Objectives: Cardiac arrhythmias predict poor outcome after myocardial infarction (MI). We studied if arrhythmia monitoring with an insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) can improve treatment and outcome.
Design: BIO|GUARD-MI was a randomized, international open-label study with blinded outcome assessment.
Aims: Data on the hybrid atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment are lacking in patients with structural heart disease undergoing concomitant CryoMaze procedures. The aim was to assess whether the timely pre-emptive catheter ablation would achieve higher freedom from AF or atrial tachycardia (AT) and be associated with better clinical outcomes than surgical ablation alone.
Methods And Results: The trial investigated patients with non-paroxysmal AF undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting and/or valve repair/replacement with mandatory concomitant CryoMaze procedure who were randomly assigned to undergo either radiofrequency catheter ablation [Hybrid Group (HG)] or no further treatment (Surgery Group).
Background: Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) is an X-linked inherited lysosomal disease caused by a defect in the gene encoding lysosomal enzyme α-galactosidase A (GLA). Atrio-ventricular (AV) nodal conduction defects and sinus node dysfunction are common complications of the disease. It is not fully elucidated how frequently AFD is responsible for acquired AV block or sinus node dysfunction and if some AFD patients could manifest primarily with spontaneous bradycardia in general population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Cryoenergy is the most commonly used method of lesion formation in patients who have undergone surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation. Despite frequent use, the clinical effect of cryoenergy in endocardial and epicardial approaches is unknown.
Aim: To compare the effect of various cryoenergy applications on the postoperative incidence of sinus rhythm and completeness of lesions performed.
As shown in our previous paper ('Regression I. Experimental approaches to regression', JAP, 65, 2, 345-65), the common mechanism of regression can be described as reversible dedifferentiation, which is understood as a relative increase of the proportion of low-differentiated (older) systems in actualized experience. Experimental data show that regression following disease (chronic tension headache) is followed by adaptation and an increase in system differentiation in that experience domain which contains systems responsible for that adaptation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe concept of regression is considered with an emphasis on the differences between the positions of Freud and Jung regarding its significance. The paper discusses the results of experimental analyses of individual experience dynamics (from gene expression changes and impulse neuronal activity in animals to prosocial behaviour in healthy humans at different ages, and humans in chronic pain) in those situations where regression occurs: stress, disease, learning, highly emotional states and alcohol intoxication. Common mechanisms of regression in all these situations are proposed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Stroke is one of the most feared complications during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). While symptomatic thromboembolic events are rare, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may identify asymptomatic (ie, silent) cerebral lesions (SCLs) following pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedures.
Methods And Results: The REDUCE-TE Pilot was a prospective multicenter, single-arm observational study investigating the incidence of SCL in patients with symptomatic paroxysmal AF undergoing PVI with a novel gold-tip, externally irrigated ablation catheter.
Background: Catheter ablation procedures have recently become a widely accepted method for treating cardiac arrhythmias, and referrals for these procedures have been steadily increasing. As a result, it is now common that sheath removal is handled as a nursing procedure. Regardless of who performs the sheath removal, it is important to extract ablation sheaths without any early or late complications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF