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Clin Res Cardiol 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Semmelweis University Heart and Vascular Centre, Városmajor u. 68, Budapest, 1122, Hungary.

Objective: Patients with electrical injury are considered to be at high risk of cardiac arrhythmias. Due to the small number of studies, there is no widely accepted guideline regarding the risk assessment and management of arrhythmic complications after electrical accident (EA). Our retrospective observational study was designed to determine the prevalence of ECG abnormalities and cardiac arrhythmias after EA, to evaluate the predictive value of cardiac biomarkers for this condition and to assess in-hospital and 30-day mortality. Read More

J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Heart Center, Japan Red Cross Yokohama City Bay Hospital, Yokohama.

Introduction: The left atrial (LA) posterior wall (LAPW) has been targeted to improve clinical outcomes in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PersAF). This study aimed to investigate the feasibility, safety, and clinical implications of CB applications on the LAPW to accomplish electrical isolation (EI) of the LAPW with cryoballoon (CB).

Methods: A total of 100 patients (males: 84, mean age: 64±10 years) with PersAF were enrolled. Read More

Clin Res Cardiol 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Cardiology I, University Hospital Muenster, Münster, Germany.

Background: Cardiac involvement in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (MD1) includes conduction disease, arrhythmias, and left-ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction leading to an increased sudden cardiac death risk. An understanding of the interplay between electrical and structural myocardial changes could improve the prediction of adverse cardiac events. We aimed to explore the relationship between signs of cardiomyopathy by conventional and advanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), and electrical abnormalities in MD1. Read More

Front Physiol 2018 31;9:1951. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Guang'anmen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.

Risk stratification of patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS) is vital for accurate prognosis and therapeutic decisions. Spontaneous Type 1 ST segment elevation is generally considered to be an independent risk factor for arrhythmic events. Other risk factors include gender, syncope, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), and positive electrophysiological study (EPS). Read More

J Investig Med 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

University Heart Center Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.

Research on atrial histology of humans without cardiovascular disease is scarce. Therefore, our aim was to study human atrial histology in subjects without cardiovascular disease. Histology of the right atrium, left atrium or atrial septum was studied in eight patients (one newborn infant and seven adults) who died of a non-cardiac cause and who were not known to suffer from any cardiovascular pathology. Read More

Heart 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

University Hospital Hairmyres, East Kilbridge, UK.

CLINICAL INTRODUCTION: A 50-year-old woman presented with an inferoposterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and underwent emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Angiography revealed acute occlusion of the circumflex and right coronary (RCA) arteries. PCI was uncomplicated. Read More

Circulation 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Department of Medical Biochemistry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.

Background: Bradyarrhythmia is a common clinical manifestation. Although the majority of cases are acquired, genetic analysis of families with bradyarrhythmia has identified a growing number of causative gene mutations. Since the only ultimate treatment for symptomatic bradyarrhythmia has been invasive surgical implantation of a pacemaker, the discovery of novel therapeutic molecular targets is necessary to improve prognosis and quality of life. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address:

Background: Fasciculoventricular fibers (FVFs) are responsible for 1-5% of cases of asymptomatic pre-excitation on surface electrocardiogram (ECG). Unlike ventricular pre-excitation seen in Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, FVFs are not associated with sudden cardiac death from pre-excited atrial fibrillation.

Objective: To identify surface ECG variables that differentiate FVFs from true WPW syndrome. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (Division of Heart Rhythm Services), Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (Division of Pediatric Cardiology), and Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics (Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Electronic address:

Background: Catecholamingergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is characterized by adrenergically-induced VT, syncope, and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). In the absence of structural disease, exercise-provoked premature ventricular contractions in bigeminy/couplets and non-sustained VT are highly predictive of CPVT.

