心搏骤停后综合征患者应用心肺复苏后GCS评分与APACHE Ⅱ评分评估神经功能预后的临床价值比较

目的:比较心肺复苏后格拉斯哥昏迷量表(GCS)评分与急性生理与慢性健康评价Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ)评分在评价心搏骤停后综合征患者神经功能预后中的应用价值差异。方法:选取2014-01—2017-01期间我院重症医学科收治的心搏骤停后综合征患者128例,根据心肺复苏后90d格拉斯哥-匹兹堡脑功能表现分类(CPC)评分将患者分为神经功能预后良好组(n=50)与神经功能预后不良组(n=78)。比较两组机械通气时间、心肺复苏时间、GCS评分与APACHEⅡ评分等临床指标的差异,并采用受试者工作特征曲线(ROC)分析GCS评分与APACHEⅡ评分对神经功能预后的预测价值差异。结果:神经功能预后良好组机械通气时间与心肺复苏时间明显短于神经功能预后不良组,GCS评分明显高于神经功能预后不良组,APACHEⅡ评分明显低于神经功能预后不良组(均P<0.05)。心肺复苏后,经Pearson相关性分析显示,GCS评分与APACHEⅡ评分之间存在直线负相关(r=-0.521,P<0.05);GCS评分对心搏骤停后综合征患者神经功能预后的预测价值(0.905)明显高于A PACHEⅡ评分(0.751),差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:心肺复苏后GCS评分在评价心搏骤停后综合征患者神经功能预后的应用价值明显优于APACHEⅡ评分,可作为理想的评价指标。     

急性缺血性脑卒中患者血浆趋化因子12与白细胞介素-33和泛素羧基末端水解酶-1水平变化及意义

目的探讨急性缺血性脑卒中患者血浆趋化因子12(CXC chemokine ligand-12,CXCL-12)、白细胞介素-33(interleukin-33,IL-33)、泛素羧基末端水解酶-1(ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase-L1,UCH-L1)水平变化,及其与病情严重程度、预后的关系。方法急性缺血性脑卒中患者89例为观察组,依据美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表(National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale,NIHSS)评分分为轻度患者27例、中度患者42例,重度患者20例;患者入院后均给予抗血小板聚集、改善侧支循环等常规处理或溶栓治疗,并依据改良Rankin量表(modified Rankin scale,mRS)评分分为预后良好组46例和预后不良组43例;同期60例体检健康者为对照组。采用ELISA法检测观察组和对照组入院时血浆CXCL-12、IL-33及UCH-L1水平,并进行比较;Spearman法分析血浆CXCL-12、IL-33及UCH-L1与NIHSS评分、mRS评分的相关性。结果观察组入院时血浆CXCL-12[(7.47±1.71)ng/L]、IL-33[(62.91±11.33)ng/L]及UCH-L1[0.17(0.09,0.23)μg/L]水平均高于对照组[(3.24±1.29)ng/L、(34.26±9.45)ng/L、0.06(0.03,0.11)μg/L](P0.05);观察组轻、中、重度患者血浆CXCL-12[(5.61±0.75)、(7.61±0.58)、(9.70±1.38)ng/L]、UCH-L1[0.12(0.07,0.18)、0.18(0.13,0.22)、0.25(0.23,0.29)μg/L]水平均逐渐升高(P0.05),血浆IL-33水平在轻度患者[(66.29±10.55)ng/L]、中度患者[(64.05±11.60)ng/L]均高于重度患者[(58.64±10.52)ng/L](P0.05),轻度患者与中度患者比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05);预后良好组血浆CXCL-12[(6.21±0.93)ng/L]、UCH-L1[0.16(0.09,0.20)μg/L]水平均低于预后不良组[(8.23±1.26)ng/L、0.22(0.13,0.26)μg/L],血浆IL-33[(65.23±11.49)ng/L]水平高于预后不良组[(60.43±10.72)ng/L](P0.05);Spearman相关分析结果显示,观察组血浆CXCL-12、UCH-L1与NIHSS评分(r=0.794,P0.001;r=0.638,P0.001)及mRS评分(r=0.422,P0.001;r=0.215,P=0.043)均呈正相关,血浆IL-33与NIHSS评分(r=-0.289,P=0.006)和mRS评分(r=-0.256,P=0.015)均呈负相关。结论急性缺血性脑卒中患者血浆CXCL-12、IL-33及UCH-L1水平均升高,且与病情严重程度及预后密切相关。     

