Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol
January 2015
It has recently been reported that a high-degree right bundle branch block (RBBB) may conceal the electrocardiographic manifestations of the Brugada ECG pattern. An 82-year-old with recent onset palpitations was seen in clinic. The resting ECG showed sinus rhythm, high-degree RBBB, and an irregular idioventricular rhythm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHerzschrittmacherther Elektrophysiol
June 2014
Background: Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal P proteins, P2β and P0, induce high levels of antibodies in patients with chronic Chagas' disease Cardiomyopathy (CCC). It is well known that these antibodies alter the beating rate of cardiomyocytes and provoke apoptosis by their interaction with β1-adrenergic and M2-muscarinic cardiac receptors. Based on these findings, we decided to study the cellular immune response to these proteins in CCC patients compared to non-infected individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFT wave "memory" is a peculiar variety of cardiac remodeling caused by a transient change in the course of ventricular depolarization (due to ventricular pacing, rate-dependent intraventricular block, ventricular preexcitation or tachyarrhythmias with wide QRS complexes). It is usually manifested by inverted T waves that appears when normal ventricular activation is restored. This phenomenon is cumulative and occurs earlier if the ventricular myocardium has previously been exposed to the same conditioning stimuli.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrue supernormality of excitability and conduction has been demonstrated in normal Purkinje fibers in in vitro studies. In the clinical setting, supernormality of conduction is manifested better than expected. This phenomenon is much more common than previously thought, particularly in the presence of certain clinical conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Management of atrial fibrillation (AF) is hampered by frequent recurrences after restoration of sinus rhythm. Delayed interatrial conduction has been associated with the development of AF in different clinical settings. The aim of our study was to assess whether advanced interatrial block (aIAB) was associated with AF recurrence after pharmacological cardioversion with two different antiarrhythmic drugs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of 3 months vs. 18 months of amiodarone treatment after atrial fibrillation (AF) conversion in patients who experienced the first episode of persistent AF.
Methods: We included 51 patients who experienced the first episode of persistent AF receiving amiodarone (600 mg) daily for 4-6 weeks.
We present 2 cases of the slow-fast form of AVNRT with initially narrow QRS complexes followed by sudden unexpected transition to persistently wide QRS complexes due to aberrant intraventricular conduction. Introduction of a properly timed extrastimulus in one case and critical oscillations in cycle length due to short-long coupling in the second case set the stage for the initial bundle branch block. However, persistence of the aberrancy pattern once the initial event abated was maintained by the "linking" phenomenon.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Electrocardiol
September 2013
Background: Right bundle branch block (RBBB) evident in the precordial ECG leads may be associated with evidence of left bundle branch involvement in the limb leads. Any of the components of the left bundle can be involved, and this complex interventricular conduction abnormality has previously been described in patients with underlying heart disease.
Objectives: To analyze the electro-vectorcardiographic manifestations of RBBB with left middle septal fiber block (LMSFB), with or without left anterior fascicular block (LAFB) in premature atrial beats of patients without apparent structural heart disease.
Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol
January 2013
Background: Lidocaine sensitive, repetitive atrial tachycardia is an unusual arrhythmia whose electrophysiologic substrate remains undefined. We aimed to analyze the electropharmacologic characteristics of this arrhythmia with emphasis on its cellular substrate and response to drug challenges.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a series of 18 patients from an electrocardiographic and electrophysiologic perspective and the response to pharmacological challenge.