Inner lumen mapping catheter-facilitated big cryoballoon treatment for atrial fibrillation shortens procedural duration and fluoroscopic exposure with comparable mid-term efficacy.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether the use of a novel inner lumen circular mapping catheter (IMC) can shorten the procedural duration and fluoroscopic exposure of the single transseptal big cryoballoon (CB) pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedures in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: This is a prospective non-randomized case-control study. Forty-two patients (28 men, mean age 55.

Psychological distress mediates the effects of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics on the physical health component of health-related quality of life in patients with coronary heart disease.

Background: This study aimed to examine the mediating role of psychological distress in the relationship between the physical health component of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of coronary heart disease patients and their socio-demographic and clinical characteristics.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from March 2009 to July 2010 with a total of 420 participants recruited from two hospital-based phase II cardiac rehabilitation centres. Participants' socio-demographic variables, self-reported medical history data, level of psychological distress, perceived social support, and HRQoL were collected by means of a structured questionnaire.

Treatment of atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia by cryoablation with an 8-mm-tip catheter versus radiofrequency ablation.

Purpose: Catheter cryoablation (CRYO) may eliminate inadvertent atrioventricular block (AVB) in the treatment of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). However, higher recurrence was observed with CRYO delivered by 4 mm or 6 mm-tip catheter. This study was performed to investigate whether a comparably low treatment failure and recurrence rate as in radiofrequency (RF) ablation is achievable by CRYO with an 8-mm-tip catheter.

Utility of a novel pacing guidewire in pre-implantation testing at different left ventricular sites in cardiac resynchronization therapy procedures.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the utility of a novel pacing guidewire in pre-implantation testing of different left ventricular (LV) sites during cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) procedures.

Methods: Ten consecutive patients (8 male, mean age 65.8 ± 4.

Persistent iatrogenic atrial septal defect after pulmonary vein isolation by cryoballoon: an under-recognized complication.

Aims: Iatrogenic atrial septal defect (IASD) has been reported as a complication of transseptal puncture. This study aims to investigate the incidence, echocardiographic characteristics, and clinical outcome of persistent IASD after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) by cryoballoon catheter delivered by a large transseptal sheath.

Methods And Results: Thirteen patients (9 males, mean age 54.

Echocardiographic mapping of left ventricular resynchronization during cardiac resynchronization therapy procedures.

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an effective electrical therapy for patients with moderate to severe heart failure and cardiac dyssynchrony. This study aimed to investigate the degree of acute left ventricular (LV) resynchronization with biventricular pacing (BVP) at different LV sites and to examine the feasibility of performing transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to quantify acute LV resynchronization during CRT procedure.

Methods: Fourteen patients with NYHA Class III-IV heart failure, LV ejection fraction < or = 35%, QRS duration > or = 120 ms and septal-lateral delay (SLD) > or = 60 ms on tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), underwent CRT implant.

Cryoablation versus radiofrequency ablation for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia: patient pain perception and operator stress.

Background: Cryoablation (CRYO) is an alternative to radiofrequency (RF) ablation in the treatment of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). This study aims to evaluate the differences in patient pain perception and operator stress between CRYO and RF ablation in the treatment of AVNRT.

Methods: Patients with supraventricular tachycardia underwent electrophysiology study.

Treatment of atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia by cryoablation with a 6 mm-tip catheter vs. radiofrequency ablation.

Aims: To compare recurrence rate and other procedural characteristics in patients undergoing atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia (AVNRT) treatment with catheter cryoablation (CRYO) delivered by 6 mm-tip catheter or radiofrequency (RF) ablation.

Methods And Results: This is a retrospective case-control study including 80 patients with AVNRT treated with CRYO from March 2002 to June 2008. They were compared with another 80 consecutive patients who underwent RF ablation for AVNRT within the same period.

A new ECG criterion to identify takotsubo cardiomyopathy from anterior myocardial infarction: role of inferior leads.

With the exception of contrast-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, clear distinction of takotsubo cardiomyopathy from anterior wall myocardial infarction cannot be achieved currently by simple and noninvasive tests. The aim of this study was to examine the role of inferior ECG leads in distinguishing these two conditions. From January 2004 to June 2006, eight female patients suffering from takotsubo cardiomyopathy were identified by the Mayo Clinic criteria.

Tachycardia amongst subjects recovering from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

SARS is a new infection in human. Patients recovering from SARS had palpitation in the form of sinus tachycardia. This study to identify the possible causes for the tachycardia excluded active disease, thyroid dysfunction, haematological, cardiac, autonomic and significant pulmonary defect at 2 months from onset of disease.

Possible central nervous system infection by SARS coronavirus.

On day 22 of illness, generalized tonic-clonic convulsion developed in a 32-year-old woman with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Cerebrospinal fluid tested positive for SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. SARS-CoV may have caused an infection in the central nervous system in this patient.