Effect of chronic toluene exposure on heart rhythm parameters.

Background: Toluene is used extensively in various industrial processes, and an increasing number of workers are getting exposed to its vapor. Cardiac abnormalities that have been reported in association with toluene exposure (in toxic doses) are atrioventricular conduction abnormalities, sinus bradycardia, ventricular tachycardia, recurrent myocardial infarction, dilated cardiomyopathy, and coronary vasospasm.

Hypothesis: We aimed to investigate the effects of chronic toluene exposure on cardiac rhythm.

Permanent atrial standstill with irregular junctional ectopic rhythm mimicking atrial fibrillation.

We present an interesting case of 'pseudo' atrial fibrillation which was further diagnosed as atrial standstill with irregular junctional ectopic rhythm during electrophysiologic study. A 56-year-old woman presented to a health facility with symptoms of palpitation, lightheadedness, and shortness of breath. Upon detection of irregular rhythm with narrow QRS complexes and no visible P waves on the electrocardiogram, newly developed atrial fibrillation was considered and a direct current cardioversion was performed, during which cardiac asystole developed necessitating cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Perforations of right heart chambers associated with electrophysiology catheters and temporary transvenous pacing leads.

Objectives: Perforation of heart chambers is one of the rare complications observed during electrophysiological studies and placement of pacemaker leads. In this study, we performed a retrospective evaluation of patients with catheter-related right heart perforation, aiming to determine its incidence and clinical course.

Study Design: We reviewed cases with catheter-related cardiac perforations observed at our institution from June 2002 to November 2007.

Electromagnetic interference with electrocardiogram recording of exercise test equipment.

Herein, we report a case of pseudosinus tachycardia resulting from an electromagnetic interference between a mobile phone and treadmill device. Electromagnetic interference from a charging mobile phone connected to the same socket with the exercise device turned the recording of a patient to that of pseudosinus tachycardia at approximately twice the rate of actual basal heart rate. Removal of the mobile phone from the socket resulted in normalization of the electrocardiogram.

Successful use of ivabradine in a case of exaggerated autonomic dysfunction.

We present a 30-year-old male with complex and predominantly cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction. He had frequent syncopal attacks and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Physical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic findings were unremarkable.

[Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy with predominant left ventricular involvement].

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy is a relatively well-defined clinical entity. This disease is characterized with right ventricular involvement and is an important cause of sudden cardiac death in young patients. However, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy with left-dominant involvement has recently been better described in the literature.

Optimization of repolarization during biventricular pacing: a new target in patients with biventricular devices?

Background: Evaluation of repolarization during sequentional biventricular pacing.

Methods: Patients with biventricular devices, and left ventricular leads placed to the basal part of lateral left ventricular wall were enrolled. QRS, QTc, JTc, and corrected Tpeak-Tend intervals were compared during sequentional biventricular, left ventricular, and right ventricular pacing.

Early development of pacemaker Reel syndrome in an elderly patient with cognitive impairment.

Reel syndrome is a rare form of Twiddler's syndrome and is characterized by rotation of permanent pacemaker on its transverse axis and rolling of the electrode around the generator. An 83-year-old man with severely impaired mental status, agitation, and uncontrolled movement of extremities underwent pacemaker implantation for symptomatic atrial fibrillation. The pacemaker generator was fixed to the pectoral fascia with nonabsorbable ligatures.

Periprocedural considerations during implantation of ICD in a patient with Dextrocardia.

In this case report we present a patient with dextrocardia, who undergone implantation of dual chamber implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). Here we aimed to underline several specific considerations which must be noted when one considers to implant an ICD in a patient with dextrocardia.

Slow heart-slow brain: consequence of short-term occupational exposure to toluene in a young woman: what is the real mechanism?

Herein we describe a case of acute occupational exposure to toluene in a 27-year-old female patient, presented to the emergency department of our institute. On admission she had electrocardiographic signs of profound sinus bradycardia with sinus arrhythmia and low amplitude slow wave activity recorded on her electroencephalogram (EEG). The mechanisms underlying the cerebral and cardiac effects of toluene are also discussed.

An unusual cause of OptiVol alarm: increased intra-abdominal pressure associated with irritable bowel syndrome.

Monitoring intrathoracic impedance has become an integral part of follow-up of patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy/defibrillator due to heart failure. However, several noncardiac factors may influence intrathoracic impedance. We report on an unusual cause of decrease in intrathoracic impedance in a 54-year-old male patient following successful implantation of biventricular ICD for heart failure symptoms due to nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and severely impaired left ventricular systolic function.

Chronic total occlusion of left circumflex artery after radiofrequency ablation of left ventricular outflow tract tachycardia.

In this report, we present a 22-year-old female patient referred to our institution for evaluation of anginal chest pain. Her medical history revealed two ablation procedures of the left ventricular outflow tract tachycardia performed 1 month a part, 2 years ago. Coronary angiography revealed chronic total occlusion of the proximal left circumflex artery.

Nodal rhythm and ventricular parasystole: an unusual electrocardiographic presentation of mad honey poisoning.

Mad honey poisoning syndrome has been reported in the Eastern Black Sea region and Southeastern regions of Turkey. Herein we report a case of 70-y-old man presented with syncope and severe hemodynamic instability following ingestion of one teaspoon of honey and his unusual electrocardiographic manifestations: nodal rhythm alternating with sinus bradycardia and intermittant ventricular parasystole. In this report, we also tried to explain the possible mechanism responsible for these electrocardiographic findings.

Isorhythmic dissociation or "pseudo-bygeminy" of depleted pacemaker.

We present an unusual electrocardiogram obtained from a patient with critically depleted pacemaker.

Electrophysiologic characteristics of wide QRS complexes during pharmacologic termination of sustained supraventricular tachycardias with verapamil and adenosine: observations from electrophysiologic study.

Background: In this study we evaluate wide QRS complexes observed during pharmacologic termination of supraventricular tachycardias.

Methods: Patients with supraventricular tachycardia, undergoing electrophysiologic study were enrolled. 12 mg of adenosine or 10 mg of verapamil were administered during tachycardia, under continuous monitoring of intaracardiac and surface electrocardiograms.

Chronic mad honey intoxication syndrome: a new form of an old disease?

Aims: Although cases of acute mad honey intoxication have been reported earlier, chronic mad honey intoxication (CMHI) syndrome has not been described and we address this issue only in this study.

Methods And Results: We prospectively evaluated the history of non-commercial honey intake in all patients referred to our institution for investigation of slow heart rate or atrioventricular (AV) conduction abnormalities. Between April 2008 and December 2008, 173 patients were referred to our institution for assessment of sinus bradycardia and various degrees of AV block and/or permanent pacemaker implantation.

Effect of seven different modalities of antihypertensive therapy on pulse pressure in patients with newly diagnosed stage I hypertension.

In this study, we investigated the effect of different antihypertensive agents on pulse pressure (PP). The study was designed in a prospective manner and patients were sequentially allocated to one of the seven different therapy groups, according to the order of enrollment (every first patient to group I, every second patient to group II, and etc). Patients in group I received 10 mg of lisinopril, in group II 10/6.

[Successful percutaneous cryoablation of recurrent atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia after radiofrequency ablation].

A 21-year-old male patient underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation for refractory attacks of supraventricular tachycardia. One month after the procedure, he developed recurrent atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia, for which percutaneous cryoablation was performed. Programmed atrial stimulation at the end of cryoablation did not induce an atrio-His (AH) jump or tachycardia.