Objective: To determine the number of missed/delayed CPVT diagnoses attributable to exercise testing oversights in a cohort of young SCA survivors. Read More

Circulation 2019 Feb 14:CIR0000000000000630. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Coronary artery disease is prevalent in different causes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), especially in individuals presenting with shockable rhythms of ventricular fibrillation/pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VF/pVT). The purpose of this report is to review the known prevalence and potential importance of coronary artery disease in patients with OHCA and to describe the emerging paradigm of treatment with advanced perfusion/reperfusion techniques and their potential benefits on the basis of available evidence. Although randomized clinical trials are planned or ongoing, current scientific evidence rests principally on observational case series with their potential confounding selection bias. Read More

Exp Physiol 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? Are modifications in the restitution of ventricular action potential duration induced by antiarrhythmic drugs the same when assessed with premature extrastimulus application at variable coupling intervals (the standard stimulation protocol) and with steady state pacing at variable rates (the dynamic stimulation protocol)? What is the main finding and its importance? With class I and class III antiarrhythmics, the effects on electrical restitution determined with the standard stimulation protocol dissociate from those obtained during dynamic pacing. These findings indicate a limited value of the electrical restitution assessments based on extrasystolic stimulations alone, as performed in the clinical studies, in estimating the outcomes of antiarrhythmic drug therapies. ABSTRACT: A steep slope of the ventricular action potential duration (APD) to diastolic interval (DI) relationships (the electrical restitution) can precipitate tachyarrhythmia, whereas a flattened slope is antiarrhythmic. Read More

Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

h Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery Clinic , Kirloskar Hospital , Hyderabad , India.

Introduction: Obesity, defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m2, is the most common chronic metabolic disease worldwide and its prevalence has been strongly increasing. Obesity is associated with various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Regarding heart rhythm disorders, obesity is associated with an increase in atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. Read More

Clin Res Cardiol 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

First Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Mannheim, European Center for AngioScience (ECAS), and DZHK, University Medical Centre Mannheim (UMM), University of Heidelberg, German Center for Cardiovascular Research) partner site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany.

Purpose: The study sought to evaluate the prognostic impact of recurrences of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in consecutive ICD recipients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias on admission.

Methods: All consecutive patients surviving at least one episode of ventricular tachyarrhythmias from 2002 to 2016 and discharged with an ICD (pre-existing ICD or ICD implantation at index hospitalization) were included. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality according to the presence or absence of recurrences of ventricular tachyarrhythmias at 5 years. Read More

Cardiovasc Res 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Spanish National Cardiovascular Research Center, Carlos III (CNIC), Madrid, Spain.

Aims: Cardiac optical mapping is the gold standard for measuring complex electrophysiology in ex-vivo heart preparations. However, new methods for optical mapping in-vivo have been elusive. We aimed at developing and validating an experimental method for performing in-vivo cardiac optical mapping in pig models. Read More

J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

First Department of Medicine, University Medical Centre Mannheim (UMM), Faculty of Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, European Center for AngioScience (ECAS), and DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research) partner site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.

This study sought to assess the prognostic impact of treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) on recurrences of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in recipients of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD).Using a large retrospective registry including consecutive ICD recipients with documented episodes of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or fibrillation (VF) from 2002 to 2016, those patients treated with ACEi/ARB were compared to patients without (non-ACEi/ARB). The primary prognostic endpoint was first recurrences of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and related ICD therapies at 5 years. Read More

Crit Care Med 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Keenan Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Objectives: Epinephrine is routinely administered to sudden cardiac arrest patients during resuscitation, but the neurologic effects on patients treated with epinephrine are not well understood. This study aims to assess the cerebral oxygenation and metabolism during ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and epinephrine administration.

Design: To investigate the effects of equal dosages of IV epinephrine administrated following sudden cardiac arrest as a continuous infusion or successive boluses during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, we monitored cerebral oxygenation and metabolism using hyperspectral near-infrared spectroscopy. Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine/Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.

Objective: To review our experience with balloon testing prior to atrial septal defect (ASD) closure in adults with left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction.

Background: ASD closure in patients with LV diastolic dysfunction may precipitate LV failure. Temporary ASD occlusion has been used in this scenario but data are limited. Read More

J Med Toxicol 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

California Poison Control System, San Francisco Division, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Introduction: Physostigmine is a tertiary amine carbamate acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier makes it an effective antidote to reverse anticholinergic delirium. Physostigmine is underutilized following the publication of patients with sudden cardiac arrest after physostigmine administration in patients with tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) overdoses. Read More

J Cardiovasc Echogr 2018 Oct-Dec;28(4):207-217

Luigi Vanvitelli University, Monaldi Hospital, AORN Ospedali Dei Colli, Naples, Italy.

