Acute pulmonary edema was experienced during the mass excision of a nasopharyngeal angiofibroma clue to massive transfusion (8,000ml of blood within 3 hours). High FIoz with manual PEEP, diuretics, steroid and digitalis were given immediately. Full recovery was observed after 18 hours of ICU care.
Angiofibroma* ; Digitalis ; Diuretics ; Edema* ; Pulmonary Edema

Giiiary muscle strongly resembles the heart muscle in its functional behaviour, although from the anatomic point of view, it can be considered part of the smooth or involuntary muscle system. Visual acuity, refractive state, near point of accommodation and accommodative-convergence/ accommodation were studied in 30 persons before and after instillation of 2 drops of 0.01% digitalis solution. The results showed that the chapge of near point of accommodation was significant. So the author concluded, "Digitalis favorably influences the accommodation".
Digitalis* ; Humans ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myocardium ; Visual Acuity

For the purpose of elucidating relation between red cell electrolyte concentrations and serum digoxin level, measurement of red cell electrolyte concentrations and seum digoxin level by radioimmunoassay were done in 46 normal controls and 63 patients of CHF including 8 patients with digitalis intoxication. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Red cell sodium concentration and ratio of red cell sodium to red cell potassium concentration in normal males were significantly higher than those of females, and red cell potassium concentration in normal males was significantly lower than that of normal females. 2. Red cell potassium concentration in patients of CHF was significantly higher than that of normal controls, but there was no difference in the red cell sodium concentration between the groups. 3. There was no relation between red cell electrolyte concentrations and serum digoxin level, and red cell electrolyte concentration did not exactly estimate serum digoxin level. 4. Red cell electrolyte concentrations in the patient of CHF were valuable in detecting digitalis toxicity.
Digitalis ; Digoxin* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Potassium ; Radioimmunoassay ; Sodium

A case of chronic atrial tachycardia in a 12-year-old boy is reported. His complaints were frequent precordial palpitation and mild exertional dyspnea with 6 months duration, EKG showed the findings of chronic atrial tachycardia, repetitive type. Digitalis therapy was established and continued for about 6 months. The attack of tachycardia ceased from 2 weeks after beginning of the treatment and didn't reappeared until the end of treatment. After cessation of digitalis therapy, follow-up study was made for over 6 months but no attack of tachycardia was observed even during this period. A review of literatures was made briefly.
Child ; Digitalis ; Dyspnea ; Electrocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Tachycardia*

From May, 1978 through Oct., 1979 the effect of Coenzyme Q10 was evaluated on 10 patients with chronic heart failure. The subjects selected for this study consisted of 7 patients with cardiomyopathy and 3 patients with valvular heart disease admitted to Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, All these patients had symptoms and signs of congestive heart failure which was stable for at least one month before starting Coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 was administered 30mg daily for eight weeks, one hour before meal and in combination with digitalis and/or diuretics. The drug effects were determined by measuring the cardio-thoracic ratio by chest X-ray, the sum of 'S' wave in V1 and 'R' wave in V5 in electrocardiogram, and PEP/LVET (pre-ejection period/left ventricular ejection time) by simultaneous tracings of carotid pulse and phonocardiogram every two weeks during medication. The cardio-thoracic ratio was improved in 4 of 10 cases, the sum of RV+SV5 was decreased in all 5 cases who showed voltages above 40mm before medication, and PEP/LVET ratio was decresed in 4 of 10 cases. The difference of average values before and after medication were not statistically significant(p<0.05) in all 3 parameters when examined by t-test. During treatment, there was improvement, if any, from two weeks after medication and no significant side effects were noted throughout the study period.
Cardiomyopathies ; Digitalis ; Diuretics ; Electrocardiography ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Meals ; Thorax

