Search

Abnormal arterial patterns in the forearm were discovered in 12 of 77 patients (16%) with Down's syndrome. Eight patients had an enlarged anterior interosseous artery, the distal portion of which was palpable over the dorsum of the hand; in seven it was associated with absence of the radial artery and in one it coexisted with the radial and ulnar arteries. Three patients had a hypoplastic radial artery and a relatively dominant ulnar artery. One patient had a vestigial radial artery that ended as muscular branches in the forearm. The developmental aspects of these aberrations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

24-hour recordings of the ECG and respiration, the latter from an impedance technique, have shown a phenomenon which could account for hitherto unexplained failures of impedance apnoea alarm systems. Whenever apnoea is accompanied by bradycardia there is a pronounced increase in the amplitude of the cardiac impulse on the respiration carrier. This imitates the respiration signal and prevents the alarm from sounding. Conversely, apnoea unaccompanied by bradycardia does not present this problem and is detected by the alarm. If impedance alarm systems are to be used to detect apnoea they must be accompanied by a heart rate (ECG) detector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]