Electrocardiographs (ECG’s) are useful in evaluating exercise intolerance, characterizing arrhythmias, and monitoring antiarrhythmic therapy in horses. However, conventional ECG units are expensive, can be difficult to use on refractory patients, and are cumbersome pieces of equipment, especially in an ambulatory practice. In contrast, hand-held technology has recently become available to recor...

INTRODUCTION Drug-induced movement disorders (DIMDs) can be elicited by several kinds of pharmaceutical agents. The major groups of offending drugs include antidepressants, antipsychotics, antiepileptics, antimicrobials, antiarrhythmics, mood stabilisers and gastrointestinal drugs among others. AREAS COVERED This paper reviews literature covering each movement disorder induced by commercially...

BACKGROUND Repolarization abnormalities in the inferior-lateral leads in Brugada syndrome (BS) have not been systematically investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS 280 patients (age, 41+/-18 years; 168 males) with BS were screened for inferior-lateral repolarization abnormalities. The repolarization abnormalities were classified either as early repolarization pattern or coved > or = 2-mm Brugada pa...

The aim of this meta-analysis was to improve the evaluation of the possible antiarrhythmic effect of statins on atrial fibrillation (AF) incidence orrecurrence.

On the basis of our earlier studies in a group of 7,8-disubstituted derivatives of 1,3-dimetyl-3,7-dihydropurine-2,6-dione, a series of new 8-alkylamino-1,3-dimethyl-7-(2-hydroxy-3-aminopropyl)-3,7-dihydropurine-2,6-diones (8-15) were synthesized and tested for their electrocardiographic, antiarrhythmic and hypotensive activity and for α(1)- and α(2)-adrenoreceptor affinities. Among the new der...

is simply tied down and checked for bleeding. The rest of the operation is then performed in the normal fashion. In our experience, the Berglin apical stitch is a very simple and ingenious trick of the trade to create a smooth surface in the posterior LA that facilitates performing safe transmural ablation lesions in this area. This may in turn increase the antiarrhythmic efficiency of the proc...

BACKGROUND Clinical evidence continues to expand and is increasingly difficult to overview. We aimed at conceptualizing a visual assessment tool, i.e., a matrix for overviewing studies and their data in order to assess the clinical evidence at a glance. METHODS A four-step matrix was constructed using the three dimensions of systematic error, random error, and design error. Matrix step I rank...

The number of antiarrhythmic drugs has grown dramatically over the last 15 years, because ofthe need for effective and safe agents to prevent or control cardiac arrhythmias. In the clinical situation, logical choice of a particular antiarrhythmic drug depends not only on a demonstration of its effectiveness against various sorts of arrhythmias, but also on a knowledge of its pharmacokinetics, h...

We report a case of sarcoidosis presenting initially as atrial fibrillation(AF). His response to anti-arrhythmic treatment strategy was suboptimal. On initiation of immunosuppressive therapy, AF was better controlled. This interesting case highlights a likely link between inflammation and pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation.

Drug-induced ECG changes may affect all components of the ECG curve. The attention of regulatory agencies, researchers and clinicians has been directed towards drug-induced QT-interval prolongation and its well-documented proarrhythmia. This presentation focuses on druginduced changes, i.e., morphology, amplitude and QRS complex duration (QRSd). A great variety of pharmacological agents (e.g., ...