Using a Medical Intranet of Things System to Prevent Bed Falls in an Acute Care Hospital: A Pilot Study.

Background: Hospitalized patients in the United States experience falls at a rate of 2.6 to 17.1 per 1000 patient-days, with the majority occurring when a patient is moving to, from, and around the bed.

A prospective, randomized comparison of modified pulmonary vein isolation versus conventional pulmonary vein isolation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the primary ablation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that high dominant frequency (DF) sites (AF nests during sinus rhythm [SR]) adjacent to the PV ostia are associated with the atrial substrate that maintains AF, and PVI incorporating the high-frequency AF nests may have a higher efficacy.

Methods And Results: In a prospective and randomized comparison, 126 symptomatic paroxysmal AF patients that underwent PVI were enrolled.

Characteristics of fibrillatory activities during spontaneous termination of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: new insight from high-density right atrium frequency mapping.

Background: Sinus node (SN) activity is difficult to assess during atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of the present study was to investigate SN activity by frequency analysis during AF.

Methods: Thirteen patients with paroxysmal AF and atrial flutter in the right atrium (RA) underwent 3-dimensional noncontact mapping.

Spatiotemporal organization of the left atrial substrate after circumferential pulmonary vein isolation of atrial fibrillation.

Background: There is a paucity of data regarding the mechanism of maintaining atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in patients with AF. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of circumferential PVI on the left atrial (LA) substrate characteristics.

Methods And Results: Seventy-two AF patients (age, 53+/-11 years) underwent mapping and catheter ablation using an NavX system.

Spectral analysis during sinus rhythm predicts an abnormal atrial substrate in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Background: Regions of rapid and multiple deflections can be identified with high dominant frequency (DF) during sinus rhythm (SR). These areas may play a role in the perpetuation of atrial fibrillation (AF) and indicate an atrial substrate abnormality.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the atrial substrate properties of the high-frequency sites in patients with paroxysmal AF.

Frequency analysis of the fibrillatory activity from surface ECG lead V1 and intracardiac recordings: implications for mapping of AF.

Aims: Fibrillatory waves observed in the surface electrograms may be a direct reflection of the electrophysiologic mechanism of the atrial fibrillation (AF). This study compared the fibrillatory waves in the surface ECG and the individual intracardiac mapping sites in different types of paroxysmal AF.

Methods And Results: Thirty patients with paroxysmal AF originating from the pulmonary veins (PVs) or superior vena cava (SVC) were enrolled.

Validation of the frequency spectra obtained from the noncontact unipolar electrograms during atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Noncontact mapping (NCM) can record virtual unipolar electrograms (Egs) from multiple sites simultaneously; therefore, it has the potential to perform simultaneous frequency mapping during atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to validate the frequency spectra of the noncontact unipolar Egs in both atria.

Methods: This study enrolled 12 patients (age = 61 +/- 16 years) with paroxysmal or persistent AF who underwent catheter ablation guided by NCM.

Frequency analysis in different types of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the regional frequency distribution from multiple bi-atrial sites in different types of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF).

Background: A previous study showed a left atrium (LA) to right atrium (RA) frequency gradient in patients with paroxysmal AF.

Methods: Forty-four patients (age = 60 +/- 16, male patients = 27) with paroxysmal AF originating from the pulmonary veins (PVs) (n = 31) or superior vena cava (SVC) (n = 13) were included.

Electrophysiological characteristics and catheter ablation in patients with paroxysmal right atrial fibrillation.

Background: Catheter ablation of the right atrial (RA) substrate has had variable efficacy in curing paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), suggesting that RA substrate ablation can play an important role in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in some patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the electrophysiological characteristics and ablation strategy and its results in a specific group of patients with paroxysmal RA-AF.

Methods And Results: The study population consisted of 13 patients (8 men; age, 64+/-15 years) with drug-refractory (2+/-1 drugs), frequent episodes of PAF.

The influence of mean heart rate on measures of heart rate variability as markers of autonomic function: a model study.

Some studies have demonstrated that the assessments of autonomic activities from the alterations of heart rate variations (HRVs) after autonomic blockade and during exercise of high intensity by the spectral analysis of HRV seemed inconsistent with actual situation. The inconsistency is probably caused by the contributions of fluctuating magnitudes and mean levels of autonomic activities on HRV having not been clarified. The alterations of HRV after autonomic blockade and during exercise of high intensity using a mathematical model were simulated.