The complications of temporary transvenous endocardial pacing as performed in the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur, from 1971 to 1979 were reviewed. 125 temporary pacings were performed in 111 patients. Different routes of temporary pacing
were used: namely percutaneous subclavian vein and femoral vein puncture and acutecubital vein cutdown. The latter route was associated with a higher incidence of dislodgement and infection. Other common complications encountered were ventricular arrhythymia and generator failure.
Drug abuse is a major problem in Malaysia. Serious complications of intravenous drug addiction include septicaemia and infective endocarditis. We present nine cases of endocarditis occuring amongst drug abusers. The tricuspid valve was most frequently involved and the common aetiological organisms were S. aureus and Str. faecalis. There was a high mortality rate of 67% in our study, inspite of appropriate therapy. Early recognition of the disease and aggressive treatment is required to improve the associated mortality.
Findings are reviewed of isolated Patent Ductus Arteriosus after infancy as seen in 181 patients studied at the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, during the period 1967 to 1975. The ages of patients ranged from nine months to 54 years. Eighty-two patients underwent cardiac catheterization. More than 50% of patients were above ten years of age; the sex ratio was 1 male: 2.93 females. Thirty-two per cent of the patients had significant effort dyspnoea or were in heart failure. The complications noted were elevated pulmonary vascular resistance, Eisenmenger syndrome, bacterial endocarditis and cardiac failure.