IT is welcome to see a fourth edition of this useful textbook for students. The authors are to be congratulated on bringing out a further edition without notably increasing the length of this book, although their efforts to condense their material do lead to some difficulty. For example, on page 92, the 13 lines devoted to the natural history of breast cancer would almost certainly lead the stu...

This study was conducted on the atrioventricular node (AVN) and atrioventricular bundle (AVB) of fivefour-month-old ovine fetuses. The histological structure of these components was studied by routinehistological techniques and use of specific staining methods. The AVN was caudally located adjacent to theroot of the aorta. It was almost spherical in shape and consisted of twisty cells. The node...

Electrocardiograms and surgical data from 12 patients with complete atrioventricular canal defects and 24 patients with ostium primum defects were evaluated before and after open heart surgery in order to document the incidence of postoperative right bundle branch block. The use and precise location of septal sutures utilized for repair were specifically noted in order to assess their possible ...

• The nature of the system responsible for transmission of excitation from atria to ventricles of the mammalian heart has been a recurrent problem in pl^siology. In 1910 Erlanger demonstrated conclusively that the only normal functional connection between these chambers is the specialized tissue of the bundle of His. However, anatomical evidence showing the occasional presence of other connecti...

Radiofrequency ablation is the interventional therapy of choice for the definitive cure of patients with tachycardias facilitated by accessory pathways. Ablation of an accessory pathway at sites close to the His bundle is inevitably associated with an increased risk of causing complete atrioventricular block. Here we describe the case of a patient with pre-excitation syndrome and episodes of su...

A case of type B Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, with intractable atrial fibrillation, underwent surgical division of a right-sided accessory atrioventricular bundle of Kent. Pre-excitation and complicating tachyarrhythmias were henceforth abolished for 6 weeks, when the patient died of infective endocarditis. Histological examination showed a divided Kent's accessory atrioventricular pathway a...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of accessory or anomalous atrioventricular valvar apparatus on relief of outflow tract obstruction. BACKGROUND Outflow tract obstruction due to accessory tissue or anomalous attachments of the atrioventricular valvar apparatus is an unusual but well-recognized problem. In addition to obstruction, anomalous attachments of the atr...

We have previously reported the use of an epicardial approach for ablation of left ventricular free wall accessory atrioventricular pathways. The technique involves mobilization of the atrioventricular fat pad and exposure and cryoablation of the atrioventricular junction at the site of the accessory pathway on the normothermic beating heart. Here we describe our further experience with left ve...

Liz Herring argues that care pathways provide a change in the traditional approach to planning and documenting care. She suggests that they provide opportunities for the more efficient use of nursing time and resources.