重型颅脑损伤患者血清肌酸激酶脑型同工酶、泛素羧基末端水解酶L1和脑氧摄取动态变化的研究

目的探讨重型颅脑损伤患者颈内静脉球部血清肌酸激酶脑型同工酶(CK-BB)、血清泛素羧基末端水解酶L1(UCH-L1)和脑氧摄取(CEO_2)的动态变化以及临床意义。方法根据入院后72例患者格拉斯哥昏迷量表(GCS)评分分为重型组(GCS评分6~8分)40例和特重型组(GCS评分3~5分)32例。同时,按患者预后分组为生存组(51例)和死亡组(21例)。采用双抗体夹心酶标免疫法检测所有患者在伤后12 h、24 h、48 h、3 d、5 d、7 d的颈静脉球部血清CK-BB、UCH-L1的变化。同时在上述时间点,将颈静脉球部血和桡动脉血进行血气分析,计算出CEO_2。比较不同病情严重程度和不同预后患者CK-BB、UCH-L1和CEO_2的变化。结果重型颅脑损伤患者伤后颈内静脉球部血清CK-BB[(3.3±1.0)、(5.9±1.9)、(5.4±1.7)、(3.8±1.2)、(2.6±0.9)、(1.8±0.5)U/L]、UCH-L1[(6.7±2.1)、(8.9±2.6)、(9.6±2.8)、(7.1±2.3)、(3.9±1.3)、(3.2±1.0)U/L]浓度及CEO_2[(32±6)%、(30±6)%、(22±6)%、(22±5)%、(23±5)%、(24±5)%]各时间点比较,差异均有统计学意义(F=157.46、196.53、243.62,P均0.001)。与伤后12 h比较,重型组患者CK-BB、UCH-L1浓度及CEO_2在伤后24、48 h均显著升高,伤后5、7 d均显著降低(P均0.05)。特重型组患者中,CK-BB浓度在伤后24 h、48 h、3 d均显著升高,伤后7 d显著降低(P0.05);UCH-L1浓度在24、48 h均显著升高,伤后5、7 d均显著降低(P均0.05);CEO_2在伤后48 h、3 d、5 d、7 d均显著降低(P均0.05)。且特重组患者CK-BB、UCH-L1浓度及CEO_2在各个时间点均显著高于重型组患者(P均0.05)。生存组患者CK-BB和UCH-L1浓度在伤后24、48 h较12 h均显著升高,伤后5、7 d均显著降低(P均0.05)。而生存组患者CEO_2伤后48 h、3 d、5 d、7 d均显著低于伤后12 h(P均0.05)。死亡组患者CK-BB浓度仅伤后24 h、48 h、3 d、5 d与12 h比较差异有统计学意义(P均0.05),而UCH-L1浓度及CEO_2伤后24 h、48 h、3 d、5 d、7 d与伤后12 h比较,差异均有统计学意义(P均0.05)。且与死亡组比较,生存组CK-BB和UCH-L1浓度各时间点均显著降低,CEO_2均显著升高(P均0.05)。结论重型颅脑损伤患者颈内静脉球部血清CKBB、UCH-L1和CEO_2动态变化在评估疾病的严重程度和判断预后上具有重要的临床意义。     

家庭护理干预对心肺脑复苏后患者生活质量的影响

目的　探讨家庭护理干预对心肺脑复苏(CCPR)后患者生活质量的影响。方法　选择心肺脑复苏后患者96例,随机分为家庭护理干预组5 0例,常规护理组4 6例。采用格拉斯哥昏迷评分(GCS)、神经功能缺损评分(NFI)及生活质量综合评定问卷(GQLI)对心肺脑复苏后患者的神经功能状况及生活质量进行评定,并观察家庭护理干预对患者生活质量的影响。结果　家庭护理干预组患者生活质量在躯体、心理、社会功能等方面均显著高于常规护理组(P <0 .0 1) ;在心肺脑复苏后7,10d ,GCS评分明显高于常规护理组(P <0 .0 1) ;在心肺脑复苏后6 ,9个月,NFI评分明显低于常规护理组(P <0 .0 1)。结论　家庭护理干预可改善心肺脑复苏后患者的神经功能状况,提高患者的生活质量     

