OBJECTIVE To study the influence of atrial fibrillation on peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2) in chronic heart failure. An unfavourable effect of atrial fibrillation has been shown in several patient populations, but the results have not been consistent in chronic heart failure. METHODS Data were analysed from male heart transplant candidates who were able to perform graded bicycle ergometry until...

The responses of right nostril breathing (RNB) and left nostril breathing (LNB) on cardio-respiratory and autonomic functions were investigated in healthy student volunteers of both sexes. The RNB and LNB groups comprised of 10 males and 10 females in each in age range of 17-22 years. Initially, in both groups control values of respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SB...

BACKGROUND This observational study documented heart rate over the entire course of electrically induced seizures and aimed to evaluate the effects of stimulus electrode placement, patients' age, stimulus dose, and additional predictors. METHOD In 119 consecutive patients with 64 right unilateral (RUL) and 55 bifrontal (BF) electroconvulsive treatments, heart rate graphs based on beat-to-beat...

OBJECTIVE Evaluation of the efficacy of nebulized magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) alone and in combination with salbutamol in acute asthma. METHODS A double-blind randomized controlled study was conducted in Chest and Emergency Departments. Thirty patients of acute attack of bronchial asthma were randomized into three groups: MgSO4 nebulization (group A), salbutamol nebulization (group B), and thei...

Normal values for left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) flow velocity were assessed from a large number of normal children. In 303 healthy children, LAD peak flow velocity was measured by Doppler echocardiography. LAD peak flow velocities were calculated considering the angle between the Doppler beam and the coronary flow direction. The flow signals of LAD were recorded in 95% (288/303...

We would like to comment on the article recently published in CHEST (September 2008) by Vanhecke et al,1 who reported that morbidly obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) had lower peak oxygen consumption (V̇o2) and slower heart rate recovery than obese patients without OSAS. First, given that fat is a metabolically inactive indexing of peak V̇o2 to body weight in obese patie...