Continuous stroke unit electrocardiographic monitoring versus 24-hour Holter electrocardiography for detection of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation after stroke.

Background And Purpose: Cardioembolism in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pxAF) is a frequent cause of ischemic stroke. Sensitive detection of pxAF after stroke is crucial for adequate secondary stroke prevention; the optimal diagnostic modality to detect pxAF on stroke units is unknown. We compared 24-hour Holter electrocardiography (ECG) with continuous stroke unit ECG monitoring (CEM) for pxAF detection.

Autonomic modulation and antiarrhythmic therapy in a model of long QT syndrome type 3.

Aims: Clinical observations in patients with long QT syndrome carrying sodium channel mutations (LQT3) suggest that bradycardia caused by parasympathetic stimulation may provoke torsades de pointes (TdP). Beta-adrenoceptor blockers appear less effective in LQT3 than in other forms of the disease.

Methods And Results: We studied effects of autonomic modulation on arrhythmias in vivo and in vitro and quantified sympathetic innervation by autoradiography in heterozygous mice with a knock-in deletion (DeltaKPQ) in the Scn5a gene coding for the cardiac sodium channel and increased late sodium current (LQT3 mice).