From May, 1978 through Oct., 1979 the effect of Coenzyme Q10 was evaluated on 10 patients with chronic heart failure. The subjects selected for this study consisted of 7 patients with cardiomyopathy and 3 patients with valvular heart disease admitted to Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, All these patients had symptoms and signs of congestive heart failure which was stable for at least one month before starting Coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 was administered 30mg daily for eight weeks, one hour before meal and in combination with digitalis and/or diuretics. The drug effects were determined by measuring the cardio-thoracic ratio by chest X-ray, the sum of 'S' wave in V1 and 'R' wave in V5 in electrocardiogram, and PEP/LVET (pre-ejection period/left ventricular ejection time) by simultaneous tracings of carotid pulse and phonocardiogram every two weeks during medication. The cardio-thoracic ratio was improved in 4 of 10 cases, the sum of RV+SV5 was decreased in all 5 cases who showed voltages above 40mm before medication, and PEP/LVET ratio was decresed in 4 of 10 cases. The difference of average values before and after medication were not statistically significant(p<0.05) in all 3 parameters when examined by t-test. During treatment, there was improvement, if any, from two weeks after medication and no significant side effects were noted throughout the study period.
Cardiomyopathies ; Digitalis ; Diuretics ; Electrocardiography ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Meals ; Thorax

The concerns about the safety issues of medicinal herbs are increasing. There are typical medicinal herbs that affect the cardiovascular system such as digitalis and aconitium. Digitalis is one of the main drugs in use to manage a heart disease under the controlled safety and effectiveness. On the contrary, the Aconitium plant's roots are potentially poisonous and can cause serious complex ventricular arrhythmias and fatalities due to their low safety margin. However, the herb has been used in traditional Chinese medicine mainly to treat musculoskeletal disorders, without any safety control. Natural products including herbs derived from plants are not always safe. The use of medicinal herbs needs medical validation in terms of their safety and effectiveness through a scientific inspection and strict standardization for the quality control. Therefore it is urgent to initiate a nation-wide reporting system to timely document any side effects from medicinal herbs adversely affecting the public health.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Biological Products ; Cardiovascular System ; Digitalis ; Heart Diseases ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plants, Medicinal* ; Public Health ; Quality Control

Digoxin, also known as digitalis, is a purified cardiac glycoside extracted from the foxglove plant, Digitalis purpurea. Digoxin-mediated cardiac glycoside toxicity due to accidental plant ingestion can occur. Presently, a 69-year-old woman visited our emergency department with epigastric pain, nausea and vomiting after ingestion of a plant. Physical examination and initial laboratory blood test results were within normal limits. An electrocardiogram (ECG) showed sinus bradycardia with first degree AV block and diffuse ST-segment depressions in a "scooping" pattern. The plant was identified as D. purpurea, and the patient's serum digoxin level was 2.89 ng/mL. The patient was treated conservatively in the absence of any life-threatening event. Recovery was uneventful.
Aged ; Atrioventricular Block ; Bradycardia ; Depression ; Digitalis ; Digoxin ; Eating ; Electrocardiography ; Emergencies ; Female ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Nausea ; Physical Examination ; Plants ; Vomiting

It is a highly risky procedure to perform general anesthesia on a patient with toxemia in whom the function of the vital organs is seriously impaired. The risk is much increased when pulmonary edema is also a complication. Recently, many physicians are increasingly interested in PEEP(positive end-expiratory pressure) as a valuable therapeutic approach for pulmonary edema. There are reports that the PEEP has contributed a great deal of the treatment of the pulmonary edema. This is a case report of a patient with toxemia and pulmonary edema who underwent cesarean section. She was treated with oxygen, diuretics, digitalis, steroids, bronchodilators and PEEP(pr.=10cm.H2O, Vt=700ml., assist mode), The therapeutic result was excellent.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Bronchodilator Agents ; Cesarean Section ; Digitalis ; Diuretics ; Female ; Humans ; Oxygen ; Pregnancy ; Pulmonary Edema* ; Steroids ; Toxemia*

Toad toxin has digitalis-like cardioactive effects that include bradycardia, varying degrees of atrioventricular block, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. We report here on a 54-year-old man who had varying degrees of atrioventricular block and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia two hours after he ate a bowl of toad soup.
Amphibian Venoms* ; Atrioventricular Block ; Bradycardia ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Digitalis* ; Humans ; Hyperkalemia* ; Middle Aged ; Poisoning* ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Ventricular Fibrillation