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[The clinical significance of the ajmaline test in the noninvasive diagnosis of the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome].
- Source :
-
Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) [Dtsch Med Wochenschr] 1994 Jul 15; Vol. 119 (28-29), pp. 985-9. - Publication Year :
- 1994
-
Abstract
- A knowledge of electrophysiological parameters of accessory atrioventricular conduction pathways, such as effective refractory time and high conduction capacity in atrial fibrillation, make it possible to detect those patients who are at risk of life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias. One criterion to identify these electrophysiological parameters is persistent pre-excitation after intravenous administration of ajmaline in Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. Sensitivity and specificity of the ajmaline test in detecting patients at risk of life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias were evaluated in 58 consecutive patients (22 females, 36 males; mean age 40.2 +/- 13 years) with the WPW syndrome. Pre-excitation was blocked after ajmaline in 43 patients (74%), pre-excitation persisting in 15 (26%). In 26 of the 43 patients with blocked pre-excitation the ajmaline test indicated short effective refractory time (< 270 ms) of the accessory pathway, and a high conduction capacity in 19 (minimal pre-excitation R-R interval during atrial fibrillation of < 250 ms). Sensitivity of the ajmaline test in the detection of a short refractory time was 33.3%, specificity 89.4%, while the corresponding values were 40.6% and 92.3% for the detection of accessory pathways with high conduction capacity in atrial fibrillation. These data show that the ajmaline test is not useful for estimating the electrophysiological characteristics of the accessory pathways. It is thus of only subordinate diagnostic value in predicting how much patients with the WPW syndrome are at risk of serious ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Atrioventricular Node abnormalities
Atrioventricular Node physiopathology
Atrioventricular Node surgery
Catheter Ablation
Electrocardiography drug effects
Evaluation Studies as Topic
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Reaction Time drug effects
Reaction Time physiology
Sensitivity and Specificity
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome physiopathology
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome surgery
Ajmaline administration & dosage
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome diagnosis
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- German
- ISSN :
- 0012-0472
- Volume :
- 119
- Issue :
- 28-29
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift (1946)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 8039452
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2008-1058790