Mitral valve prolapse is generally a benign condition characterized by fibromyxomatous changes of the mitral leaflet with displacement into the left atrium and late-systolic regurgitation. Although it is an old clinical entity, it still arouses perplexity in diagnosis and clinical management. Complications, such as mitral regurgitation (MR), atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, endocarditis, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death (SCD), have been reported. Read More

Int Heart J 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo.

A 41-year-old man developed cardiac arrest. A resting 12-lead electrocardiogram showed a delta wave, suggestive of preexcitation syndrome. An electrophysiological test revealed the existence of inducible atrial fibrillation and a fasciculoventricular accessory pathway (FVAP). Read More

Int Heart J 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Division of Cardiology, Gunma Prefectural Cardiovascular Center.

A 28-year-old female presented with fulminant lymphocytic myocarditis. She developed cardiogenic shock, frequent sustained ventricular tachycardia, and fibrillation (VT and VF). The left ventricular ejection fraction improved from 5% to 40% after medical therapy, but the right ventricular systolic dysfunction and enlargement persisted. Read More

Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2019 Feb;12(2):e007142

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN (M.M., S.K.).

Am J Obstet Gynecol 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

New Haven CT, Yale School of Medicine.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the United States. (1) Identification of short-term indicators of cardiovascular morbidity has the potential to alter the course of this devastating disease among women. It has been established that hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease 10-30 years after delivery; however, little is known about the association of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy with cardiovascular (CV) morbidity during the delivery hospitalization. Read More

J Pharmacol Sci 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, 5-21-16 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan; Department of Pharmacology, Toho University Graduate School of Medicine, 5-21-16 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan.

We analyzed how the enhancement of net sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca uptake may affect cardiac electrophysiological properties in vivo by using caldaret which can decrease SR diastolic Ca leak, enhance SR Ca reuptake and inhibit reverse-mode Na/Ca exchanger. Caldaret in doses of 0.5, 5 and 50 μg/kg was intravenously administered over 10 min to the halothane-anesthetized beagle dogs (n = 5), attaining pharmacologically active plasma concentration. Read More

Am Heart J 2018 Dec 14;210:58-68. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Intensive Care, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; NUTRIM, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Return of spontaneous circulation occurs in less than 10% of patients with cardiac arrest undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for more than 15 minutes. Studies suggest that extracorporeal life support during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) improves survival rate in these patients. These studies, however, are hampered by their non-randomized, observational design and are mostly single-center. Read More

Echocardiography 2019 Feb 9. Epub 2019 Feb 9.

Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.

Unguarded tricuspid orifice is the most extreme of tricuspid valve dysplasia with a very variable natural history. They can tolerate tricuspid regurgitation well, and they become symptomatic only if significant right ventricular dysfunction or atrial fibrillation occurs. Patients with a mild degree of right ventricular dysfunction can survive to adulthood and even reach old age. Read More

Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am 2019 Mar;31(1):77-90

Louisiana Heart Center, 901 East Gause Boulevard, Slidell, LA 70458, USA. Electronic address:

The purpose of this article is to educate staff nurses and advanced practice nurses the importance of identifying, diagnosing, and making appropriate clinical decisions when treating patients with atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a supraventricular arrhythmia characterized by uncoordinated, chaotic electrical activity and deterioration of proper atrial mechanical function, with an irregular ventricular response. Poorly controlled or undiagnosed atrial fibrillation increases the risk of mortality and may decrease quality of life. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2019 Feb;73(5):589-597

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Electronic address:

Background: Arrhythmias, conduction abnormalities, and intracardiac thrombus are common in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA). Outcomes of direct-current cardioversion (DCCV) for atrial arrhythmias in patients with CA are unknown.

Objectives: This study sought to examine DCCV procedural outcomes in patients with CA. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Feb;98(6):e14414

Department of Critical Care Medicine, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou.

