Citation

Yamabe H, Hanaoka J, Funakoshi T, Iwahashi M, Takeuchi M, Saito K, Kawashima S, Yokoyama M. Am. J. Med. Sci. 1996; 311(5): 221-224.

Affiliation

First Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University School of Medicine, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8615397

Abstract

The authors report the increased incidence of patients with deep negative T waves without Q wave after the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. Subjects underwent cardiac metaiodobenzyl guanidine (123I-MIBG) imaging, 201Tl scintigraphy, and coronary angiography. Among 2,756 inpatients of the preceding 5-year period, 33 (1.2%) showed the deep negative T waves, whereas 6 of 94 (6.4%; P < 0.001) showed it after the earthquake. Four of six patients had an episode of chest pain. Cardiac metaiodobenzyl guanidine imaging revealed the extent defects in all six patients despite a minimal change of 201Tl image. In addition, cardiac metaiodobenzyl guanidine imaging washout rate was hastened not only in the defect area but also in the nondefect area, which suggested augmented sympathetic activation. Natural disasters can affect the frequency of deep negative T waves, which relate abnormal cardiac sympathetic imaging.

Language: en