依达拉奉联合生物波早期综合康复对重型颅脑损伤昏迷患者昏迷评分及神经细胞因子水平的影响

目的 观察依达拉奉联合生物波早期综合康复对重型颅脑损伤昏迷患者昏迷评分及神经细胞因子水平的影响。方法 前瞻性选取2020年7月至2022年3月沧州市人民医院收治的80例重型颅脑损伤昏迷患者为研究对象,按照随机数字表法分为对照组38例和观察组42例。两组均给予常规治疗,对照组另给予生物波早期综合康复训练,观察组在对照组基础上联合依达拉奉进行治疗。比较两组格拉斯哥昏迷量表(GCS)评分、神经细胞因子[脑源性神经营养因子(BDNF)、胶质细胞原纤维酸性蛋白(GFAP)、胶质细胞原纤维酸性蛋白(GFAP)、泛素竣基末端水解酶-L1(UCH-L1)]及椎动脉血流速度水平变化,记录两组不良反应和预后情况。结果 治疗14、21 d后,两组GCS评分均升高,且观察组GCS评分分别为(8.22±0.87)、(10.83±0.88)分,高于对照组[(7.21±1.02)、(9.77±0.74)分],差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗21 d后,两组GFAP、NSE、UCH-L1水平均较治疗前降低,BDNF水平较治疗前升高,观察组GFAP、NSE、UCH-L1水平分别为(7.98±1.45) p...     

脑电双频指数在评估心肺复苏术后患者脑功能及预后中的价值

目的 探讨心肺复苏成功患者的脑电双频指数(bispectral index,BIS)与格拉斯哥(glasgow coma scale,GCS)评分、血清神经元特异性烯醇化酶(neuron-specific enolase,NSE)的相关性及其在评估神经功能预后方面的价值.方法 选取心脏骤停后心肺复苏成功的昏迷患者,复苏后24 h内行BIS监测,同时进行GCS评分及血清NSE水平检测,观察6个月预后.分析三者之间的相关性,比较不同BIS值之间GCS评分和血NSE的差异.分析对比预后良好与不良组之间三者的统计学差异.绘制三种评估方法的受试者工作特征(receiver operating characteristic,ROC)曲线,计算曲线下面积以分析三者对预后的预测价值.应用SPSS 16.0统计软件分析,统计方法包括相关分析、t检验或t'检验、x2检验或Fisher确切概率法、单因素方差分析.结果 BIS值与GCS评分呈正相关(r =0.684),二者与NSE呈负相关(r分别为-0.675和-0.663).不同的BIS值之间,GCS评分和血清NSE浓度差异具有统计学意义.神经功能预后良好与不良组之间GCS评分(P=0.018)、BIS值(P=0.01)、NSE质量浓度(P=0.01)差异有统计学意义.BIS与NSE对预后的评估价值相当,GCS对预后的评估价值相对较低.结论 BIS监测与GCS评分、血清NSE密切相关,是评价患者心肺复苏后昏迷程度及判定神经功能预后的有效指标;在判定预后方面,客观指标BIS与血NSE优于主观指标GCS评分.     

心肺脑复苏后患者的生活质量评估及山莨菪碱的干预治疗

目的探索评估心肺脑复苏后患者生活质量的方法;比较应用大剂量山莨菪碱治疗与常规治疗在神经功能状况及生活质量各方面的差异.方法采用格拉斯哥昏迷评分(GCS),神经功能缺损评分(NFI)及生活质量综合评定问卷(GQOLI)对心肺脑复苏后患者的神经功能状况及生活质量进行评定,并观察大剂量山莨菪碱对它们的影响.结果心肺脑复苏后患者生活质量在躯体、心理、社会功能等方面均显著差于正常对照者(P＜0.01).应用大剂量山莨菪碱在心肺脑复苏早期(复苏后7d),GCS评分明显高于常规治疗组(P＜0.05),在复苏后3月及6月,NFI评分明显低于常规治疗组(P＜0.05),生活质量在躯体健康和认识功能等方面,分值明显高于常规治疗组(P＜0.05).结论心肺脑复苏后患者的生活质量下降,大剂量山莨菪碱可改善心肺脑复苏后患者的神经功能状况,部分提高患者的生活质量.     

