Effect of Charge Delivery on Thromboembolism During Radiofrequency Ablation in Canines.

Objectives: This study investigated whether delivering negative charge to catheter tips reduces thromboembolism during catheter ablation.

Background: Radiofrequency (RF) ablation prevents atrial fibrillation that can cause stroke or death. However, ablation itself can cause stroke (2%) or silent ischemia (2% to 41%), possibly via particulate debris that embolizes after coagulum adherence to catheter surfaces.