Perioperative myocardial ischemia is associated with a prolonged cardiac vagal dysfunction after non-cardiac surgery
Abstract
Heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of cardiac autonomic balance seems to be linked to coronary artery disease (CAD). Impaired vagal input facilitates the generation of fatal arrhythmias and has a great impact on morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between perioperative HRV and the incidence of silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) and ventricular dysrhythmias in CAD-patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. 31 patients were studied by continuous Holter electrocardiography preoperatively and again on the evening before surgery until postoperative day 3. Three frequency and one time domain measures of HRV (TP, 0.01-1.00 Hz: total power of the amplitude spectral plot; LF, 0.04-0.15 Hz: low-frequency power; HF, 0.15-0.40 Hz: high-frequency power; MeanRR: mean of all coupling RR-intervals between normal beats) as well as ischemic events and ventricular couplets and runs were computed. Depending on the presence of ischemic episodes, each patient was assigned to either the no SMI-group (13 pts) or the SMI-group (18 pts). MeanRR, TP and LF significantly declined in both groups over time. The parasympathetically dominated index HF, however, only decreased in the SMI-group. Normalized HF po...Continue Reading
References
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly due to stroke and thromboembolism. Here is the latest research.
Brain Ischemia
Brain ischemia is a condition in which there is insufficient blood flow to the brain to meet metabolic demand. Discover the latest research on brain ischemia here.
Arrhythmia
Arrhythmias are abnormalities in heart rhythms, which can be either too fast or too slow. They can result from abnormalities of the initiation of an impulse or impulse conduction or a combination of both. Here is the latest research on arrhythmias.