Background: Despite successful mitral valve replacement (MVR), many patients remain in AF. Flecainide can be useful in these patients but has not been used because of underlying structural heart disease.
Methods: We assessed oral flecainide for conversion and maintenance of SR in 25 patients of chronic rheumatic AF following MVR (age 34.4 yrs, mean AF duration: 3.6 yrs). Non-converters underwent DC cardioversion at 24 h and 4 weeks. Patients received flecainide and bb/diltiazem at discharge.
Results: Single oral dose of Flecainide achieved SR in 6/25 (24%) while 19/25 achieved SR after DCC; at24 h 21/25 (84%) were in SR. With mean flecainide dose (93.10 ± 9.40 mg), successful maintenance of SR at 6 months was seen in 16/23 (69.5%). No significant changes in PR interval, QRS duration or QTc were noted; flecainide was well tolerated. Patients in SR had significantly better functional status, QOL scores and higher LA strain at 6 months (25.25 vs 17.43%, p < .0001). Baseline LA diameter ≤ 61 mm predicted SR at 6 months (sensitivity/specificity 93.7% and 85.71%) while the values for AF duration ≤ 4 years and LA strain > 21% for predicting SR were 87.5/71.43% and 100/85.71% respectively.
Conclusion: Oral flecainide was safe and effective in post MVR rheumatic AF patients; maintenance of SR was achieved in 76% of initial converters and 64% of overall population, with better LA strain values. More studies are needed to validate these results.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ihj.2023.07.001 | DOI Listing |
Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol
January 2025
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
Background: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an inherited channelopathy characterized by right precordial ST-segment elevation. This study investigates the clinical and genetic characteristics of children with BrS in Hong Kong.
Methods: A retrospective review was conducted at the only tertiary pediatric cardiology center in Hong Kong from 2002 to 2022, including all pediatric BrS patients under 18 years old.
J Am Heart Assoc
December 2024
Graduate Program in Translational Biology Medicine and Health, Virginia Tech Roanoke VA USA.
Background: Previous studies suggest the relationship between activation time (AT) and action potential duration (APD) in the heart is dependent on electrotonic coupling, but this has not been directly tested. This study assessed whether acute changes in electrical coupling, or other determinants of conduction or repolarization, modulate APD heterogeneity.
Methods And Results: Langendorff-perfused guinea pig hearts were epicardially paced and optically mapped after treatment with the gap junction uncoupler carbenoxolone, ephaptic uncoupler mannitol, ephaptic enhancer dextran 2MDa, sodium channel inhibitor flecainide, or rapid component of the delayed rectifier potassium channel inhibitor E4031.
Background: Flecainide and other class-Ic antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) are widely used in Andersen-Tawil syndrome type 1 (ATS1) patients. However, class-Ic drugs might be proarrhythmic in some cases. We investigated the molecular mechanisms of class-I AADs proarrhythmia and whether they might increase the risk of death in ATS1 patients with structurally normal hearts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJACC Clin Electrophysiol
November 2024
Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics (Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA; Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (Division of Pediatric Cardiology), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA; Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (Division of Heart Rhythm Services, Windland Smith Rice Genetic Heart Rhythm Clinic), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. Electronic address:
Background: Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a rare, potentially life-threatening genetic heart disease. Nonselective beta-blockers (BBs) are highly effective in reducing CPVT-triggered arrhythmic events. However, some patients suffer from unacceptable BB side effects and might require strategies without a BB.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStem Cell Res Ther
December 2024
Department of Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Introduction: A healthy young woman, age 26 without prior cardiac complications, experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation (VF), which coincided with a fever. Comprehensive diagnostics including echo, CMR, exercise testing, and genetic sequencing, did not identify any potential cause. This led to the diagnosis of idiopathic VF and installment of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, which six months later appropriately intervened another VF episode under conditions comparable to the first event.
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