Rationale: Because of the lack of an antidote or effective treatment, patients with severe acute diquat and glyphosate poisoning always died within a few hours. Extracorporeal membrane pulmonary oxygenation (ECMO), as an artificial heart-lung supporting system, can be applied to support lung that is expected to recover from reversible pathological damage. However, to our knowledge, the application of ECMO for patients with diquat and glyphosate poisoning has not been reported. Read More

Resuscitation 2019 Feb 4;137:1-6. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Sunnybrook Center for Prehospital Medicine, Canada; Department of Family Community Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) continues to be a leading cause of mortality worldwide. In Canada over 40,000 cardiac arrests that occur each year, a majority occur unexpectedly outside of the hospital setting. However, the reality is that without rapid and appropriate treatment within minutes, most victims will die before reaching the hospital. Read More

Echocardiography 2019 02;36(2):276-284

Division of Cardiology, Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Background: Septal myectomy relieves left ventricular outflow obstruction (LVOTO) and is associated with excellent long-term outcomes. LVOTO is associated with diastolic dysfunction and increased left atrial (LA) size. We sought to investigate the changes in LA volumes and function postmyectomy and the association between these changes with clinical outcomes postmyectomy. Read More

Eur J Prev Cardiol 2019 Feb 6:2047487319828474. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

2 The Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained arrhythmia in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), occurring in approximately 25% of patients, which is four to six times more common than in similarly aged patients of the general population. Atrial fibrillation is poorly tolerated by HCM patients, largely due to their dependence on atrial systole for left ventricular filling. HCM patients who develop atrial fibrillation have an increased rate of heart failure related mortality and disabling or fatal thromboembolic events, as well as functional deterioration due to progressive heart failure when left untreated. Read More

Europace 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.

JAMA Cardiol 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Heart & Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Importance: Severe aortic stenosis causes pressure overload of the left ventricle, resulting in progressive cardiac dysfunction that can extend beyond the left ventricle. A staging system for aortic stenosis has been recently proposed that quantifies the extent of structural and functional cardiac changes in aortic stenosis.

Objectives: To confirm the reproducibility of a proposed staging system and expand the study findings by performing a survival analysis and to evaluate the association of aortic stenosis staging with both cardiac and noncardiac post-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) readmissions. Read More

BJGP Open 2018 Dec 12;2(4):bjgpopen18X101624. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Doctor, Department of Cardiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.

Mayo Clin Proc 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Electronic address:

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic impact of Holter findings in patients with light chain amyloidosis.

Patients And Methods: We evaluated 239 patients in whom light chain amyloidosis was diagnosed from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2015, who underwent 24-hour Holter monitoring.

Results: Holter testing was done before stem cell transplant evaluation in 183 of the 239 patients (76. Read More

J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Department of Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Hospital, Kitakyushu, Japan. Electronic address:

Background: The optimal number of heartbeats required for representing left heart chamber function in patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) has not been extensively studied.

Methods: To determine the optimal number, we performed an automated quantification analysis of three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) data sets in 93 patients with AFib for whom 10-20 consecutive one-beat full-volume 3DE data sets were acquired twice. We measured left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and maximal left atrial volume (LAVmax) in each heartbeat; each parameter was averaged using a serial number of heartbeats randomly selected, and these values were compared with the averaged value obtained from the entire set of heartbeats. Read More

Card Electrophysiol Clin 2019 Mar 24;11(1):123-130. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Electrophysiology Laboratory, The Valley Hospital, Valley Health System, Snyder Center for Comprehensive Atrial Fibrillation, 223 North Van Dien Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450, USA. Electronic address:

Remote monitoring has become an essential component of the care of patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device, including those undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator implantations. It allows for earlier detection of battery- and lead-related issue, atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, and may facilitate early identification of patients at risk for developing an exacerbation of heart failure. The data for the clinical utility of remote monitoring have been mixed. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019 Feb 4;19(1):35. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Department of Critical Care Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.

Background: Previous studies have found a connection between left coronary artery dominance and worse prognoses in patient with acute coronary syndrome, which remains a predominant cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The aim of this study was to investigate whether coronary dominance is associated with the incidence of acute inferior myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: Between January 2011 and November 2014, 265 patients with acute inferior MI and 530 age-matched and sex-matched controls were recruited for a case-control study in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University in Xi'an, China. Read More

Intern Med 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Department of Cardiology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Japan.

