Different characteristics of postoperative atrial tachyarrhythmias between congenital and non-congenital heart disease.

Purpose: The chance of encountering tachyarrhythmias has been increasing in adult congenital heart disease (CHD) patients with previous open-heart surgery, along with the improvement of their longevity. However, the characteristics of these arrhythmias remain to be elucidated.

Methods: We examined the characteristics of atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATs) in 26 consecutive CHD patients (M/F 17/9) referred for catheter ablation and compared them with 16 non-CHD patients with cardiac surgery (M/F 11/5).

Prognostic Significance of Late Potentials in Outpatients with Type 2 Brugada Electrocardiogram.

Brugada syndrome is characterized by distinguishing electrocardiogram (ECG) patterns (coved and saddle-back types with day-to-day variation) and occurrence of lethal tachy-arrhythmias. The appearance of coved type ECG (type 1) is required for the diagnosis of Brugada syndrome, whereas the significance of saddle-back type ECG (type 2), which is inadequate for the diagnosis, has not been fully established. We enrolled 34 consecutive patients with type 2 ECG on outpatient-clinic.

Time Course and Factors Correlating With Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias After Introduction of Steroid Therapy in Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Background: The time course and factors correlating with ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTs) after introduction of corticosteroid therapy in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis remain to be elucidated.

Methods And Results: We examined 68 consecutive patients with cardiac sarcoidosis in the Tohoku University Hospital from October 1998 to September 2014 (age: 57±11 years old; male:female 18:50) and evaluated VTs after initiation of steroid therapy. VTs were defined as documented ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation lasting for more than 30 seconds or resulting in cardiovascular collapse, or appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy.

Current status of primary prevention of sudden cardiac death with implantable cardioverter defibrillator in patients with chronic heart failure--a report from the CHART-2 Study.

Background: The current status of primary prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD) with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction remains to be fully elucidated in Japan.

Methods And Results: In the chronic heart failure (CHF) cohort study, the CHART-2 Study, we enrolled 2,778 consecutive patients with NYHA class II-III. According to the Japanese Circulation Society guideline of prophylactic ICD, we divided them into 3 groups: group A, class I indication; B, class IIa; and C, no indication.