Taha Okan

Dokuz Eylul University, İzmir, Izmir, Turkey

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Publications (6)12.54 Total impact

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    Article: Ventricular diastolic function of ankylosing spondylitis patients by using conventional pulsed wave Doppler, myocardial performance index and tissue Doppler imaging.
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    ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to evaluate ventricular functions by using standard Doppler echocardiography (SDE), myocardial performance index (MPI), and pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging (PW-TDI) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and healthy controls. Forty-nine AS patients (38 +/- 11 years, 25 M/24 F) and 33 controls (36 +/- 9 years, 17 M/16 F) were studied. Two-dimensional, M-Mode, SDE, PW-TDI echocardiography examinations were performed. Spinal mobility was assessed by the Bath ankylosing spondylitis metrology index (BASMI) measurement. Patients were also evaluated using the Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI) and the Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI). Four control subjects and six AS patients met the left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction (DD) criteria by using conventional Doppler echocardiography (p > 0.05). However, using PW-TDI method 22 patients in the AS group and six subjects in the control group were diagnosed to have LV DD (Em/Am < 1). Pseudonormalized pattern was present in 16 AS patients and two control subjects. Correlation analysis revealed significant moderate negative correlations between Em/Am and BASMI, age and body mass index (p < 0.05; r =-0.3, -0.6, and -0.4, respectively). No correlation was observed between Em/Am and disease duration, BASFI, BASDAI, CRP, and ESR. We could not detect any right ventricular function involvement either by conventional or by recently introduced echocardiography methods. The risk of developing LV DD was found to be 3.7 times higher in AS patients. When sensitive echocardiographic Doppler techniques such as MPI, TDI-derived MPI, and PW-TDI are utilized, DD can be detected in a significant proportion of patients with AS without cardiovascular (CV) disease which may contribute CV mortality in these patients.
    Echocardiography 01/2008; 25(1):47-56. · 1.24 Impact Factor
  • Article: Evaluation of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction with conventional and current Doppler techniques in Behcet's disease.
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    ABSTRACT: Behcet's disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis characterized by genital and oral ulcers, uveitis, and other organs' involvement. Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction has been documented in BD. However, conventional echocardiographic techniques have serious limitations like its dependence on preload, afterload and heart rate. Recently, new techniques like colour M-mode and tissue Doppler imagining (TDI) have provided additional concept in the assessment of diastolic function. The aim of the present study was to investigate the LV diastolic dysfunction with conventional and new echocardiographic techniques in BD. Forty-eight patients with BD (25 women, 23 men) and 26 healthy volunteers (15 women, 11 men) were enrolled in the study. LV diastolic functions were examined with mitral inflow pulse wave Doppler, TDI and mitral flow propagation rate (MFPR). The following were accepted as diastolic dysfunction: in mitral inflow pulse wave Doppler, E/A<1, isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT)>110 ms and deceleration time of E wave (DT)>240 ms; in TDI of mitral ring with pulse wave, E'/A'<1; and in MFPR, velocity slope (Vp)<45 cm/s. The two groups were comparable in age, sex, heart rate, body mass index, smoking, hyperlipidemia and basic echocardiographic measurements. LV diastolic dysfunction was significantly higher in BD group according to E/A<1 (p<0.05). When echocardiographic measurements were compared one by one for two groups, As' (late diastolic TDI wave in septal wall) was found to be significantly higher in BD group (p<0,0001). IVRT was longer in BD group than in controls, but it did not reach statistical significance (p=0,06). Diastolic dysfunction of LV is more frequent in patients with BD than in control according to E/A and As'. Conventional and current techniques like TDI and colour M-mode Doppler echocardiography could be used to investigate diastolic functions in BD.
    Clinical Rheumatology 11/2006; 25(6):873-6. · 2.00 Impact Factor
  • Article: Cardioversion under the guidance of transesophageal echochardiograhy in persistent atrial fibrillation: results with low molecular weight heparin.
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    ABSTRACT: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) guided cardioversion to restoration of sinus rhythm is a therapeutic option in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Anticoagulation at the time of and after cardioversion is necessary to prevent formation of new thrombus during atrial stunning period. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety to TEE guided cardioversion with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in patients with atrial fibrillation. We followed up 208 patients with persistent AF (mean age: 65.5+/-10.2 years) who were attempted TEE guided cardioversion. LMWH were used as an anticoagulant and warfarin therapy was continued. Cardioversion were performed in 183 patients. Sinus rhythm restored in 144 patients (78.7%). Mean follow up duration was 155 days. No cardiac death occurred. In the early follow up period (within 30 day) one thromboembolic event (0.54%) occurred in a patient who was cardioverted. Two patients who had not been cardioverted because of left atrial thrombus presented embolic stroke, one in early and another in late follow up period. All embolic complications occurred in patients who had been taking warfarin and whose INR level was subtherapeutic at the time of stroke. Sinus rhythm was maintained in 64% and total hemorrhagic complications occurred in 4.8% of the patients in long-term follow-up. TEE guided cardioversion with a short-term anticoagulation protocol using low molecular weight heparin is a safe and effective method in restoring and maintaining sinus rhythm and enables us to make earlier cardioversion in atrial fibrillation.
    International Journal of Cardiology 02/2005; 98(1):49-55. · 7.08 Impact Factor
  • Article: An unusual presentation from xylazine-ketamine.
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    ABSTRACT: Veterinary anesthestics have gained popularity as drugs of abuse. A case of multiple drug abuse by a 36-y-old veterinarian involved the injection of xylazine-ketamine, resulting in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and central nervous system effects, and unexpected hypertension, tachycardia and electrocardiogram changes.
    Veterinary and human toxicology 01/2005; 46(6):324-5.
  • Article: Evaluation of cardiotoxicity of a combined bolus plus infusional 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid treatment by echocardiography, plasma troponin I level, QT interval and dispersion in patients with gastrointestinal system cancers.
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    ABSTRACT: To evaluate the cardiotoxicity of LV5FU2 regimen (bolus plus infusional 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid) treatment by non-invasive methods such as echocardiography, plasma troponin I (TnI) level, QT interval and QT dispersion on ECG. Twenty-two patients with gastrointestinal cancer who received LV5FU2 chemotherapy were evaluated prospectively during 12 cycles of chemotherapy. Plasma TnI assay and ECG recording analyses were performed before the first cycle, at 24 h, before each cycle until cycle 6 and every three cycles thereafter. The longest QT interval measurement on each recording corrected with Bazzett's formula was considered as QTmax and the difference between the QTmax and the shortest corrected QT interval was considered as QT dispersion (QTd). A complete M-mode, 2D and color Doppler echocardiogram was performed at baseline and at the first, third and sixth months of treatment. Echocardiography did not show any significant change in either systolic or diastolic functions. Also, TnI measurements were found to be below detectable level in all patients and in all measurements. Meanwhile, significant prolongations of QTmax and QTd were observed as early as 24 h after first administration of chemotherapy. These events persisted and became more important over the duration of chemotherapy (P < 0.05). The clinical implication of these findings as predictive factors for subsequent events such as malignant arrhythmias in patients taking 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy need longer follow-up and further detailed evaluations.
    Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology 05/2004; 34(5):262-8. · 1.78 Impact Factor
  • Article: [Bilateral coronary artery fistulas].
    Anadolu kardiyoloji dergisi: AKD = the Anatolian journal of cardiology 01/2004; 3(4):360-2. · 0.44 Impact Factor