Pulsed Field vs Conventional Thermal Ablation for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: Recurrent Atrial Arrhythmia Burden.

Background: The ADVENT randomized trial revealed no significant difference in 1-year freedom from atrial arrhythmias (AA) between thermal (radiofrequency/cryoballoon) and pulsed field ablation (PFA). However, recent studies indicate that the postablation AA burden is a better predictor of clinical outcomes than the dichotomous endpoint of 30-second AA recurrence.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to determine: 1) the impact of postablation AA burden on outcomes; and 2) the effect of ablation modality on AA burden.

Mortality Benefit Among Primary Prevention Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Recipients on Contemporary Heart Failure Treatment.

Background: Past clinical trials have shown the benefit of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) for reducing sudden cardiac death in at-risk patients. However, heart failure management and ICD technology have changed since these trials were first published. An updated assessment of ICD mortality benefit is needed.

Identification in Interaction: Racial Mirroring between Interviewers and Respondents.

Previous research has established that people shift their identities situationally and may come to subconsciously mirror one another. We explore this phenomenon among survey interviewers in the 2004-2018 General Social Survey by drawing on repeated measures of racial identification collected after each interview. We find not only that interviewers self-identify differently over time but also that their response changes cannot be fully explained by several measurement-error related expectations, either random or systematic.

Low-temperature electrocautery reduces adverse effects from secondary cardiac implantable electronic device procedures: Insights from the WRAP-IT trial.

Background: Cardiac device procedures require tissue dissection to free existing device lead(s). Common techniques include blunt dissection, standard electrocautery, and low-temperature electrocautery (PlasmaBlade, Medtronic); however, data on the type of electrosurgical tool used and the development of procedure- or lead-related adverse events are limited.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether standard or low-temperature electrocautery impacts the development of an adverse event.