心肺复苏后血清S-100蛋白和神经元特异性烯醇化酶检测对神经功能预后判定的临床意义

目的探讨心肺复苏后患者血清S-100蛋白和神经元特异性烯醇化酶(NSE)水平的变化与神经功能预后的关系。方法37例复苏成功心搏呼吸骤停患者,至少存活48h,按神经功能恢复程度分为三组,A组(n=7):神经功能恢复尚可,48h后GCS评分>5分,2周后完全康复或有轻度的神经功能障碍;B组(n=8):神经功能恢复不良,48h后GCS评分<5分,严重神经功能障碍,生活不能自理或植物状态;C组(n=22):2周内死亡。采用酶联免疫方法检测S-100蛋白和NSE水平。结果S-100蛋白检测结果分别为A组(1.87±0.07)μg/L、B组(2.96±0.11)μg/L和C组(2.96±0.11)μg/L,B组、C组与A组比较差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05,P<0.01);NSE检测结果分别为A组(24.46±2.91)μg/L、B组(35.29±3.14)μg/L和C组(39.75±3.60)μg/L,B组、C组与A组比较差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05,P<0.01)。结论血清S-100蛋白和NSE可作为判断心肺复苏后脑功能恢复的有价值的指标。     

APACHEⅡ评分对心肺复苏自主循环恢复昏迷患者预后预测的研究

目的 探讨APACHEⅡ评分对心肺复苏自主循环恢复昏迷患者5种不同预后的区别能力.方法 回顾性分析115例心肺复苏自主循环恢复住院患者的资料,比较不同预后患者的APACHEⅡ评分,计算其对两种严重不良(死亡或植物状态)预后与其他类型预后区别能力的ROC曲线下面积.结果 5种不同预后(正常、神经功能轻度障碍、神经功能重度障碍、植物状态和死亡)患者APACHEⅡ评分比较差异有统计学意义(F=57.64, P=0.000).各组之间相互比较,正常组与神经功能轻度障碍组、神经功能轻度障碍组与神经功能重度障碍组比较差异均无统计学意义[(8.89±5.52)分vs (12.50±6.00)分, P=0.109;(12.50±6.00)分vs(13.80±4.98)分, P=0.623];其他各组之间相互比较差异均有统计学意义(正常组vs重度神经功能异常组P=0.019;其他各组之间比较均为P=0.000).13分是区分预后良好的最佳截断点;23分是区分预后严重不良的最佳截断点.APACHEⅡ评分区分严重不良预后与其他类型预后能力的ROC曲线下面积为0.937.结论 APACHEⅡ评分可以作为心肺复苏自主循环恢复昏迷患者不良预后的一个预测、评价工具,若引入其他相关因素,可望进一步提高该类患者不同预后的区别能力.     

亚低温对心肺复苏后患者神经功能状况及生活质量的影响

目的　探讨亚低温对心肺复苏后患者神经功能状况及生活质量的影响及其机制。方法　采用格拉斯哥昏迷评分 (GCS)、神经功能缺损评分 (NFI)、Barthel指数 (MBI)及生活质量评分 (QOL)对心肺复苏后患者的神经功能状况及生活质量进行评定 ,并观察亚低温对他们的影响。结果　在心肺复苏后第7d ,亚低温组GCS评分明显比常规治疗组高 (P <0 0 5 ) ;在复苏后第 12周和 2 4周 ,亚低温组NFI评分及QOL评分均明显较常规治疗组低 (P <0 0 5 ) ,MBI评分明显较常规治疗组高 (P <0 0 1)。结论　亚低温可改善心肺复苏后患者的神经功能状况 ,提高患者的生活质量     

Guns and Knives in New Mexico: Patterns of Penetrating Trauma, 1978–1993

Objective: To identify patterns of nonfatal and fatal penetrating trauma among children and adults in New Mexico using ED and medical examiner data.
Methods: The authors retrospectively sampled in 5-year intervals all victims of penetrating trauma who presented to either the state Level-1 trauma center or the state medical examiner from a 16-year period (1978–1993). Rates of nonfatal and fatal firearm and stabbing injury were compared for children and adults.
Results: Rates of nonfatal injury were similar (firearm, 34.3 per 100,000 person-years; stabbing, 35.1). However, rates of fatal injury were significantly different (firearm, 21.9; stabbing, 2.7; relative risk: 8.2; 95% confidence interval: 5.4, 12.5). From 1978 to 1993, nonfatal injury rates increased for children (p = 0.0043) and adults (p < 0.0001), while fatal penetrating injury remained constant. The increase in nonfatal injury in children resulted from increased firearm injury rates. In adults, both stabbing and firearm nonfatal injury rates increased.
Conclusions: Nonfatal injury data suggest that nonfatal violence has increased; fatal injury data suggest that violent death rates have remained constant. Injury patterns vary by age, mechanism of trauma, and data source. These results suggest that ED and medical examiner data differ and that both are needed to guide injury prevention programs.     

