Publications by authors named "Nicolas Pachon"
Background: The differential diagnosis of regular wide QRS complex tachycardia (RWQRST) remains the subject of numerous publications, all of which aim at diagnosis during the acute phase. Although an accurate diagnosis is necessary to make long-term decisions, it often leads to invasive testing.
Methods: Criteria with high positive predictive values (PPVs) for diagnosis can be obtained by analyzing the electrocardiogram (ECG) data during RWQRST and comparing them with these data at baseline.
Article Synopsis
- - The study examined the long-term use of anticoagulation in 422 patients with low or moderate risk of embolism after undergoing cardioversion for persistent atrial fibrillation.
- - After one year, 80% of the patients maintained oral anticoagulation initially, but this dropped to 43%, with a lower incidence of embolic events in those who remained on it (2.8% vs. 0.7%).
- - Major bleeding occurred in 4.9% of patients, and being age 75 or older was a significant risk factor for complications, indicating that anticoagulation may not be advisable for older patients with low CHADS(2) scores.