Selective autonomic stimulation of the AV node fat pad to control rapid post-operative atrial arrhythmias.

Junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) and atrial fibrillation (AF) occur in patients recovering from open-heart surgery (OHS). Pharmacologic treatment is used for the control of post-operative atrial arrhythmias (POAA), but is associated with side effects. There is a need for a reversible, modulated solution to rate control.

Seeing the Invisible: Revealing Atrial Ablation Lesions Using Hyperspectral Imaging Approach.

Background: Currently, there are limited means for high-resolution monitoring of tissue injury during radiofrequency ablation procedures.

Objective: To develop the next generation of visualization catheters that can reveal irreversible atrial muscle damage caused by ablation and identify viability gaps between the lesions.

Methods: Radiofrequency lesions were placed on the endocardial surfaces of excised human and bovine atria and left ventricles of blood perfused rat hearts.

Autofluorescence hyperspectral imaging of radiofrequency ablation lesions in porcine cardiac tissue.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a widely used treatment for atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Here, we explore autofluorescence hyperspectral imaging (aHSI) as a method to visualize RFA lesions and interlesional gaps in the highly collagenous left atrium. RFA lesions made on the endocardial surface of freshly excised porcine left atrial tissue were illuminated by UV light (365 nm), and hyperspectral datacubes were acquired over the visible range (420-720 nm).

Nonpharmacologic control of postoperative supraventricular arrhythmias using AV nodal fat pad stimulation in a young animal open heart surgical model.

Background: Supraventricular arrhythmias (junctional ectopic tachycardia [JET] and atrial tachyarrhythmias) frequently complicate recovery from open heart surgery in children and can be difficult to manage. Medical treatment of JET can result in significant morbidity. Our goal was to develop a nonpharmacological approach using autonomic stimulation of selective fat pad (FP) regions of the heart in a young canine model of open heart surgery to control 2 common postoperative supraventricular arrhythmias.

Newly created animal model of human postoperative junctional ectopic tachycardia.

Objective: Junctional ectopic tachycardia complicates the postoperative recovery from open heart surgery in children. The reported risk factors include younger age, prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass times, and administration of inotropic agents. Junctional ectopic tachycardia occurs early after open heart surgery, in the setting of relative postoperative sinus node dysfunction, and exhibits QRS morphology consistent with an origin from the atrioventricular node or proximal conduction system.

Internet diagnosis of digitalis toxicity.

A 65-year-old male with an ischaemic cardiomyopathy and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator got a shock at home. A web-based monitoring system was used to check his device, and the interrogation showed that he had had several episodes of ventricular fibrillation and new onset of complete heart block that required back-up pacing by his defibrillator. The combination of enhanced automaticity (frequent premature ventricular complexes and ventricular arrhythmias) and impaired conduction (heart block) are the hallmarks of digitalis toxicity.