The second ECG recorded supraventricular tachycardia at the time his hemodynamic status deteriorated and decision was made to perform electrical cardioversion with 120 Joules of biphasic synchronized direct current with follow up ECG that showed atrial paced rhythm (Figure 1B). His condition improved and started on amiodarone 200 mg, anticoagulation, and subsequent follow up for ICD reprogrammi...

Results A total of 1,544 ICD patients (79% male, age 61 13 years) were included in the analysis. During the follow-up period of 41 18 months, 13% experienced 1 inappropriate shocks. The cumulative incidence steadily increased to 18% at 5-year follow-up. Independent predictors of the occurrence of inappropriate shocks included a history of atrial fibrillation (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.0, p 0.01) and...

Damage to the coronary arteries and related structures from pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead implantation is a rarely reported complication that can lead to myocardial infarction and pericardial tamponade that may occur acutely or even years later. We summarize the reported cases of injury to coronary arteries and related structures and review the causes of troponin ele...

We describe the case of a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who had recurrent syncopal episodes, the cause of which remained unexplained despite a thorough evaluation. Two years after his first evaluation, an implantable loop recorder revealed asymptomatic episodes of advanced second degree atrioventricular block while the patient was awake. Although a permanent pacemaker was implanted, ...

Ventricular defibrillation was acheived in active conscious dogs with a chronically implanted automatic system composed of a defibrillator and an alternating current fibrillator. The hermetically sealed defibrillator is encased in titanium, weighs 250 g and has a volume of 145 ml. The sensor continuously monitors ventricular electircal activity and recognizes fibrillation by the absence of isoe...

This report discusses a selection of the most relevant articles on cardiac arrhythmias and pacing published in 2013. The first section discusses arrhythmias, classified as regular paroxysmal supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, and ventricular arrhythmias, together with their treatment by means of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. The next section reviews cardiac pac...

Lamin A/C gene-related cardiomyopathy is associated with progressive heart failure and malignant arrhythmias. Current guidelines advise the use of implantable defibrillators to prevent arrhythmogenic sudden cardiac death only in situations where there is evidence of severe left ventricular dysfunction. We describe a case of a woman with genetically confirmed Lamin C deficiency with preserved le...

The trans-venous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (TV-ICD) is effective in treating life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia and reduces mortality in high-risk patients. However, there are significant short- and long-term complications that are associated with intravascular leads. These shortcomings are mostly relevant in young patients with long life expectancy and low risk of death from ...

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an infrequently diagnosed condition with a high incidence of sudden cardiac death. While the only option for cure is orthotopic cardiac transplantation, the use of an implantable cardiac defibrillator can be life saving. Accordingly, the prompt recognition of ARVC is crucial. Fortunately, a definitive diagnosis of ARVC can often be made ...