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We present an unusual case of alternating left anterior and left posterior fascicular block. Given the known risk for progression to complete atrioventricular block with alternating right bundle and left bundle branch block, we performed an electrophysiological study. Findings were consistent with infra-Hisian disease, and the patient underwent pacemaker implantation.

I. Introduction 527 II. Establishing Employment Discrimination Toward Sexual Minorities & Bostock 528 A. Pre-Bostock Title VII Claims Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity 528 B. The Bostock Decision [...]

INTRODUCTION 243 I. THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND SEXUAL SPEECH 244 A. Unprotected Speech: Obscenity 245 1. Community Standards 246 2. Prurient Interest 247 3. Patently Offensive 248 4. Societal Value [...]

Background: The ability of computed tomography (CT) characteristics to predict the difficulty of transvenous lead extraction (TLE) is an evolving subject. Objective: To identify CT characteristics associated with increased TLE difficulty. Methods: All consecutive patients undergoing TLE at the University of California San Diego from January 2018 to February 2022 were analyzed, utilizing the UC San Diego Lead Extraction Registry. Patients underwent cardiac‐gated chest CT scans with intravenous contrast; all scans were reviewed by a single radiologist. Lead extraction was performed per standard institutional protocol with the initial use of a laser sheath and crossover to a mechanical sheath as needed. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of individual lead‐removal fluoroscopy time and mechanical sheath use, as markers of extraction difficulty. Results: A total of 343 patients were analyzed. The mean age of the study population was 63.8 ± 15.4 years; 71% were male. The mean lead dwell‐in duration was 8.6 ± 5.7 years. In multivariable linear regression analysis, venous occlusion detected on CT was independently associated with higher individual lead‐removal fluoroscopy time (p = 0.004), when adjusting for clinical characteristics such as lead dwell time. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, calcification and venous occlusion were independently associated with a higher need for mechanical sheath use during TLE (odds ratio:5.08, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 2.54–10.46) and (odds ratio:3.72, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.89–7.35), respectively. Conclusion: In patients undergoing TLE, venous occlusion identified by chest CT is associated with increased fluoroscopy time. Patients with lead‐associated calcification or venous occlusion detected by chest CT are each five and three times more likely to require crossover from laser to a mechanical sheath. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Increasing evidence has suggested improved outcomes in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with heart failure (HF) undergoing catheter ablation (CA) as compared to medical therapy. We sought to investigate the benefit of CA on outcomes of patients with AF and HF as compared to medical therapy. Methods and Results: A systematic review of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials was performed for clinical studies evaluating the benefit of CA for patients with AF and HF. Primary endpoint was all‐cause mortality. Secondary endpoints included atrial‐arrhythmia recurrence and improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Eight randomized controlled trials were included with a total of 2121 patients (mean age: 65 ± 5 years; 72% male). Mean follow‐up duration was 32.9 ± 14.5 months. All‐cause mortality in patients who underwent CA was significantly lower than in the medical treatment group (8.8% vs. 13.5%, RR 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.51−0.83, p =.0005). A 35% relative risk reduction and 4.7% absolute risk reduction in all‐cause mortality was observed with CA. Rates of all‐atrial arrhythmia recurrence were significantly lower in the CA group (39.9% vs. 69.6%, RR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.40−0.76, p =.0003). Improvement in LVEF was significantly higher in patients undergoing CA (+9.4 ± 7.6%) as compared to conventional treatment (+3.3 ± 8%) (mean difference 6.2, 95% CI: 3.6−8.8, p <.00001). Conclusion: CA for AF in patients with HF decreases all‐cause mortality, improves all‐atrial arrhythmia recurrence rate and LVEF when compared to medical management. CA should be considered the treatment of choice to improve survival in this select group of patients. Nonetheless, the benefit of CA in patients with severely reduced ejection fraction and New York Heart Association class IV HF has not been clearly elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Percutaneous epicardial access (EA) was first described more than two decades ago. Since its initial introduction, indications for its utilization in the field of electrophysiology have expanded dramatically. Discussion: Epicardial mapping and ablation in patients with ventricular tachycardia is routinely performed in tertiary electrophysiology centers around the world. Although limited by lack of randomized controlled trials, epicardial ablation for atrial fibrillation has been suggested as a conjunctive strategy in patients who have failed an initial endocardial