The effects of set volume during isolated lumbar extension resistance training in recreationally trained males.

Background/Aim. Exercise designed to condition the lumbar extensor musculature is often included in resistance training (RT) programs. It is suggested that deconditioning of this musculature may be linked to low back pain.

Prolonged implantable electrocardiographic monitoring indicates a high rate of misdiagnosis of epilepsy--REVISE study.

Aims: Syncope, epilepsy, and psychogenic pseudo-syncope are the most common causes of transient loss of consciousness (T-LOC or blackout). All can present with similar features, including abnormal limb movements. It is reported that somewhere between 13 and 42% of patients with 'epilepsy' may be misdiagnosed.

Simplified electrocardiogram sampling maintains high diagnostic capability for atrial fibrillation: implications for opportunistic atrial fibrillation screening in primary care.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and health resource consumption. However, as many patients with chronic AF are asymptomatic, rapid, accurate opportunistic screening is needed in primary care to detect AF. Conventional electrocardiogram (ECG) technology is too clumsy and time consuming for mass opportunistic screening, thus technology that allows easy, rapid, yet accurate AF screening is required.

A new approach to confirming or excluding ventricular pre-excitation on a 12-lead ECG.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine simple features of the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and incorporate them in a stepwise algorithm that would help confirm or exclude the presence of ventricular pre-excitation.

Methods And Results: We retrospectively analysed multiple variables on pre- and post-ablation ECGs in 238 patients with manifest accessory pathways that had been successfully ablated. A new variable, PR dispersion, was defined as a difference between maximum and minimum PR intervals on a single 12-lead ECG.

Safety and acceptability of implantation of internal cardioverter-defibrillators under local anesthetic and conscious sedation.

Background: Implantation and testing of implantable defibrillators (ICDs) using local anesthetic and conscious sedation is widely practiced; however, some centers still use general anesthesia. We assessed safety and patient acceptability for implantation of defibrillators using local anesthetic and conscious sedation.

Methods: The records of 500 consecutive device implants from two UK cardiac centers implanted under local anesthetic and conscious sedation from January 1996 to December 2004 were reviewed.

Management of atrial arrhythmias 3: paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

This is the third in a series of four practical articles highlighting the important management steps for non-cardiologists and non-cardiac electrophysiologists dealing with patients with atrial fibrillation and common atrial flutter. This article will deal with care pathways and management principles for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Practical management of common atrial arrhy thmias 2: common atrial flutter.

This is the second in a series of four practical articles highlighting the important management steps for noncardiologists and non-cardiac electrophysiologists dealing with patients with atrial fibrillation and common atrial flutter. This article will deal with care pathways and management principles for common atrial flutter.

Practical management of common atrial arrhythmias 1: cardioversion.

This is the first in a series of four practical articles highlighting the important management steps for non-cardiologists and non-cardiac electrophysiologists dealing with patients with atrial fibrillation and common atrial flutter. This article will deal with care pathways and management principles for cardioversion of atrial arrhythmias.

How to avoid a misdiagnosis in patients presenting with transient loss of consciousness.

Daily in the UK, frontline medical and paramedical staff are required to manage patients with "collapse ?cause". This universal colloquialism refers to patients who have had an abrupt loss of postural tone. Some of these patients would have had a "blackout" or a transient loss of consciousness (T-LOC).

Upgrading patients with chronic defibrillator leads to a biventricular system and reducing patient risk: contralateral LV lead placement.

Increasing numbers of patients with indwelling single- or dual- chamber internal cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) will require upgrading of an existing system to a biventricular ICD providing cardiac resynchronization with back-up defibrillation. Upgrading, usually by the addition of a new left ventricular (LV) lead, can be technically challenging with central venous occlusion or stenosis often being the main obstacle to a successful procedure. We report a new technique of implanting a LV lead from the contralateral side to the existing ICD system to minimize the peri- and postoperative risk to the patient.

Biventricular pacing in a patient with ventilatory and inotropic dependant heart failure following coronary artery by-pass surgery.

Resynchronisation of intra- and interventricular conduction delay by biventricular pacing has become a proven therapy for selected heart failure patients. We present a case of biventricular pacing, used with great success, as a 'bail out' for a patient with refractory congestive heart failure following by-pass surgery.

Holter monitoring vs tilt testing in the investigation of suspected vasovagal syncope.

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic yield of 48-hour Holter monitoring with head-up tilt (HUT) test in patients presenting with blackouts suggestive of vasovagal syncope. One hundred and eighteen consecutive patients, 68 women, aged (mean [SD])50 +/- 20 years(range 16-88 years), underwent 48-hour Holter monitoring and 60 degrees HUT test within 3 months. Endpoints were symptom-ECG correlation during Holter monitoring and positive HUT test.