The Average Age of Atrioventricular Block Onset in Middle Eastern Patients with Cardiac Rhythm Devices Adjusted for the Overall Young Population: Insights from a Multicenter International Registry.

Background: Previous registries have shown a younger average age at presentation with cardiovascular diseases in the Middle East (ME), but no study has examined atrioventricular block (AVB). Moreover, these comparisons are confounded by younger populations in the ME. We sought to describe the average age at presentation with AVB in ME and quantify the effect of being from ME, adjusted for the overall younger population.

Native aortic leaflets and permanent pacemaker implantation risk following balloon-expandable transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Objective: Permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) risk is higher following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) than surgical valve replacement. Native aortic leaflets are retained in patients undergoing TAVI, unlike in surgical valve replacement. Whether the retained leaflets influence PPI risk because of their proximity to the conduction system is unknown.

Corrigendum to "Regional variations in baseline characteristics of cardiac rhythm device recipients: The PANORAMA observational cohort study" [Int. J. Cardiol. Heart Vessels (2014) 90-96].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchv.

Regional variations in baseline characteristics of cardiac rhythm device recipients: The PANORAMA observational cohort study.

Background: The PANORAMA study was designed to collect concurrent data on subjects from different worldwide regions implanted with CRM devices.

Methods: In this prospective, multi-center study, we analyzed baseline data on 8586 subjects implanted with CRM devices with no additional selection criteria (66% pacemaker (IPG), 16% implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD), 17% cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and < 1% Internal Loop Recorder) from 156 hospitals across 6 geographical regions between 2005 and 2011.

Results: Regardless of the device implanted, subjects from the Middle East and India often had more diabetes than other regions.

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation among acute medical admissions in Kuwait.

Objective: To establish the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) among acute medical admissions to the Adan Hospital, Kuwait, and to evaluate the clinical features of the patients.

Subjects And Methods: Of 2,833 acute medical admissions to the Adan Hospital from January 1 to May 31, 2003, 120 patients with AF were included in the study. The patients were divided into paroxysmal or persistent (PPAF), and chronic atrial fibrillation (CAF).

Successful implantation of a permanent pacemaker through a persistent left superior vena cava.

We present a case of successful implantation of a permanent pacemaker through an unusual course of a persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC). A young male patient presented with symptomatic bradycardia and a heart rate of 35 beats per minute. The pacing lead was introduced through the standard left subclavian vein approach and was found to pass through an unusual course that was suspected to be a PLSVC.