Marc Englert

Right atrial thrombus leading to pulmonary embolism.

Cross sectional and M mode echocardiography detected a large right atrial mass in a 70 year old man five days after admission. Three weeks later he developed acute respiratory failure due to a pulmonary embolism. Necropsy showed that the atrial mass was a thrombus. Thus echocardiography should be performed in patients with pulmonary emboli to examine the right cardiac cavities. The need for emergency surgery could then be assessed.

Central and regional hemodynamic effects of nitrendipine in normotensive patients with chronic obstructive lung disease.

Summary: Central and regional hemodynamic studies were performed before and after administration of nitrendipine, a recently introduced calcium-channel blocker, in 10 normotensive patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. None of them had a mean pulmonary artery pressure higher than 20 mm Hg. Ninety minutes after oral intake of 20 mg nitrendipine, cardiac output increased by 22%, heart rate increased by 12%, mean arterial pressure decreased by 7%, and pulmonary artery pressures as well as filling pressures of the heart did not change. Venous admixture and alveolar to arterial PO2 gradients increased by 54% and 22%, respectively. Hepatic blood flow increased by 33%. Renal blood flow remained unchanged and glomerular filtration rate decreased by 11%. Thus, in normotensive patients, nitrendipine administration induces systemic vasodilatation with an apparently reflex increase in cardiac output. These effects are accompanied by a deterioration in pulmonary gas exchange, increase in hepatic perfusion, no change in renal perfusion, and possibly a slight deterioration in renal function.

Hemodynamic Effects of Dobutamine in Patients below and over 65 Years, with Left Heart Failure Secondary to an Acute Myocardial Infarction

The cardiac response to sympathomimetic agents has been reported to be reduced in the elderly. We studied the hemodynamic effects of dobutamine in two groups of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and left heart failure: group A included 10 patients aged 65 years or less and group B 10 others older than 65. After a 1-hour infusion the increase in cardiac index was highly significant in both groups (27%, p less than 0.001 and 25%, p less than 0.001), and the decrease in pulmonary wedge pressure was greater in group A (42%, p less than 0.001 and 17%, p less than 0.02). The increase in double product was similar in both groups (14%, p less than 0.001 and 18%, p less than 0.005); nevertheless the 4 patients developing angina pectoris during dobutamine infusion were over 65 years. We conclude that dobutamine remains effective in the elderly with AMI and left heart failure but is less well tolerated.

Diastolic function and modifications of left ventricular architecture in ultraendurance athletes.

Although diastolic function is altered in left ventricular hypertrophy due to aortic stenosis or systemic hypertension, it has been shown to be normal in athletes. To analyze the reason for this discrepancy, we have studied left ventricular masses and volumes and diastolic flow velocities in 13 ultraendurance athletes and in 8 sedentary subjects as a control group by M-mode (TM), two-dimensional (2D) and Doppler echocardiography. Significant differences in the measurements of mass and volume have been found depending upon the method used. Considering that two-dimensional echocardiography is more appropriate for estimations of LV mass and LV volume, especially when the shape of the left ventricle is modified, overestimation of LV mass and underestimation of LV volume in ultraendurance athletes by TM could be explained by an elongation of LV cavity in athletes. Doppler velocimetry showed similar results in athletes and control subjects. We suggest that those LV configurational changes partly explain the preservation of diastolic function in athletes by restoring in diastole the energy stored in systole.

Evaluation de I’action bronchoconstrictrice de I’acétylcholine chez I’asthmatique

During inhalation tests with acetylcholineamong asthmatics, we have measured the variation of different pulmonary function tests. Under the conditions ofthe experiments, the plethysmographic assessment of airway resistance is the most sensible parameter. The evolution of this parameter is compared with those of forced expiratory volumes and maximum expiratory flows

Pulmonary Function in Metastatic Carcinoma to the Lung

Pulmonary function tests, at rest and during exercise, were performed in nine patients with metastatic carcinoma to the lung. The results are compared to the usual characteristics of diffuse interstitial fibrosis. Differences also occur between the pure multiple metastases pattern and the lymphangitic one. Literature on this topic is reviewed.