The evolution of mapping and ablation techniques in the treatment of atrial tachycardias occurring after atrial fibrillation ablation.

Purpose: A possible consequence of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is the occurrence of organized atrial tachycardias (ATs). ATs after AF ablation (ATAAF) may be more symptomatic than AF itself, thus necessitating catheter ablation. We evaluated the prognostic significance of clinical and invasive characteristics for long-term sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance following ATAAF ablation and assessed the effect of technological developments on these results.

Selective Activation Re-Mapping Reveals the Mechanism in Apparently Unstable Atrial Tachycardias.

Following atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedures, patients may present with atrial tachycardias (ATs) that show remarkable stability for short periods of time but degenerate in unstable forms right afterwards. In order to map these types of ATs, we applied the sequential mapping capabilities only for time segments where ATs exhibited constant cycle length (CL) and activation sequence, excluding the segments with unstable recordings. We herein describe two cases of ATs after AF ablation which were mapped with this technique that allowed for the successful identification and subsequent ablation of the tachycardia circuit.

Radiofrequency ablation procedures in Greece: initial experience and results from the national registry 2008-2010.

Introduction: In 2008 the radiofrequency ablation procedures (RFA) registry of the Hellenic Cardiological Society (HCS) was created. This is a dynamic, web-based application, which acts as the interface for storing and retrieving patients' demographic data and ablation procedures. Access to the site is permitted only to registered users.

Efficiency and safety of prolonged levosimendan infusion in patients with acute heart failure.

Background. Levosimendan is an inotropic drug with unique pharmacological advantages in patients with acute heart failure. Scope of this study is to determine whether longer infusion patterns without the hypotension-inducing loading dose could justify an effective and safe alternative approach.

Carotid sinus hypersensitivity is common in patients presenting with hip fracture and unexplained falls.

Background: We tried to determine the prevalence of carotid sinus hypersensitivity (CSH) in patients with hip fractures with and without a clear history of an accidental fall.

Methods: We studied 51 patients hospitalized for a hip fracture and 51 matched controls from our outpatients department. All patients were subjected to a carotid sinus massage in the supine and upright position.

Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide in essential hypertension after treatment with irbesartan.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the medium-term effects of the selective AT1-blocker irbesartan on atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels in patients with moderate essential hypertension. The drug was given orally in a daily dose of 300 mg for 30 days. Plasma ANP levels increased by 15.

Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels in essential hypertension after treatment with verapamil.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term effects of the selective Ca2+-blocker verapamil on atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels in patients with moderate essential hypertension. The drug was given orally in a daily dose of 300 mg for 30 days. At the end of this clinical trial, plasma ANP levels increased by 16.

Clonidine and vasomotion physiology.

It is known that clonidine exerts a hyperpolarizing action and alpha 2-adrenergic activity. The experimental work investigates the conditions under which each action of clonidine is developed on vascular smooth muscle. Two parameters were studied in vitro on bovine aortic media, Ca2+ uptake and vascular tone.

ANP concentrations during interchanging DDD-VVI pacing modes in patients with retrograde ventriculoatrial conduction.

The main reason for the pacemaker syndrome during VVI pacing is the existence of ventriculoatrial conduction (V-AC). Twenty-five patients with a permanent DDD pacemaker and ventriculoatrial conduction were included in the study. IN those patients the hemodynamic changes were evaluated in relation to ANP plasma concentration changes during different modes of pacing.

The effect of trimetazidine on reperfusion arrhythmias in acute myocardial infarction.

The study aims to evaluate the effect of trimetazidine in reducing reperfusion arrhythmias in patients with acute myocardial infarction after successful thrombolysis. A total of 169 patients were included in the study, 83 of whom received trimetazidine orally at an initial dose of 60 mg followed by 20 mg tid for 5 days. These patients formed the study group (group T) while the remaining 86, the control group (group C).

Increased lung uptake during myocardial scintigraphy improves the detection and localization of coronary artery disease.

Increased lung uptake during exercise thallium 201 scanning denotes severe ventricular hypofunction. To assess whether there is any relationship between this finding and the stenosis of a single coronary artery, the authors studied 140 patients (age 57.5 +/- 12 years) with both exercise thallium and coronary angiography within three months.

Effects of a low-dose fish oil concentrate on angina, exercise tolerance time, serum triglycerides, and platelet function.

Fish oils have shown beneficial effects on various parameters in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the same effects can be demonstrated with a low dose of fish oil concentrate (FOC). Thirty-nine patients were studied and divided into two groups.

Mechanographic assessment of disopyramide in postinfarction patients.

The inotropic effect of a per os single dose of 200 mg disopyramide phosphate was studied in 25 patients during the second week after acute myocardial infarction with no signs of heart failure. Systolic time intervals and the indices derived from the uncalibrated differentiated carotidogram and apexcardiogram were used to assess changes in cardiac performance. The results were as follows: a) Reduction by 3.

Comparison of Q with non-Q myocardial infarction using signal averaged ECG.

Forty consecutive patients (pts) with acute myocardial infarction (MI) who survived to be discharged from the hospital were studied with high gain signal averaged electrocardiography (SAECG). 28% of the pts with non-Q MI had an abnormal SAECG as compared to 15% in the Q MI group. It was also found that SAECG showed a significantly longer filtering QRS duration in the non-Q MI group.