catheter ablation attempt, and it is necessary for placement of some left atrial appendage occlusion devices as well. An accurate understanding of the cardiac anatomy is crucial to avoid complications such as inadvertent right ventricular puncture, injury to the coronary arteries, abdominal viscera, phrenic nerves, and esophagus during both EA and catheter ablation. Conclusion: The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the cardiac anatomy, technical aspects to optimize the safety of epicardial puncture, recognize and avoid potential complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Empirical pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) remains the cornerstone for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). Various ablation strategies and modalities are continually tested with the aim of improving ablation outcomes. Although focal impulse and rotor modulation (FIRM)‐guided ablation is currently used as an adjunct to PVI, evidence supporting this strategy is conflicting. We sought to examine whether the utilization of FIRM‐guided ablation with or without PVI is associated with a decrease in all‐atrial arrhythmia recurrence as compared to PVI alone. Methods: A systematic review of PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase was performed for head‐to‐head study designs comparing outcomes of patients who underwent FIRM‐guided ablation with or without PVI to those who underwent PVI alone. The primary efficacy endpoint was all‐atrial arrhythmia recurrence. The secondary endpoints were complications rates and procedural characteristics. Results: Overall, six studies comprising 674 patients undergoing either FIRM‐guided ablation ± PVI versus PVI were included (mean age 63.4 ± 9.2, male 74%, 9% paroxysmal AF, 91% nonparoxysmal AF). After a mean follow‐up of 18.8 months, FIRM‐guided ablation with or without PVI was not associated with improvement in all‐atrial arrhythmia recurrence rate compared to PVI alone (43.4% vs. 45.9%, risk ratio [RR]: 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77–1.47; p =.70). No statistically significant difference was noted in complication rates between the two groups (RR: 1.66; 95% CI: 0.08–34.54; p =.74). Conclusion: In this meta‐analysis of head‐to‐head comparison studies, FIRM‐guided ablation with or without PVI did not provide any benefit in improving all‐atrial arrhythmia recurrence at follow‐up when compared to PVI alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Left atrial appendage electrical isolation (LAAEI) has been shown to improve freedom from all-atrial arrhythmia recurrence in patients with non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study is to investigate the long-term efficacy and safety outcomes of LAAEI in patients with non-paroxysmal AF undergoing catheter ablation.Methods and Results: A systematic review of Medline, Cochrane, and Embase was performed for clinical studies evaluating the benefit of LAAEI in non-paroxysmal AF. Nine studies with a total of 2336 patients were included (mean age: 65 ± 9 years, 63% male). All studies included patients with persistent AF, long-standing persistent AF, or both. At a mean follow-up of 40.5 months, patients who underwent LAAEI had significantly higher freedom from all-atrial arrhythmia recurrence than patients who underwent standard ablation alone [69.3% vs. 46.4%; risk ratio (RR) 0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.42-0.69; P < 0.0001]. A 46% relative risk reduction and 22.9% absolute risk reduction in atrial-arrhythmia recurrence was noted with LAAEI. Rates of cerebral thromboembolism were not significantly different between the two groups (LAAEI 3% vs. standard ablation 1.6%, respectively; RR 1.76; 95% CI 0.61-5.04; P = 0.29). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the acute procedural complication rates between the two groups (LAAEI 4% vs. standard ablation 3%, respectively; RR 1.29; 95% CI 0.83-2.02; P = 0.26).Conclusion: At long-term follow-up, LAAEI led to a significantly higher improvement in freedom from all-atrial arrhythmia recurrence in patients with non-paroxysmal AF, when compared to standard ablation alone. Importantly, this benefit was achieved without an increased risk of acute procedural complications or cerebral thromboembolic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the mainstay of catheter ablation (CA) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). However, for persistent and long‐standing persistent AF, there are no established strategies to improve the success rate of CA. Despite studies indicating that prophylactic cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation provides no or limited incremental benefit in patients with AF, it is still routinely performed worldwide. Objective: We sought to examine whether CTI ablation for AF is associated with improvement in recurrence of all‐atrial arrhythmias, compared with PVI alone in patients with and without typical atrial flutter (AFL). Methods: A systematic review of PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase was performed for clinical studies including AF patients, reporting outcomes of CTI + PVI versus PVI alone. The primary efficacy endpoint was recurrence of all‐atrial arrhythmias. Results: Five studies comprising 1400 patients undergoing CTI + PVI versus PVI alone were included; 1110 patients had AF without AFL, and 