OBJECTIVES We evaluated the safety and acute procedural efficacy of a combined electrophysiologic and anatomic approach to ablation of all inducible ventricular tachycardias (VT) during sinus rhythm using an irrigated radiofrequency (RF) ablation catheter. BACKGROUND Ventricular tachycardia associated with chronic myocardial infarction (MI) is frequently hemodynamically intolerable and associ...

OBJECTIVES The relationship between the efficacy of the anticholinergic action of disopyramide, cibenzoline and aprindine and age was examined in patients with paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation. METHODS This prospective, randomized study included 278 patients (200 men, 78 women, mean age 61 +/- 11 years) divided into two groups; the non-elderly group (age below 60 years) and the e...

STUDY OBJECTIVES To compare the efficacy and safety of amiodarone and propafenone when used for the prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF) and maintenance of normal sinus rhythm in patients with refractory AF. DESIGN Prospective, randomized, single-blind trial. SETTING Tertiary cardiac referral center. PATIENTS One hundred forty-six consecutive patients (72 men; mean age, 63 +/- 10 years ...

Full recovery of atrial mechanical activity may not occur immediately after successful electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm. To examine the time course of recovery of left atrial mechanical function, serial two-dimensional, M-mode and transmitral pulsed Doppler echocardiographic studies were performed in 21 patients after elective direct current cardioversion of atria...

BACKGROUND Factors associated with the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in general population have been described, but it is still unknown whether the same risk factors apply to heart failure (HF) patients. The aim of this study was to identify clinical factors related to various forms of AF in HF patients. METHODS The clinical and echocardiographic characteristics were assessed in 155...

Mitral valve disease often leads to dilatation of the left atrium and subsequent atrial fibrillation. We evaluated changes in sinus rhythm and left atrial size in a group of 77 patients (17 men, 60 women; average age, 60.7 years) who underwent mitral valve surgery (53 valve replacements and 24 valve repairs) between January 2000 and September 2001. The mean left atrial size was 56.2 mm before s...

OBJECTIVE To determine the features that distinguish bundle branch reentry (BBR) ventricular tachycardia from a supraventricular tachycardia with aberration on the 12 lead electrocardiogram (ECG). PATIENTS Three patients in whom premature beats (2 cases) or sustained tachycardia (2 cases) showed a QRS configuration identical to that observed during sinus rhythm. INTERVENTIONS Programmed ele...

OBJECTIVE Left atrial (LA) volume reduction surgery concomitant with the maze procedure has been reported to facilitate sinus rhythm recovery even in patients with refractory atrial fibrillation (AF) with an enlarged LA. However, it is unknown whether the procedures can also restore effective atrial function of the enlarged LA with over-stretched myocardium. METHODS The maze procedures in ass...

D irect current electrical cardioversion (DEC) for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) carries a very high initial success rate of up to 95%, but as few as 23% of patients remain in sinus rhythm one year post-procedure, with most recurrences of AF occurring within the first five days. Amiodarone has emerged as the most effective agent at preventing relapse of AF post-DEC, with up to 69% of pati...

A n obese (5 feet 5 inches, 224 pounds) 57-year-old woman with high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and arthritis underwent arthroscopy for a painful left knee. After the procedure, the electrocardiographic monitor in the recovery room showed alternately narrowing and widening QRS complexes, and a 12-lead electrocardiogram was obtained (Figure). e first three QRS complexes are wide (0.17 se...