Phenotype and Clinical Outcomes in Desmin-Related Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Desmin (DES) pathogenic variants cause a small proportion of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM). Outcomes data on DES-related ACM are scarce.

Objectives: This study sought to provide information on the clinical phenotype and outcomes of patients with ACM caused by pathogenic variants of the DES gene in a multicenter cohort.

Clinical impact of remote heart failure management using the multiparameter ICD HeartLogic alert.

Introduction And Objectives: The multiparametric implantable cardioverter-defibrillator HeartLogic index has proven to be a sensitive and timely predictor of impending heart failure (HF) decompensation. We evaluated the impact of a standardized follow-up protocol implemented by nursing staff and based on remote management of alerts.

Methods: The algorithm was activated in HF patients at 19 Spanish centers.

Symptom burden guiding invasive electrophysiological study in paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia: The believe SVT registry.

Background And Objective: Patients with palpitations clinically suggestive of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) are often managed conservatively until ECG-documentation of the tachycardia, leading to high impact on life quality and healthcare resource utilization. We evaluated results of electrophysiological study (EPS), and ablation when appropriate, among these patients, with special focus on gender differences in management.

Methods: BELIEVE SVT is a European multicenter, retrospective registry in tertiary hospitals performing EPS in patients with palpitations, without ECG-documentation of tachycardia or preexcitation, and considered highly suggestive of PSVT by a cardiologist or cardiac electrophysiologist.

Electrostatic Complementarities of Glioblastoma-Resident T-Cell Receptors and Cancer Testis Antigens Linked to Poor Outcomes and High Levels of Sphingosine Kinase-2 Expression.

Introduction: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults. Despite a growing understanding of glioblastoma pathology, the prognosis remains poor.

Methods: In this study, we used a previously extensively benchmarked algorithm to retrieve immune receptor (IR) recombination reads from GBM exome files available from the cancer genome atlas.

Personalized assessment of the cumulative complication risk of the atrial fibrillation ablation track: The AF-TRACK calculator.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation strategy is associated with a non-negligible risk of complications and often requires repeat procedures (AF ablation track), implying repetitive exposure to procedural risk.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a model to estimate individualized cumulative risk of complications in patients undergoing the AF ablation track (Atrial Fibrillation TRAck Complication risK [AF-TRACK] calculator).

Methods: The model was derived from a multicenter cohort including 3762 AF ablation procedures in 2943 patients.

Preoperative Prediction of Catheter Ablation Outcome in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Patients through Spectral Organization Analysis of the Surface Fibrillatory Waves.

Catheter ablation (CA) is a commonly used treatment for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Since its medium/long-term success rate remains limited, preoperative prediction of its outcome is gaining clinical interest to optimally select candidates for the procedure. Among predictors based on the surface electrocardiogram, the dominant frequency (DF) and harmonic exponential decay (γ) of the fibrillatory waves (-waves) have reported promising but clinically insufficient results.

Association between implantable defibrillator-detected sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation: The DASAP-HF study.

Introduction: The Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI) computed by an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) algorithm accurately identifies severe sleep apnea (SA). In the present analysis, we tested the hypothesis that RDI could also predict atrial fibrillation (AF) burden.

Methods: Patients with ejection fraction ≤35% implanted with an ICD were enrolled and followed up for 24 months.

Outcomes of leadless pacemaker implantation in patients with mechanical heart valves.

Introduction: Device infections constitute a major complication of transvenous pacemakers. Mechanical heart valves (MHV) increase the risk of infective endocarditis (IE) and pacemaker infection, requiring lifelong vitamin K-antagonists (VKA), which may affect patient management. Leadless pacemakers (LP) are associated with low infection rates, posing an attractive option in MHV patients requiring permanent pacing.

Pharmacological Cardioversion after Pre-Treatment with Antiarrythmic Drugs Prior to Electrical Cardioversion in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Impact on Maintenance of Sinus Rhythm.

Background: Antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) are frequently initiated in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) prior to electrical cardioversion (ECV), achieving pharmacological cardioversion (PCV) in some cases. Little is known about the mode of cardioversion and the effect of the type of AAD used in the maintenance of sinus rhythm (SR).

Methods: From three national surveys of patients with persistent AF referred for ECV, we selected those who were pre-treated with AADs (amiodarone or group Ic AADs).

Long-term prognosis of women with Brugada syndrome and electrophysiological study.

Background: A male predominance in Brugada syndrome (BrS) has been widely reported, but scarce information on female patients with BrS is available.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and long-term prognosis of women with BrS.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective study of patients diagnosed with BrS and previous electrophysiological study (EPS) was performed.

A regular wide QRS complex tachycardia with fusion beats?

A case of wide complex tachycardia with isolated QRS complexes of different amplitude suggesting that this was ventricular tachycardia.

Prognostic value of implantable defibrillator-computed respiratory disturbance index: The DASAP-HF study.

Background: Sleep apnea, as measured by polysomnography, is associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure. The DASAP-HF (Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea in Patient With Heart Failure) study previously demonstrated that the respiratory disturbance index (RDI) computed by the ApneaScan algorithm (Boston Scientific) accurately identifies severe sleep apnea in implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) patients.

Objective: The purpose of the long-term study phase was to assess the incidence of clinical events after 24 months and investigate the association with RDI values.

Unexpected findings before hospital discharge in a patient implanted with a dual-chamber pacemaker.

A case of a patient implanted with a dual-chamber pacemaker in which routine ECG before discharge shown unexpected findings.

Isolated palpitations and ventricular pre-excitation.

A 27-year-old male was referred for further assessment after being evaluated by his general practitioner for isolated palpitations. A twelve-lead electrocardiogram was performed in which sinus rhythm with ventricular pre-excitation were observed. Electrophysiologic study demonstrated the presence of a fasciculoventricular accessory pathway.