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Balloon inflation performed during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty causes transient total occlusion of the coronary artery and thus provides a model for evaluation of the regional myocardial responses to transient ischemia. Twenty patients with normal left ventricular function undergoing angioplasty of isolated stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery were studied. In group A (14 patients) analysis of one inflation-deflation sequence per patient was performed. Group B (six patients) had multiple (greater than 5) inflations; the first and last sequences were analyzed. Assessment included continuous two-dimensional echocardiography with computerized quantitative analysis of regional left ventricular wall motion, and continuous 12 lead electrocardiographic recordings. The mean duration of inflation in group A was 62 +/- 6 seconds (mean +/- SD). The onset of regional left ventricular dysfunction was 12 +/- 5 seconds after inflation. Profound dysfunction was noted in all patients. After 60 seconds of balloon occlusion of the coronary artery, 29% of patients had severe hypokinesia of the ischemic region and 71% had akinesia or dyskinesia. With deflation there was prompt recovery of regional function, with full recovery at 43 +/- 17 seconds. Comparison of data from first and last inflations in group B revealed no significant differences in time to onset of dysfunction, magnitude of dysfunction or time to complete recovery of function. The onset of ischemic electrocardiographic changes lagged behind the onset of wall motion abnormalities, with only 64% of patients showing evidence of ischemia on 12 lead electrocardiograms at 20 seconds of inflation. After 60 seconds, 86% had ischemia detectable by electrocardiography. Thus, balloon inflation during coronary angioplasty leads to profound but reversible regional left ventricular dysfunction. Repeated occlusions of the coronary artery during angioplasty do not have a cumulative ischemic effect. It may be hazardous to apply these findings to patients who have underlying major left ventricular dysfunction and in whom the reversibility of dysfunction and lack of cumulative ischemic effect may not be assured.

Fractionated ventricular electrograms recorded during catheter mapping may arise from areas of asynchronous depolarization associated with slow conduction, the substrate for reentrant ventricular tachycardia, but can also be a nonspecific abnormality or even artifact. To determine whether fractionated sinus rhythm electrograms are associated with slow conduction in humans, the results of endocardial catheter mapping and pacing at 133 endocardial sites in 13 patients were analyzed. Eleven patients had sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia and two patients had old myocardial infarction without ventricular tachycardia. Functional evidence of slow conduction at the recording site was assessed by pacing at that site and measuring the interval between the stimulus artifact (S) and the onset of the QRS complex in the 12 lead electrocardiogram (ECG). During pacing at 89 of 90 sites without fractionated sinus rhythm electrograms, the S-QRS interval was less than 40 ms, a value consistent with rapid propagation of the stimulated wave front away from the pacing site. During pacing at 21 (49%) of 43 sites with fractionated sinus rhythm electrograms, the S-QRS interval was greater than 40 ms (range 40 to 140), consistent with slow conduction at the pacing site (p less than 0.001 versus nonfractionated sites). In 9 of the 11 patients with ventricular tachycardia analysis of the paced QRS configuration, electrograms during induced ventricular tachycardia or programmed stimulation during tachycardia suggested that a site with a long S-QRS interval during pacing was located at or near a ventricular tachycardia circuit. Therefore, fractionated sinus rhythm electrograms are often associated with slow conduction, which may be the substrate for reentrant ventricular tachycardia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Analysis of local endocardial electrograms recorded during reentrant ventricular tachycardia does not provide direct information as to the participation of the recording site in the tachycardia circuit. To determine if programmed electrical stimulation at the recording site can assist in localizing areas of slow conduction that are participating in the tachycardia circuit, seven patients with sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia were studied. The cardiac cycle was scanned with single stimuli delivered during ventricular tachycardia at multiple endocardial sites. In four patients, an endocardial site was identified at which stimuli advanced the tachycardia with marked conduction delay and without alteration of the ventricular activation sequence, as indicated by a lack of change in the configuration of the QRS complex and endocardial electrograms distant from the stimulation site. This finding was seen only during stimulation at sites displaying abnormal electrograms and is consistent with premature depolarization of an area of slow conduction within the tachycardia focus by stimuli delivered at or near that area. Attempted endocardial catheter ablation at or adjacent to these sites in three patients was followed by persistent noninducibility of ventricular tachycardia in one patient, marked modification of the configuration and cycle length of inducible tachycardia in one patient and transient noninducibility of tachycardia in one patient. Programmed electrical stimulation during ventricular tachycardia at sites with abnormal electrograms may provide information about the proximity of the stimulation site to the tachycardia circuit.

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Catheter balloon inflation performed during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) results in temporary interruption of coronary blood flow and subsequent myocardial ischemia. This produces transient but profound regional left ventricular dysfunction. In an effort to mitigate this inflation-related dysfunction, oxygenated Fluosol DA 20%, a perfluorochemical oxygen transport fluid, was infused distal to the balloon through the central lumen of the dilating catheter during balloon inflation. Regional wall motion during PTCA was assessed by simultaneous continuous two-dimensional echocardiography and was quantified by computer analysis. During control inflations accompanied by no intracoronary infusion or by transcatheter infusion of Ringer's lactate solution or nonoxygenated Fluosol DA 20%, there was profound regional left ventricular dysfunction with a greater than 90% decrease in regional contraction. In contrast, regional contraction during transcatheter infusion of oxygenated Fluosol DA 20% remained at normal levels throughout balloon inflation. Distal infusion of Fluosol DA 20% during balloon inflation is a useful adjunct to PTCA, allowing longer inflation times and perhaps permitting PTCA to be performed safely in patients with significant myocardium at ischemic risk or with limited left ventricular reserve for whom the procedure is currently believed to be too hazardous. Circulation 74, No. 3, 555-562, 1986. PERCUTANEOUS transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is a procedure that has gained wide acceptance. However, balloon inflation during this procedure results in transient interruption of coronary artery blood flow and subsequent regional ischemia. Using two-dimensional echocardiography, we have demonstrated reproducible transient regional left ventricular wall motion abnormalities during balloon inflation in patients undergoing PTCA. 1,2 Prevention of regional mechanical abnormalities incurred during balloon inflation may allow prolongation of the inflation period and expansion of the patient population currently deemed eligible for PTCA. Recent evidence suggests that prolonged inflation times result in superior primary success rates and lower residual gradients and angiographic stenoses.3 4 In addition, a subset of patients with large regions of myocardium at risk or limited contractile reserve caused by prior inflation are cur- rently at high risk for hemodynamic instability as a result of profound contractile dysfunction during balloon inflation. Efforts to mitigate regional ischemia during balloon inflation have involved intracoronary infusion of whole blood distal to the dilatation balloon.5 The viscosity characteristics of whole blood make its delivery via the distal lumen of the dilating catheter difficult and its infusion at high flow rates may potentially result in significant hemolysis. Fluosol DA 20% is a perfluorochemical emulsion that can deliver oxygen effectively to ischemic tissue at adequate flow rates and has been used as a blood substitute. Therefore we tes...