Heart Rhythm

Hearts should have normal rhythm to their beats, but when these beats are out of synch, it causes inefficient pumping of blood. Irregular heart arrhythmias occur when the electrical signals that coordinate the heart's beats do not work properly. This can cause beats that are too fast (tachycardia), or too slow (bradycardia). Tachycardias include atrial fibrillation (AFib), supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia (VT). Bradycardias include sick sinus syndrome and conduction block. Electrophysiology arrhythmia treatments include medications, life style changes, and the EP lab interventions of catheter ablation, and implantable pacemakers or defibrillators.

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Nasal spray shows potential for quickly treating arrhythmia

A calcium-channel blocker delivered as a nasal spray rapidly restored individuals with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) to normal sinus rhythm in a phase 2 study, raising the possibility that the drug could be self-administered in a real-world setting and prevent trips to the emergency department.

July 25, 2018

Epinephrine after OHCA: Is the survival benefit worth the neurological risk?

Epinephrine doses administered by paramedics significantly improved the odds of 30-day survival for patients following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), according to a randomized, placebo-controlled trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The survivors who received epinephrine, however, had worse neurological outcomes.

July 19, 2018

Diagnosed asthma leads to 38% increased risk of AFib

Asthma and uncontrolled asthma are associated with a 38 percent increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AFib), according to new research published in JAMA Cardiology.

July 17, 2018
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After Shocks: Protocols & Programming Will Be Key to Optimizing ICD Use

Improving the use of ICDs will involve discerning appropriate from inappropriate shocks, standardizing post-shock protocols and refining device programming.

July 16, 2018

DOACs most beneficial for women with AFib

Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants may be even more effective for treating women with atrial fibrillation (AFib) than men, suggests a real-world study from Hong Kong published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

July 13, 2018

What a drag: Smokers face 32% increase in AFib risk

The more a person smokes, the greater the risk of developing a heart rhythm disorder, according to a new study published July 11 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

July 12, 2018

Blacks have worse long-term survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest

Blacks who survive in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) are 28 percent less likely to live to one year after discharge and 33 percent less likely to survive five years when compared to white counterparts, suggesting a disparity in follow-up care.

July 10, 2018

NSAID, anticoagulant combo ups risk for bleeding events in AFib patients

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be dangerous for patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) when taken on top of oral anticoagulants, suggests a post hoc analysis of the RE-LY trial published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

July 9, 2018

Around the web

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

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