proBNP, the sensitivity (98.9%) and the specificity (100%) was highest at the cutoff of 300 pg/mL than any other cutoffs. These findings suggested that the analysis of NT-proBNP in serum might detect the patients with CHF earlier than with the echocardiograph, especially in patients with asymptomatic or mild symptomatic CHF. In conclusion, NT-proBNP test was proved to be clinically useful to diagnose CHF patients.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.242-253
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• 2023

Background: Arrhythmia due to QT prolongation is one of the most serious adverse events with drug interactions in the elderly. This study aimed to examine the incidence of arrhythmia in Korean elderly patients who administered both cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates and inhibitors. Methods: Patients using CYP3A4 substrate and inhibitor were selected from the 2017 elderly patient dataset (the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service - Aged Population Sample). Selection criteria were patients with a medication possession ratio over 80%, medication duration of at least 7 days, and a follow-up period of 3 months or more. The patient's basic information is age, gender, health insurance type, and comorbidities. The top 50 drug pairs and comorbidity with high-incidence arrhythmia were presented. Results: In patients with drug combinations for over 7 days, there were 981 incidences of arrhythmia, and 351 incidences in those with combinations for over 30 days. The comorbidities of congestive heart failure and myocardial infarction had a significant association with incidence of arrhythmia. Among patients with 7 days or longer, the drug pairs [substrates-inhibitors] with significant adjusted odds ratio (aOR) were [propranolol-cimetidine] (aOR, 2.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.66-3.04). Among patients with 30 days or longer, the drug pairs with significant aOR were [tramadol-amiodarone] (aOR, 2.87; 95% CI, 1.97-4.19). Conclusions: In elderly patients, the incidence of arrhythmia was high with drug interactions of CYP3A4 substrates and inhibitors. The comorbidity of congestive heart failure was the risk factor.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.649-654
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• 1985

After first successful mitral valvotomy by Harken and Bailey in 1948, improvement of surgical technique and cardiac device may last rapidly for several years, but there after many patients deteriorate because of various causes, so incidence of reoperation for cardiac valvular disease has increased time by time. This paper is concerned with 21 patients in whom a second operation has been carried out from Jan. 1963 to Aug. 1984 at the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular department, National Medical Center. Of 21 patients, 7 were male and 14 were female, and ages ranged from 14 to 37 years The second operation are classified into groups of secondary closed mitral commissurotomy [3 cases], open commissurotomy following closed mitral commissurotomy [1 case], Valve replacement following closed mitral commissurotomy [14 cases] or bioprosthetic valve replacement [3 cases]. Main cause of reoperation was restenosis or steno insufficiency, and that of bioprosthetic valve failure was bacterial endocarditis [1 case], fibrous tissue overgrowth on the Xenograft [1 case] and technical failure [1 case]. Early operative mortality was absent, but during follow-up, 4 patients died, so late mortality was 19.0%, and main cause of death was congestive heart failure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.363-373
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• 1986

Even though the pathogenesis is still controversial, electrocardiographic changes after congenital open heart surgery depend on various etiologic factors. Author reviewed 261 cases of congenital open heart surgery patient experienced in the Dept. of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, Pusan National University Hospital, since July, 1981 to Sept., 1985. The results were summarized as followed: 1. The age distribution was from 3 to 29 years old with mean age 10.8 years. And the most frequent congenital heart defect we had done operation was VSD. 2. Preoperatively, the most frequent ECG finding was abnormal QRS complex and postoperatively the most frequent ECG change was arrhythmia. 3. The most frequent arrhythmia before operation was intraventricular conduction disturbance. 4. Right ventriculotomy incision produced the more frequent abnormal ECG changes postoperatively than right atriotomy or pulmonary arteriotomy. 5. According to the operative technique, outflow patch graft of TOF repair produced the highest frequency of ECG changes after operation, and in comparing simple and patch closure of VSD, the latter was higher frequency of ECG changes, in valvotomy and infundibulectomy of PS, the latter was higher too. 6. The common symptom and signs in abnormally ECG changed patients after operation were palpitation, dyspnea, congestive heart failure and murmur in this order., 7. The longer the time of CPB, the more number of abnormally ECG changed patients had been developed after operation. 8. The most of postoperative ECG changed patients recovered spontaneously or with only medication and were clinically insignificant. And the rest other minor group recovered with temporary pacing. Eight cases out of 261 [3.1%], these with abnormal QRS complex and arrhythmia couldn`t recover in spite of every effort and eventually succumbed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.960-966
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• 1991

From February 1984 through July 1991, 104 infants less than 1 year of age with congenital heart defects underwent open heart repair with conventional cardiopulmonary bypass which occupied 10.7% of all patients with congenital heart defects operated on during same period. There were 66 boys and 38 girls 7 days to 12 months [mean age, 8.2 months]. Four patients were neonates, 8 were 1 to 3 months, 23 were 4 to 6 months, and 69 were 7 to 12 months of age. Mean body weight at repair was 6.9kg and mean BSA, 0.36m2 Indications for operation were intractable congestive heart failure and severe pulmonary hypertension in patients with VSD and severe cyanosis and anoxic spells in patients with TOF. Conditions corrected were VSD[79], TOF[8], AVSD[4], PS[2], PA+IVS[2], TAPVC [2], MR[2], DOLV[l], Truncus arteriosus[1], D-TGA[1], and PA-VSD[1]. Twenty-three of 79 patients with VSD had associated cardiovascular anomalies which included PDA in 16 patients, PS in 9 patients, ASD in 5 patients, LSVC in 2 patients, MR in 1 patient, dextrocardia in 1 patient, and single coronary artery in 1 patient. The hospital mortality rate was 24.0% which was much higher than that of 6% in patients over 1 year of age. The greatest mortality occurred in babies of low weight under 6 months of age, There was no late death. Surviving infants showed marked symptomatic improvement and change in growth patterns. These surgical results were to be overcome with proper pre- and post-operative management and improvement of surgical technique

