Distribution of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone in a patient with acute myocardial infarction after intravenous administration

The autopsy tissues concentration of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone of a man with acute myocardial infarction treated acutely with intravenous amiodarone is reported. Our data indicate that amiodarone is quickly distributed into all highly perfused tissues after intravenous administration with a high amiodarone/desethylamiodarone ratio. We also report here the autopsy case of a woman who died after 30 days of oral therapy with amiodarone. The increase in heart/plasma ratio of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone concentrations and the decrease in amiodarone/desethylamiodarone ratio after one month of therapy could explain the latency in the antiarrhythmic action of the drug

[Correlation between results of bicycle stress test and coronaric arteriography. Study of 153 patients (author's transl)]

In 153 patients the results of bicycle stress test were compared with data obtained from coronaric arteriography. There were corresponding results from both tests in most cases. There are other discrepancies which cannot be explained by defining the stress test as "unspecific" or "not very sensitive". In fact, each time, time differences can be referred, besides method limits, to particular physio-pathological stages of the coronaric disease (collateral circulation, Prinzmetal angina) or they can be considered completely independent of the coronaric disease (myocardial disease without coronaric disease, enzymatic defects; haemoglobinic alterations, etc.). The two tests have different indications, but they can also complementary information