BACKGROUND Population based studies showed an association of early repolarization in the electrocardiogram (ECG) and a higher rate of sudden cardiac death presumably due to ventricular fibrillation. The triggers for ventricular fibrillation in patients with early repolarization are not fully understood. CASE PRESENTATION We describe the case of a young patient with a survived ventricular fibr...

We report a case of atrial fibrillation-related tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy and ventricular fibrillation after liver transplantation in a 41-year-old man with end-stage liver failure. Atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure occurred postoperatively. Cardiac arrests due to ventricular fibrillation occurred 6 months after the operation with subsequent implantations of an implantab...

BACKGROUND Recently, we and others reported that early repolarization (J wave) is associated with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation. However, its clinical and genetic characteristics are unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS This study included 50 patients (44 men; age, 45 ± 17 years) with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation associated with early repolarization, and 250 age- and sex-matched healthy ...

BACKGROUND We studied arrhythmogenesis and its underlying pathophysiology during graded reductions of coronary blood flow, superimposed on prior myocardial infarction to test the hypothesis that spontaneous ventricular fibrillation and induced ventricular tachycardia are dependent on different patterns of coronary flow reduction in hearts with prior myocardial infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS ...

This study compares the effects of pulsatile and nonpulsatile perfusion upon myocardial contractility. After 2 hr of ventricular fibrillation, control animals demonstrated a 37% decrease in left ventricular force, a 48% decrease in left ventricular compliance, and an increase in endomyocardial water content. On the other hand, after 2 hr of ventricular fibrillation, animals undergoing pulsatile...

The minimum current required to cause ventricular fibrillation was determined by electrical stimulation of the normal or ischemic canine left ventricle. The threshold for ventricular fibrillation in the normal heart decreased when the heart rate was rapid. Strong vagal stimulation did not affect the ventricular fibrillation threshold when the heart rate was fixed. The fall in the ventricular fi...

Incidence, determinants, and outcome of atrial fibrillation in hypertensive subjects are incompletely known. We followed for up to 16 years 2482 initially untreated subjects with essential hypertension. At entry, all subjects were in sinus rhythm. Subjects with valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease, preexcitation syndrome, thyroid disorders, or lung disease were excluded. During follo...

In cases of coronary artery spasm, life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias are possible and can lead to sudden cardiac death. Treatment for this condition includes implantable cardioverter defibrillators, but their effectiveness in patients who present with ventricular fibrillation is debated. Our patient presented with intractable ventricular fibrillation episodes that triggered shocks from h...

Ventricular fibrillation is the main mechanism of sudden cardiac death, but the source of its spontaneous initiation has not been mapped. 16 patients were investigated by electrography and radiofrequency ablation after resuscitation from recurrent idiopathic ventricular fibrillation. Triggers of ventricular fibrillation originated from various locations within the Purkinje system in 12 patients...

BACKGROUND Shock delivery of an implantable defibrillator may cause a change in the amplitude of endocardial electrograms and impair the detection of ventricular fibrillation. Thus, the effects of shock discharges on the amplitude of endocardial electrograms were evaluated in five patients undergoing implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator in combination with a new nonthoracotomy lead syst...