Clostridioides difficile infections were predominantly driven by fluoroquinolone-resistant Clostridioides difficile ribotypes 176 and 001 in Slovakia in 2018-2019.

Aim: To investigate the epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in Slovakian hospitals after the emergence of ribotype 176 (027-like) in 2016.

Methods: Between 2018 and 2019, European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention CDI surveillance protocol v2.3 was applied to 14 hospitals, with additional data collected on recent antimicrobial use and the characterization of C.

General anesthesia or conscious sedation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation catheter ablation.

Background: Catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) can be performed under general anesthesia or conscious sedation. The influence of type of anesthesiology care on procedural characteristics and ablation outcome in patients in whom intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) and elimination of adenosine-mediated dormant conduction (DC) is used is not entirely known.

Methods: 150 patients with paroxysmal AF were randomized to point-by-point radiofrequency catheter isolation of pulmonary veins (PVI) under general anesthesia (n=77) or conscious sedation (n=73).

Atrial fibrillation inducibility after pulmonary vein isolation under general anaesthesia.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) inducibility with rapid atrial pacing following AF ablation is associated with higher risk of AF recurrence. The predictive value of AF inducibility in paroxysmal AF patients after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), done under general anaesthesia (GA), remains questionable since GA might alter AF inducibility and/or sustainability.

Methods: Consecutive patients (n = 120) with paroxysmal AF without prior catheter ablation (CA) were enlisted in the study.

Long-term outcome of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation catheter ablation with and without pulmonary vein dormant conduction after adenosine challenge.

Objectives: The prognostic significance of adenosine-mediated pulmonary vein (PV) dormant conduction is unclear. We prospectively followed patients with adenosine-mediated PV reconduction with a subsequent repeated ablation until there was no reconduction inducible with patients without reconduction after PV isolation.

Method And Results: Consecutive patients (n=179) with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) without prior catheter ablation (CA) were enlisted in the study.