Mortality and morbidity in patients with atrial fibrillation and liver cirrhosis.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. However, the outcomes associated with AF in hospitalized patients with liver cirrhosis are unknown.

Aim: To determine the outcomes of hospitalized patients with liver cirrhosis and AF.

Digoxin, mortality, and cardiac hospitalizations in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and atrial fibrillation: An AF-CHF analysis.

Background: Recent publications have raised serious concerns regarding the safety of digoxin for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the subgroup of patients with reduced ejection fraction and AF have been speculated to derive clinical benefit from digoxin. We aimed to assess the impact of digoxin on mortality and cardiovascular hospitalizations in the Atrial Fibrillation and Congestive Heart Failure (AF-CHF) trial since all AF-CHF patients had an ejection fraction ≤35% and AF.

Single incision technique for implantation of subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

Background: Subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillators (S-ICDs) have gained increasing popularity because of certain advantages over transvenous ICDs. However, while conventional ICDs require a single surgical incision to implant, S-ICDS need two or three incisions, making them less appealing.

Objective: This study sought out to investigate the feasibility of using a single-incision technique to implant S-ICDs.

Regional Lack of Consistency in the Management of Atrial Fibrillation (from the RECORD-AF Trial).

American and European society guidelines for atrial fibrillation management mostly agree on the utilization of rate and rhythm control strategies and the indications for oral anticoagulant (OAC) use. However, the level of adherence to guidelines in clinical practice may vary by region. In this study, data analysis from The Registry on Cardiac rhythm disorders assessing the control of Atrial Fibrillation (RECORD-AF) registry, an international registry in patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation of <1 year, shows that differences in practice exist between 3 regions, namely Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and North America.

Radiofrequency and Cryo-Ablation Effect on Transvenous Pacing and Defibrillatory Lead Integrity: An In Vitro Study.

Intorduction: Medical societies and cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) manufacturers recommend avoiding close or direct contact between the body of transvenous leads and ablation catheters used to treat cardiac arrhythmias. These recommendations are made despite the lack of clinical studies. However, the target myocardium for successful ablation can be contiguous to CIED leads.

Impact of Uncontrolled Hypertension on Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Outcome.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of hypertension on the outcome of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation.

Background: Hypertension is a well-known independent risk factor for incident AF.

Methods: A total of 531 consecutive patients undergoing AF ablation were enrolled in this study and divided into 3 groups: patients with uncontrolled hypertension despite medical treatment (group I, n = 160), patients with controlled hypertension (group II, n = 192), and patients without hypertension (group III, n = 179).

Clinical significance of right ventricular dysfunction in left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy.

Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is described as the persistence of trabeculated myocardium in the left ventricle (LV) and is optimally assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Right ventricular (RV) involvement in LVNC remains poorly studied. Consecutive patients (N = 14) diagnosed with LVNC by CMR were studied.

Surgical electrocautery facilitated transseptal puncture in children.

Background: Transseptal puncture has been performed in adults and children for decades. However, transseptal puncture can be challenging especially in pediatric patients because of an elastic septum and small atria. In adults, dedicated radiofrequency (RF) to facilitate transseptal puncture has become routine.

Interference of cardiac pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator activity during electronic dental device use.

Background: The authors conducted a study to determine if electromagnetic interference of cardiac pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) activity occurs during the operation of electronic dental devices.

Methods: The authors tested nine electronic dental devices in vitro to assess their ability to interfere with the function of two pacemakers and two ICDs as determined by electrocardiographic telemetry.

Results: The pacing activity of both pacemakers and the dual-chamber ICD were inhibited during operation of the battery-operated composite curing light at between 2 and 10 centimeters from the generator or leads.