PMID- 11887087
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20020619
LR  - 20071115
IS  - 0031-0808 (Print)
IS  - 0031-0808 (Linking)
VI  - 44
IP  - 1
DP  - 2002 Mar
TI  - Treatment of heart failure and ascites with ultrafiltration in patients with 
      intractable alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
PG  - 23-5
AB  - BACKGROUND: In Western countries the excess of alcohol intake causes, secondary, 
      non ischaemic cardiomyopathy and cirrhosis. Frequently, therapy is not effective 
      so ultrafiltration was tried on patients affected, with positive effects on life 
      quality. We tried to verify utility and tolerance to peritoneal ultrafiltration 
      in a group of subjects affected by heart failure secondary to alcoholic 
      cardiomyopathy, refractory to conventional therapy. METHODS: Sixteen patients (14 
      males, 2 females) with heart failure and ascites affected by alcoholic 
      cardiomyopathy were studied. All subjects were in IV class NYHA (New York Heart 
      Association); ejection fraction (EF) was evaluated by echocardiogram and ascites 
      by abdominal ultrasound. Patients were submitted to clinical exam, body weight, 
      abdominal circumference, diuresis and routine biohumoral exams, electrocardiogram 
      and chest X-ray. Subsequently they underwent intermittent nocturnal peritoneal 
      dialysis with a changing cycle of 6-12 hours per session. After 5 days, subjects 
      were checked through echocardiogram and abdominal ultrasound. RESULTS: The 
      patients mean age was 56.7 +/- 3.2 years. After ultrafiltration, all subjects 
      showed decreased body weight, abdominal circumference and urea; there was an 
      increase of diuresis and Natriuria. Fifteen subjects entered III NYHA class 
      without variation of EF; all of them showed clinical and echographic reduction of 
      ascites. Mean ultrafiltration quantity was 6.084 ml with mean dialysis hours 20; 
      7.36% of patients had fever that disappeared within 24 hours with antibiotic 
      therapy. All subjects referred to feel well and the mean hospitalization period 
      was of 7 day in spite of the usual 22 days.
FAU - Bilora, F
AU  - Bilora F
AD  - Department of Medical and Surgery Science, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
FAU - Petrobelli, F
AU  - Petrobelli F
FAU - Boccioletti, V
AU  - Boccioletti V
FAU - Pomerri, F
AU  - Pomerri F
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - Italy
TA  - Panminerva Med
JT  - Panminerva medica
JID - 0421110
SB  - IM
MH  - Aged
MH  - Ascites/*etiology/*therapy
MH  - Cardiomyopathy, Alcoholic/*complications
MH  - Female
MH  - Heart Failure/*etiology/*therapy
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Peritoneal Dialysis/*methods
EDAT- 2002/03/12 10:00
MHDA- 2002/06/20 10:01
CRDT- 2002/03/12 10:00
PHST- 2002/03/12 10:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2002/06/20 10:01 [medline]
PHST- 2002/03/12 10:00 [entrez]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Panminerva Med. 2002 Mar;44(1):23-5.