Systematic Reviews Published in the January 2011 Issue of The Cochrane Library

ABSTRACT

The Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews is published quarterly as a DVD and monthly online. The January 2011 issue (first quarterly DVD for 2011) contains 4515 complete reviews, 1985 protocols for reviews in production, and 13,521 one-page summaries of systematic reviews published in the general medical literature. In addition, there are citations of 641,000 randomized controlled trials, and 14,018 cited papers in the Cochrane methodology register. The health technology assessment database contains over 9300 citations. One hundred and seven new reviews have been published in the last 3 months, of which five have potential relevance for practitioners in pain and palliative medicine.     

Interprofessional approaches to creating safe,high quality health care

Three supplementary perspectives are presented arguing that interprofessional collaboration is both necessary and desirable. Nonetheless, there are often too many serious intra-professional barriers and obstacles to interprofessional collaboration to make it successful. Some of these barriers, it is argued and illustrated, are found in the multiple ways in which professional identity is tacitly acquired and embodied in the practitioners' habitual, everyday practice. The paper then explores ways in which reflection, especially Second order reflection, can help to elucidate and overcome these obstacles, as well as increasing professional adaptability and competence.     

Prise en charge des entorses externes de cheville : étude clinique préliminaire sur l’efficacité du dispositif Myolux™

Ankle sprains are the most common injury of the musculoskeletal system and are associated with significant societal and economic impacts. It has been proven that classical therapeutic strategies may not be effective in preventing recurrent injuries: the recurrence rates reported in the literature can reach 73%. In order to provide an effective rehabilitation solution, a destabilizing orthosis was developed. This device is equipped with a mechanical articulator reproducing the subtalar mechanics and placed under the heel. In this paper, we present the main results of a preliminary clinical study conducted between 2004 and 2007. All subjects included in this study were treated with the abovementioned orthosis during 10 rehabilitation sessions of 30 minutes each. Data show a relatively low recurrence rate of 12% for the overall population. Moreover, it's of primary importance to note that this satisfactory ratio is largely reduced (3% of recurrence rate) for the 29 patients who performed one training session per month after the 10th initial rehabilitation sessions. Hence, the destabilizing orthosis appears to be an effective solution to prevent recurrent ankle sprains. However, joint protection requires long-term and regular training sessions. This result has motivated the development of a similar device allowing patients to perform training sessions at home. Finally, data obtained in this study are promising awaiting the final results of the comparative, multicentric and independent clinical trials currently managed by the Hospices Civils de Lyon.     

Determination of creatine kinase isoenzyme MB activity in serum using immunological inhibition of creatine kinase M subunit activity. Activity kinetics and diagnostic significance in myocardial infarction.

This is a new method for the determination of creatine kinase isoenzyme MB activity in serum. The method uses direct activity measurement of creatine kinase B subunit activity after blocking of CK-M subunit activity by inhibiting antibodies. The test takes no longer than 15 min. The method yields an intra-serial C.V. of 2.0-12.9%, and a C.V. from day to day of 5.5%. The detection limit is 3.4 U/l creatine kinase MB. In the 95 cases with proven myocardial infarction several types of creatine kinase MB activity kinetics could be determined. The percentage of creatine kinase MB of peak CK-total is 6-25%, with a mean of 11.1%. The amount of creatine kinase MB with respect to total CK activity after reinfarction is higher than the amount after initial infarction.     

俯卧位通气对高海拔地区肺复张治疗无效急性呼吸窘迫综合征患者氧合的影响

目的 探讨俯卧位通气对高海拔地区肺复张术(RM)治疗无效急性呼吸窘迫综合征(ARDS)患者的治疗作用.方法 从海拔2260m的地区医院筛选RM治疗无效的41例ARDS患者[平均氧合指数( PaO2/FiO2)较RM前升高＜20％视为RM无效],依不同病因分为肺内源性ARDS组(ARDSp组)和肺外源性ARDS组(ARDSexp组),每组再按信封法随机分为俯卧位组和仰卧位组,即ARDSp俯卧位组(11例)、ARDSp仰卧位组(9例)、ARDSexp俯卧位组(10例)、ARDSexp仰卧位组(11例).在通气前及通气1、2、3、4h监测动脉血氧分压( PaO2)、PaO2/FiO2、静态顺应性(Cst)、气道阻力(Raw)的变化.结果 通气lh时,ARDSexp俯卧位组PaO2/FiO2( mm Hg,l mm Hg=0.133 kPa)即较通气前显著升高(157.4±40.6比129.3±48.7,P＜0.05),并随通气时间延长呈持续增高趋势,4h达峰值(219.1 ±41.1);且ARDSexp俯卧位组通气3h内PaO2/FiO2较其他3组显著增高,另3组间则差异无统计学意义.ARDSp俯卧位组、ARDSexp俯卧位组通气4h时PaO2/FiO2均较相应仰卧位组显著增高(208.8±39.7比127.4±47.1,219.1±41.1比124.9±50.8,均P＜0.05).4组通气前后Cst无显著改变,各组间差异也无统计学意义.ARDSp俯卧位组通气4h时Raw(cmH2O·L-1·s-1)较通气前显著降低(6.8±1.7比10.7±1.8,P＜0.05),且明显低于其他3组;其他3组各时间点Raw组内及组间比较差异均无统计学意义.结论 俯卧位通气作为ARDS机械通气重要策略之一,可以改善RM无效高原ARDS患者的氧合,为抢救患者赢得宝贵的时间.     

