Radiofrequency catheter ablation of an orthodromic tachycardia in a patient with single ventricle.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation of a recurrent orthodromic tachycardia was performed in a 10-year-old child with single ventricle and bidirectional Glenn procedure before a Fontan operation. Identification of a His bundle electrogram was achieved at the postero-inferior atrioventricular (AV) groove by the inferior vena cava route, and electrophysiological demonstration of a concealed accessory pathway-mediated tachycardia was possible when a ventricular extrastimuli given during the His bundle refractoriness showed advancement of the atrium. A single energy application during tachycardia in the right antero-superior region of the AV groove resulted in the definitive interruption of the accessory pathway.

Documented exercise-induced cardiac arrest in a paediatric patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

A paediatric patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) presented cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular arrhythmias were not induced in an electrophysiological study, but an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was implanted. Nine months later, the child experienced a recurrence of cardiac arrest during exercise, which was successfully treated with a defibrillator shock from the device.

Cost of diagnosis and treatment of syncope in patients admitted to a cardiology unit.

Aims: Despite the large number of hospital admissions due to syncope, information on the in-hospital cost of management of these patients remains incomplete.

Methods And Results: In order to assess such cost, we analysed the clinical histories of the patients suffering from syncope who were admitted to our Unit of Cardiology in 2003. We determined the length of stay (in days) for each inpatient, the number of diagnostic tests performed, and the various therapeutic procedures undertaken.

Short-term evolution of vasovagal syncope: influence on the quality of life.

To evaluate the short-term evolution and changes in the quality of life (QoL) of patients suffering from vasovagal syncope (VVS) by the application of the Short Form 36 questionnaire (SF-36) that was prospectively administrated to all consecutive patients with syncope and abnormal response to head-up tilt test. We included 167 patients (55.7% women, median age 42 years old).

Long-term outcome of patients with vasovagal syncope.

Background: After abnormal head-up tilt test (HUT), several trials have evaluated treatment strategies for vasovagal syncope (VVS). However, few unequivocal results have been obtained. The aim of the study was to prospectively analyze the natural history of patients with VVS who did not undergo specific treatment but received education for avoiding syncope after an abnormal HUT.

[Clinical characteristics and head-up tilt test results with three protocols in 1661 patients with syncope].

Because of the absence of a uniform protocol for the head-up tilt table test (HUT), we compared 1,661 consecutive patients with syncope referred for HUT. The influence of age and gender on the results (positive response rate and patterns) obtained with three different protocols, Westminster, isoprenaline and nitroglycerin (groups A, B and C) was analyzed. The proportion of women was larger in the youngest age group.

[Quality of life in patients with vasovagal syncope. Clinical parameters influence].

Background And Objective: The prevalence and morbidity of the vaso-vagal syncope are well-known. With the intention of measuring the Quality of Life (QoL) of patients with vaso-vagal syncope, as well as age and gender influence, we have used the Spanish version of Short form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire in those patients and have compared it with the general population and with patients with heart failure.

Patients And Method: All consecutive patients with vaso-vagal syncope submitted for head-up tilt test performance from January 2001 to December 2002 were included.

[Indications for catheter ablation and results in Andalusia, Spain].

Introduction And Objectives: We report the results of the first Catheter Ablation Registry of the Arrhythmia Working Group of the Andalusian Society of Cardiology (AWGASC) for 2000.

Methods: The register includes information about the ablation procedures performed in 2000, which was collected retrospectively and submitted voluntarily by four out of six cardiac electrophysiology laboratories of the AWGASC. A total of 424 patients (mean age 45 18 years; 50% men) were included.