Publications by authors named "Sophie Welch"
Background: Mechanisms sustaining persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) remain unclear.
Objectives: The study sought to evaluate both the clinical outcomes and response to ablation of potential drivers in patients with recurrent persistent AF recurrence following pulmonary vein isolation (PVI).
Methods: A total of 100 patients with persistent AF of <2 years' duration underwent cryoballoon PVI (ECGI phenotyping of persistent AF based on driver burden and distribution to predict response to pulmonary vein isolation).
Background: Recent studies suggest persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) is maintained by localized focal or rotational electrical activations termed drivers.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate how left atrial (LA) dilation and time in AF impact persistent AF mechanisms.
Methods: Patients with persistent AF <2 years underwent electrocardiographic image mapping.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted to investigate the mechanisms of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) using electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) to see if these mechanisms can predict long-term success after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI).
- The trial involved patients with persistent AF receiving cryoballoon PVI, measuring potential drivers of AF and their impact on staying free from arrhythmia one year post-procedure.
- Results showed no significant link between the identified AF mechanisms and the likelihood of remaining in sinus rhythm, suggesting the need for further research with different approaches to understand AF better.
Article Synopsis
- The Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) of SARS-CoV-2 has many mutations that make it highly transmissible and partially able to evade neutralizing antibodies, but vaccinated individuals still have some protection against severe disease due to strong cellular immunity.
- In a study involving healthcare workers who received three doses of the BioNTech mRNA vaccine, it was found that their B and T cell responses were enhanced against older variants but less effective against the Omicron spike protein.
- Those previously infected with earlier variants (like Alpha) had reduced antibody responses against Omicron, while uninfected individuals who got infected with Omicron showed improved immunity to earlier variants but weaker responses against Omicron itself.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigated the use of electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) to guide ablation procedures in patients suffering from persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).
- Over the course of two years, 40 patients underwent this method following pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), with a significant number achieving freedom from AF or atrial tachycardia after one year.
- The findings indicate that targeting specific types of drivers can enhance the effectiveness of ablation procedures, leading to better outcomes for patients with persistent AF.
: Most biomedical research has focused on sampling COVID-19 patients presenting to hospital with advanced disease, with less focus on the asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic. We established a bioresource with serial sampling of health care workers (HCWs) designed to obtain samples before and during mainly mild disease, with follow-up sampling to evaluate the quality and duration of immune memory. : We conducted a prospective study on HCWs from three hospital sites in London, initially at a single centre (recruited just prior to first peak community transmission in London), but then extended to multiple sites 3 weeks later (recruitment still ongoing, target n=1,000).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe "Heart failure specialists of Tomorrow" (HoT) group gathers young researchers, physicians, basic scientists, nurses and many other professions under the auspices of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology. After its foundation in 2014, it has quickly grown to a large group of currently 925 members. Membership in this growing community offers many advantages during, before, and after the 'Heart Failure and World Congress on Acute Heart Failure'.
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