Digital imaging among medical facilities

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the USA operates a network of 172 medical centres which all utilize a hospital information system (HIS) which has been developed and is currently maintained by the VA. During the past several years, an image management and communication module has been developed, installed and clinically utilized at the Washington DC and Maryland VA Medical Centres. This image management and communication system, referred to as the decentralized hospital computer program (DHCP) imaging system, is fully integrated with a commercial picture archiving and communication system (PACS). The system is utilized to capture, archive, and display all images generated within the hospital including radiology, nuclear medicine, pathology, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, and dermatology, intraoperative photographs, ECG data, and a limited number of paper documents. The ultimate goal of the project is to have all patient text and image data available at any clinical workstation to any authorized user anywhere within the network of medical centres. Clinical requirements for an imaging workstation include ease of use, rapid and reliable access to the complete set of patient information, and images which are of acceptable quality to meet the requirements of the user and the subspecialty. Patient confidentiality and data security must be safeguarded at all times. Integration of the images with the remainder of the patient's database was found to be critical to the success of the project. The experience at the Washington and Maryland facilities suggests that an imaging system that is successfully integrated with a hospital information system can provide substantial clinical and economic benefits both within and among medical centres. Clinical acceptance and utilization of the system has been excellent, particularly in diagnostic radiology where DHCP Imaging has been interfaced to a commercial PAC system. Based upon this initial experience, the VA has begun to deploy the system throughout its large network of medical centres.     

Myocardial elastography at both high temporal and spatial resolution for the detection of infarcts

Myocardial elastography is a novel method for noninvasively assessing regional myocardial function, with the advantages of high spatial and temporal resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this paper, in-vivo experiments were performed in anesthetized normal and infarcted mice (one day after left anterior descending coronary artery [LAD] ligation) using a high-resolution (30 MHz) ultrasound system (Vevo 770, VisualSonics Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada). Radiofrequency (RF) signals of the left ventricle (LV) in longitudinal (long-axis) view and the associated electrocardiogram (ECG) were simultaneously acquired. Using a retrospective ECG gating technique, 2-D full field-of-view RF frames were acquired at an extremely high frame rate (8 kHz) that resulted in high-quality incremental displacement and strain estimation of the myocardium. The incremental results were further accumulated to obtain the cumulative displacements and strains. Two-dimensional and M-mode displacement images and strain images (elastograms), as well as displacement and strain profiles as a function of time, were compared between normal and infarcted mice. Incremental results clearly depicted cardiac events including LV contraction, LV relaxation and isovolumetric phases in both normal and infarcted mice, and also evidently indicated reduced motion and deformation in the infarcted myocardium. The elastograms indicated that the infarcted regions underwent thinning during systole rather than thickening, as in the normal case. The cumulative elastograms were found to have higher elastographic SNR (SNR(e)) than the incremental elastograms (e.g., 10.6 vs. 4.7 in a normal myocardium, and 6.0 vs. 2.4 in an infarcted myocardium). Finally, preliminary statistical results from nine normal (m = 9) and seven infarcted (n = 7) mice indicated the capability of the cumulative strain in differentiating infracted from normal myocardia. In conclusion, myocardial elastography could provide regional strain information at simultaneously high temporal (>/=0.125 ms) and spatial ( approximately 55 microm) resolution as well as high precision ( approximately 0.05 microm displacement). This technique was thus capable of accurately characterizing normal myocardial function throughout an entire cardiac cycle, at the same high resolution, and detecting and localizing myocardial infarction in vivo.