Safety and feasibility of intravenous sotalol loading for the prevention of ventricular arrhythmias.

Background: The use of intravenous (IV) sotalol loading following recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a 1-day loading protocol has reduced the obligatory 3-day hospital stay for sotalol initiation when given orally.

Esophageal temperature management during cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Esophageal thermal injury (ETI) is a well-recognized complication of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Previous studies have demonstrated that direct esophageal cooling reduces ETI during radiofrequency AF ablation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of an esophageal warming device to prevent ETI during cryoballoon ablation (CBA) for AF.

Dialysis therapy and mortality in older adults with heart failure and advanced chronic kidney disease: A high-dimensional propensity-matched cohort study.

Background: Heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) frequently coexist, and the combination is linked to poor outcomes, but limited data exist to guide optimal management. We evaluated the outcome of dialysis therapy in older patients with HF and advanced CKD.

Methods: We examined adults aged ≥70 years with HF and eGFR ≤20 ml/min/1.

Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation on Flecainide Therapy.

Flecainide pill-in-the-pocket therapy is a pharmacologic treatment option for patients with infrequent episodes of symptomatic atrial fibrillation. We report a case of wide complex tachycardia due to atrial flutter with 1:1 atrioventricular conduction in a patient who took pill-in-the-pocket flecainide without concomitant atrioventricular nodalblockade.

Vasospastic Arrest:: A Heart-Stopping Case of Prinzmetal Angina.

Vasospastic angina is an uncommon cause of cardiac arrest. We describe a patient who presented with sudden cardiac arrest due to severe coronary vasospasm. Telemetry during the event revealed ventricular arrhythmias and asystole followed by spontaneous self-conversion back to normal sinus rhythm.

Patient-reported outcomes after cryoballoon ablation are equivalent between moderate sedation and general anesthesia.

Introduction: Moderate sedation (MS) during cryoballoon ablation (CBA) avoids risks of general anesthesia (GA) and improves electrophysiology (EP) lab throughput. However, one barrier to the use of MS is the potential for patient discomfort. The objective of this study was to compare patient-reported outcome measures following CBA for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF) under MS and GA.

Immortalization of Different Breast Epithelial Cell Types Results in Distinct Mitochondrial Mutagenesis.

Different phenotypes of normal cells might influence genetic profiles, epigenetic profiles, and tumorigenicities of their transformed derivatives. In this study, we investigate whether the whole mitochondrial genome of immortalized cells can be attributed to the different phenotypes (stem vs. non-stem) of their normal epithelial cell originators.

Corrigendum: Optic neuropathy and congenital glaucoma associated with probable Zika virus infection in Venezuelan patients.

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Optic neuropathy and congenital glaucoma associated with probable Zika virus infection in Venezuelan patients.

Introduction: Although the current Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic is a major public health concern, most reports have focused on congenital ZIKV syndrome, its most devastating manifestation. Severe ocular complications associated with ZIKV infections and possible pathogenetic factors are rarely described. Here, we describe three Venezuelan patients who developed severe ocular manifestations following ZIKV infections.

Reconnection Rate and Long-Term Outcome with Adenosine Provocation During Cryoballoon Ablation for Pulmonary Vein Isolation.

Background: Adenosine can unmask dormant conduction during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF). Studies of adenosine use in radiofrequency PVI show high reconnection rates and conflicting results for long-term success, however there is limited data with cryoballoon ablation (CBA).

Methods: A prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing first CBA at a single institution was analyzed.

Long term risk of Wolff-Parkinson-White pattern and syndrome.

For years, conventional wisdom has held that patients with asymptomatic ventricular pre-excitation (asymptomatic WPW or WPW pattern) were at low risk for adverse outcomes. This assumption has been challenged more recently in a number of observational/natural history studies as well as in prospective trials in which patients were more aggressively studied via invasive electrophysiology study (EPS) and more aggressively treated, in some cases, with pre-emptive catheter ablation, despite the lack of symptoms. In sum, the data do not definitively support one approach (early, up-stream EPS and/or ablation) vs.

Moderate Sedation Reduces Lab Time Compared to General Anesthesia during Cryoballoon Ablation for AF Without Compromising Safety or Long-Term Efficacy.

Background: Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF) can be performed under general anesthesia (GA) or moderate sedation (MS). Our objective was to compare the effectiveness, safety, procedure duration, and time spent in the electrophysiology (EP) laboratory for CBA performed under GA and MS.

Methods: Patients undergoing a first CBA for pAF were identified.

The Safety of Cardiac and Thoracic Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices.

Rationale And Objectives: Studies reporting the safety of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) have mostly excluded examinations with the device in the magnet isocenter. The purpose of this study was to describe the safety of cardiac and thoracic spine MRI in patients with a CIED.

Materials And Methods: The medical records of patients with a CIED who underwent a cardiac or thoracic spine MRI between January 2011 and December 2014 were reviewed.

Cryoballoon versus radiofrequency catheter ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Background: Catheter ablation is an established treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) has emerged as an alternative to radiofrequency ablation (RFA). However, there are few data comparing these modalities for treatment of paroxysmal AF (pAF) in the U.

Use of an electrocardiographic screening tool to determine candidacy for a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

Background: An electrocardiographic (ECG) screening test has been developed to identify patients being considered for a totally subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) at risk for T-wave oversensing.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of potential S-ICD recipients who fail the ECG screening test and to identify predictors of failure.

Methods: Patients who already have an ICD but are not receiving antibradycardia pacing are representative of patients who might be considered for an S-ICD.