DGAP-News: Geratherm Study at University Hospital Münster and the St. Johannes Hospital Dortmund examined the Method 'Stroke Risk Analysis (SRA)' of apoplex medical technologies GmbH, Medical AG:

DGAP-News: Geratherm Medical AG / Key word(s): Research Update
Geratherm Study at University Hospital Münster and the St. Johannes
Hospital Dortmund examined the Method 'Stroke Risk Analysis (SRA)' of
apoplex medical technologies GmbH, Medical AG:

16.03.2011 / 15:36

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Study at University Hospital Münster and the St. Johannes Hospital Dortmund
examined the Method 'Stroke Risk Analysis (SRA)' of apoplex medical
technologies GmbH,

The study has been published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental
Cardiology under the title 'Extended electrocardiographic Poincaré analysis
(EPA) for better identification of patients with paroxysmal atrial
fibrillation' at the 4th of March 2011.


The study represents a retrospective validation of the SRA process (Stroke
Risk Analysis) of apoplex medical technologies GmbH, Pirmasens. In the
publication, the SRA process is called EPA (Extended Electrocardiographic
Poincaré Analysis) to indicate the kind of mathematical analysis. EPA
includes the entire SRA process and all its algorithms.

Link to study publication
http://www.omicsonline.org/ArchiveJCEC/CurrentissueJCEC.php


Abstract
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) - be it permanent or paroxysmal - is
the most frequent and most effectively treatable cause of stroke. However,
when paroxysmal, even electrocardiography for 24 hours (24h-ECG) misses AF
in more than 50% of cases. We assessed whether extended Poincaré analysis
of ECG R-R intervals (EPA) can help to
identify electrocardiographic remodeling suggestive of paroxysmal AF (PAF).

Methods: Twenty-nine patients with previously diagnosed PAF were
re-assessed by 24h-ECG using conventional analysis and EPA based on a
previously trained algorithm considering among other ratios of R-R interval
duration, number of premature atrial complexes, approximate entropy, and
standard deviation of Poincaré plots-axes. 24h-ECG
from 21 healthy subjects without a history of AF served as negative, and 9
patients with permanent AF as positive controls.

Results: PAF during 24h-ECG was detected in 4 out of 29 (14%) patients with
a history of PAF by conventional analysis. EPA classified ECGs of these and
22 additional patients with a history of PAF, i.e. a total 90%, as
suggestive of PAF. All patients with permanent AF were identified by both
tools. EPA additionally classified the ECG in 4 out of 21 control subjects
as suggestive of PAF.

Conclusions: Extended Poincaré analysis in patients with a history of PAF
is more sensitive to electrocardiographic abnormalities than is
conventional 24h- ECG analysis. These findings warrant prospective studies
of EPA in patients with a high likelihood of PAF, i.e. with stroke of
undetermined origin.



 
Additional study results about the use of apoplex-products

Prospective study with SRAclinic at the neurological department of the
university hospital Heidelberg. Principal investigator is Professor Dr. R.
Veltkamp.

Continuous Stroke Unit ECG Monitoring Detects Intermittent Atrial
Fibrillation more Sensitively than 24 h Holter ECG after Acute Stroke and
TIA

The results will be presented for the first time on May 26th 2011 at the
XX. European Stroke Conference (ESC) in Hamburg.




Supplementary information about apoplex medical technologies

apoplex medical technologies GmbH was founded in 2004 in Pirmasens, in the
west of the Rhineland-Palatinate, and, within the field of medical
technology, specializes in new and innovative technological products for
the prevention of strokes throughout the world. The subsidiary of Geratherm
Medical AG focuses on easily applicable and efficient methods of patient
screening using medical-technical applications to prevent strokes and
vascular dementia. The SRA (Stroke Risk Analysis) procedure is the first
practicable screening method for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. It is
available in versions for use in medical practices and stroke units.
apoplex medical technologies is supported by an extensive academic and
clinical network, which professionally supplements its own core competences
in the fields of mathematics, physics and medicine. Further information is
available at www.apoplexmedical.com.


Further information

apoplex medical technologies GmbH 
Albert Hirtz  
Delaware Avenue 1-3 
D-66953 Pirmasens 
Tel: +49/(0)6331/698998-0 
Fax: +49/(0)6331/698998-19 
http://www.apoplexmedical.com  
a.hirtz@apoplexmedical.com  


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Language:    English                                               
Company:     Geratherm Medical AG                                  
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Internet:    www.geratherm.com                                     
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