Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a post-operative care unit for analysing and quantifying an ultrasound tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) signal from a transducer fastened on the myocardium to obtain a parameter indicating regional cardiac ischaemia or correlates with global hypokinetic heart function. This has the advantage over manually operated probes that it can be automated and used continuously over long time. According to the method, a TDI signal trace corresponding to at least one of tissue velocity, strain or strain rate is extracted and correlated with an electrocardiogram to define subsections within a cardiac cycle in the extracted trace corresponding to the early systolic phase and the post-systolic phase. Then, a velocity, strain or strain rate is read in at least the post-systolic phase of the extracted trace, and a parameter which is a function of one of these readings and which indicates ischaemia or global hypokinetic function is generated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of an immunomodulating agent, in particular intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), in the manufacture of a medicament for use in the treatment of non-viral or non-autoimmune induced heart disorders or non-viral or non-autoimmune associated phases of heart disorders or the symptoms associated therewith. Particular heart disorders to be treated are selected from the group comprising chronic CHF, chronic (stable) angina pectoris and acute coronary syndromes. Pharmaceutical compositions for use in the treatment of such disorders comprising immunomodulating agents are also provided.