Movies of heart helping dotors with diagnoses

              Now they're taking moving pictures of the heart to help the cardiologists perfect their diagnoses.
The marvelous results being achieved with these heart movies were described here Friday by Dr. F. Mason Sones, whose pioneer project in the development of the movies has won him nationwide acclaim.
Dr. Sones, who is affiliated with the department of cardiology and the cardiological laboratory of the Cleveland Clinic, was the featured speaker at opening-day sessions of the Louisiana Heart Association convention.
He told fellow-cardiologists that the heart movie is the best tool which has been found to date for recognizing coronary artery disease.
INADEQUATE FLOW
"And since coronary artery disease produces angina pec-toris," he added, "this diagnostic tool is a Godsend to ,the patient with chest pains who isn't sure whether or not he has angina."
Dr. Sones said the tragedy of it all is that angina doesn't always show up on an electrocardiogram. He said a doctor will tell a chest-pain patient he's okay; that the patient will go home happy and the next day he'll drop dead.
The    heart    specialist    said
hig       sw               o
ecognise even  very small, par-  the cyanotic infant."
tial blocks in the arteries."               'NO LONGER HOPELESS'
Dr. Sones said he and his co-     Dr- Jordan said lt is no
Dr Sones said he and his co- ^r. Jordan said it is no long- :a»*""~• °^^ ~^6"' Dr. bones said he and his co-       necessarv t    tell a mother   however, a man loading a truck
vorkers   have   experienced   only er necessary  10  ten a. muiuci                       .                        ,.   -1
our failures in 1,500 cases.           <<You  have   a  blue   baby,     in jmay use up only   four   to   five
"With the aid 'of these movies tones  synonymous with almost   tjmes fae. energy.  Sometimes   a
we learn more of the nature of certain death..
he bloc," he explained, "and we     "Today   the   situation   is   no
ind  out whether or not the pa- longer hopeless," he explained,
lent has developed new blood ves- "with the aid of various tests
lent has developed new blood ves-
els to compensate for the block."  we can find out what's wrong.!
The   visiting   heart   specialist  And these tests can be done on!
aid in a few instances the blocks  even the smallest infant."
can be removed surgically;  that     The   local   cardiologist   said
in some cases it is possible  to  in  some  cases  the  heart  can
(ring   in new blood  supply   by   be restored to normal through
"The majority of the cases, of   surgery is postponed for four or jourse, can get along very well   five years and palliative pro-mth medication including the use   cedures are employed which d a dilator such as nitro-glycerin.   practically eliminate the blue-Other medical treatment includes   ness.
use of anti-coagulants to prevent      During a seminar on rehabilita-
blood  clots,   use  of  proper  diet   tion   of   cardiacs,   Dr.   John   J.
and    medically-supervised    exer-   Thorpe, New York City, said be-
cise."                                            tween 70 and 80 per cent of the
Dr.   Sones   brought   along   his   cardiacs in large industry can re-
movies of the heart to show to hose attending convention sessions at the Louisiana State University Medical School   Conveh-
ion delegates were welcomed by >. Richard L. Fowler,  of New
angina is caused by the presence of an inadequate blood flow to the heart muscle with a partial or complete block in the vessel which carries the blood to the heart.
Dr. Sones said with the aid of the movie technique, cardiologists are able to recognize even small and partial blocks in the arteries.
"What we wanted was a safe way by which we could actually see, with absolute dependability; the little blood vessels which nourish the heart," he explained, "So we simply developed a method oj inserting a small tube or catheter directly into the mouth of each blood vessel while the patient was still wide awake."
The Mississippi-born cardiolo gist said the next step was to inject liquid into the vessels which could be seen by X-ray.
SLOW MOTION STUDY