Background Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) is effective for improving the survival rate of patients with refractory cardiac arrest (rCA). As little data are available regarding the impact of ECLS on a favorable neurological outcome, the predictors of a favorable neurological outcome were evaluated in this study. Methods Between January 2007 and August 2016, we retrospectively recruited patients with rCA caused by cardiac events treated with ECLS in our institute. Read More

Cardiovasc Toxicol 2019 Feb 2. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Department of Pharmacology, Toho University Graduate School of Medicine, 5-21-16 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8540, Japan.

dl-Sotalol which can block both K channel and ß-adrenoceptor has been shown to prolong the J-Tc of electrocardiogram in beagle dogs but tended to shorten it in microminipigs, although the drug prolonged the QT interval in both animals under physiologically maintained experimental condition. In order to estimate how the changes in the J-Tc in the normal hearts would be reflected in the pathologic hearts, we compared proarrhythmic effects of dl-sotalol by using proarrhythmia models of beagle dogs and microminipigs, of which atrioventricular node had been ablated > 2 months and 8-9 weeks before, respectively (n = 4 for each species). dl-Sotalol in an oral dose of 10 mg/kg induced torsade de pointes in three out of four beagle dogs, which degenerated into ventricular fibrillation. Read More

J Emerg Med 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

SAMU 78, Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, André Mignot, Le Chesnay, France.

Background: Recent-onset atrial fibrillation (RAF) is the most frequent supraventricular dysrhythmia in emergency medicine. Severely compromised patients require acute treatment with injectable drugs OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this external validity study was to compare the short-term efficacy of esmolol with that of amiodarone to treat severe RAF in an emergency setting.

Methods: This retrospective survey was conducted in mobile intensive care units by analyzing patient records between 2002 and 2013. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute & Research Foundation, Overland Park, KS. Electronic address:

Background: Dofetilide is a commonly used class III anti-arrhythmic drug for atrial fibrillation. Drug guidelines mandates waiting for 3-month prior to initiating dofetilide after amiodarone use. It is not known if patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) can be rapidly switched from amiodarone to dofetilide. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

The Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Catheter ablation for polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation (PMVT/VF) may target triggering premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). Targeting ventricular scar has also been suggested but data are limited.

Objective: Characterize the electrophysiologic findings and ablation outcomes for patients with PMVT/VF and structural heart disease, compared to those with idiopathic VF. Read More

Resuscitation 2019 Jan 29;136:112-118. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Prehospital Emergency Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address:

Introduction: Guidelines recommend constant or escalating energy levels for shocks after the initial defibrillation attempt. Studies comparing survival to hospital discharge with escalating vs fixed high energy level shocks are lacking. We compared survival to hospital discharge for 200 J escalating to 360 J vs fixed 360 J in patients with initial ventricular fibrillation/pulseless ventricular tachycardia in a post-hoc analysis of the Circulation Improving Resuscitation Care trial database. Read More

J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Heart & Vascular Institute, Sutter Medical Center, 2800 L Street, Sacramento, CA, 95816, USA.

Introduction: We investigated the feasibility to proactively stimulate subsequent closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) by injuring (mechanical trauma or radiofrequency [RF] energy) the opposing surfaces of the septum primum (SP) and septum secundum (SS).

Methods: 1. Mechanical Injury: The interatrial septum of patients who underwent multiple left atrial (LA) ablations over 6 years, where a PFO was used for LA access, were examined. Read More

J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2019 Jan 28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Columbia University Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York. Electronic address:

Introduction: In irregular heart rhythms, echocardiographic calculation of aortic effective orifice area (EOA) requires averaging measurements from multiple cardiac cycles. Whether a single cycle length method can be used to calculate aortic EOA in aortic stenosis with nonsinus rhythms is not known.

Methods: Transthoracic echocardiograms of 100 patients with aortic stenosis and either atrial fibrillation (AF) or frequent ectopy (FE) were retrospectively reviewed. Read More

Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Vemurafenib and cobimetinib are extremely effective in treating V600E-mutated metastatic melanoma, but their use is associated with toxic cardiac effects. Vemurafenib-induced prolonged QTc interval may be associated with ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. Cobimetinib-induced myocardial damage may lead to severely reduced heart function and lethal heart failure. Read More