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.59-64
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• 2016

Purpose: Infantile Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a rare congenital inheritable connective tissue disorder with poor prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular manifestations and overall prognosis of infantile MFS diagnosed in a tertiary referral center in Korea. Methods: Eight patients diagnosed with infantile MFS between 2004 and 2014 were retrospectively evaluated. Results: Their median age at the time of diagnosis was 2.5 months (range, 0-20 months). The median follow-up period was 25.5 months (range, 0-94 months). The median length at birth was 50.0 cm (range, 48-53 cm); however, height became more prominent over time, and the patients were taller than the 97th percentile at the time of the study. None of the patients had any relevant family history. Four of the 5 patients who underwent DNA sequencing had a fibrillin 1 gene mutation. All the patients with echocardiographic data of the aortic root had a z score of >2. All had mitral and tricuspid valve prolapse, and various degrees of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. Five patients underwent open-heart surgery, including mitral valve replacement, of whom two required multiple operations. The median age at mitral valve replacement was 28.5 months (range, 5-69 months). Seven patients showed congestive heart failure before surgery or during follow-up, and required multiple anti-heart failure medications. Four patients died of heart failure at a median age of 12 months. Conclusion: The prognosis of infantile MFS is poor; thus, early diagnosis and timely cautious treatment are essential to prevent further morbidity and mortality.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.53-57
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• 1999

We describe a case of successful extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO) in a small infant with cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) failure after an open heart surgery. A 35-day-old male infant weighing 4.4 kg who had congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension underwent patch closure of ventricular septal defect without any intraoperative event. Postoperative course was unremarkable in the intensive care uint for about 5 hours before the junctional ectopic tachycardia developed. Sudden cardiac decompensation with bradycardia occurred about 50 minutes after the development of junctional ectopic tachycardia. He was put on ECMO by arterial cannulation at the ascending aorta and by venous cannulation at the right atrial appendage after 4 hours' CPR. The hemodynamics were stable with enough urine output during ECMO. He was weaned from ECMO 38.5 hours after initiation. Delayed sternal closure was attempted. He was extubated on postoperative day 7 and discharged home on postoperative day 21 without any neurologic sequelae.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.518-525
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• 1988

Between 1977 and 1987, 8 patients underwent excision of cardiac myxomas at the Hanyang University Hospital. All had a left atrial myxoma. There were 4 female and 4 male patients ranging from 15 to 62 years of age. Preoperative findings consist of symptoms and signs of congestive heart failure except one. Diagnosis was confirmed by echocardiography[8 cases] and angiography[2 cases], preoperatively. A biatrial operative approach was utilized in all but 2, who were small sized. Complete excision of the tumor with a cuff of normal tissue[1 was atrial wall and 7 were atrial septum] was performed. all heart chambers were carefully explored for presence of multicentric myxomas or tumor debris. There were no operative deaths or intraoperative embolization. Follow-up has been 1/3 to 10 years. There has been 1 late death, due to recurrence and 1 patient had reoperation for mitral regurgitation due to dilatation of the annulus by a huge tumor mass. Surgical excision of the myxoma can be performed with low morbidity, and it provides excellent and sustained symptomatic relief. The recurrence rate is low, but long-term follow-up and serial echocardiography are advisable.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.113-117
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• 1977

The tetralogy of Fallot is one of the most frequent and serious congenital cardiac malformation accompanied cyanosis. For relief of cyanosis, the Waterston operation is a successful, palliative procedure in infant & young child under age of five with obstructive lesions of the right: side of the heart who require a systemic-pulmonary arterial shunt for survival. A patient, aged 3 and weighing 13 kg., who had been cyanotic since one month after birth,. was admitted to the University of Severance Hospital under a diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot, The side to side anastomosis between the right pulmonary artery & the ascending aorta was performed in March 1976. The anastomotic channel was made only 4 ram. in diameter, thereafter massive unilateral pulmonary congestion on the side of the anastomosis developed shortly after operation. And the. patient died of congestive heart failure within a hour. And so the purpose of this report is describe the immediate & late effect of systemic-pulmonary shunt for T.O.F. with review of literatures.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1354-1357
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• 1992

From May 1984 through December 1991, twelve patients underwent valve replacement for infective endocarditis at National Medical Center. There were 7 male and 5 female, ranged in age 16 to 61[mean 34.1] years. Four had native valve endocarditis, six had prosthetic valve endocarditis and two were associated with congenital heart disease. The indication of surgery was medically intractable congestive heart failure in all patients. 5 patients revealed systemic embolization and 4 patients had uncontrollable sepsis. The causative organism was Streptococcus in 4 patients, Staphylococcus in 1 patient and Pseudomonas in 2 patients. Hospital mortality was 33.3%[4/12]. The main cause of death was low cardiac output due to perioperative myocardial damage and cerebral vascular accident. There were 2 late mortality because of recurrent endocarditis. This review showed much higher mortality in prosthetic valve endocarditis[66.7%] than native valve endocarditis[33.3%].