290 patients had coexistent AF and AFL. After a mean follow‐up of 14.4 ± 4.8 months, CTI + PVI was not associated with improvement in recurrence of all‐atrial arrhythmias when compared with PVI alone (risk ratio [RR]: 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93–1.79;p =.13). In the subgroup analysis, there were no differences between both groups in patients with AF without AFL (RR: 1.55; 95% CI: 0.96–2.48; p =.07), and in patients with AF and AFL (RR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.6–1.39; p =.68). Conclusion: In AF patients, irrespective of the presence of typical AFL, additional CTI ablation is not associated with improvement in recurrence of all‐atrial arrhythmias, compared with PVI alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pathologic process of ARVC (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy) typically originates in the epicardium or subepicardial layers with progression toward endocardium. However, in the most recent ARVC international task force consensus statement, epicardial ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation is recommended as a Class I indication only in patients with at least one failed endocardial VT ablation attempt. Objective: The aim of this meta‐analysis is to assess the outcomes of ARVC patients undergoing combined endo‐epicardial VT ablation, as compared to endocardial ablation alone. Methods: A systematic review of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane was performed for studies reporting clinical outcomes of endo‐epicardial VT ablation vs endocardial‐only VT ablation in patients with ARVC. Fixed‐Effect model was used if I2 < 25 and the Random‐Effects Model was used if I2 ≥ 25%. Results: Nine studies consisting of 452 patients were included (mean age 42.3 ± 5.7 years; 70% male). After a mean follow‐up of 48.1 ± 21.5 months, endo‐epicardial ablation was associated with 42% relative risk reduction in VA recurrence as opposed to endocardial ablation alone (risk ratio [RR], 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45‐0.75; P <.0001). No significant differences were noted between endo‐epicardial and endocardial VT ablation groups in terms of all‐cause mortality (RR, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.03‐47.08; P =.93) and acute procedural complications (RR, 5.39; 95% CI, 0.60‐48.74; P =.13). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that in patients with ARVC, endo‐epicardial VT ablation is associated with a significant reduction in VA recurrence as opposed to endocardial ablation alone, without a significant difference in all‐cause mortality or acute procedural complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hyponatremia is a well-established poor prognostic marker in patients with heart failure. Whether the mortality risk is comparable among different races of patients with heart failure and hyponatremia is unknown. Materials and methods: Consecutive patients admitted with acute decompensated heart failure and an admission sodium level<135 mEq/L from 1/1/2001 through 12/31/10 were identified. Patients were divided into four groups based on self-reported race: white, African American, Hispanic and other. African Americans were used as the reference group for statistical analysis. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Results: We included 4,343 patients, from which 1,356 (31%) identified as white, 1,248 (29%) as African American, 780 (18%) as Hispanic and 959 (22%) as other. During a median follow-up of 23 months, a total of 2,384 patients died: 678 were African American, 820 were white, 298 were Hispanic and 588 were other. After adjusting for baseline demographics, comorbidities and medication use, Hispanic patients had a 45% less risk of death as compared to African Americans (HR .55, CI .48-.64, p<0.05). There was no difference in mortality between white and African American patients (HR 1.04, CI .92–1.2, p = 0.79). Conclusion: Hispanic patients admitted for heart failure and who were hyponatremic on admission had an independent lower risk of mortality compared to other groups. These findings may be due to the disparate activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system among various racial groups. This observational study is hypothesis generating and suggests that treatment of patients with heart failure and hyponatremia should perhaps be focused more on renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system reduction in certain racial groups, yet less in others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors discuss pericardial drain removal after atrial fibrillation ablation. Topics mentioned include percutaneous pericardiocentesis combined with protamine reversal of systemic heparinization, addition of 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate in patients undergoing catheter ablation with uninterrupted factor Xa inhibition, and fear of rebleeding and reaccumulation of pericardial fluid necessitating repeat pericardiocentesis.

Background: Left atrial appendage electrical isolation (LAAEI) has been proposed for the treatment of nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). The long-term clinical outcomes of this approach remain unclear. The objective of our study was to investigate the incremental benefit and safety of LAAEI in patients undergoing catheter ablation for nonparoxysmal AF.Methods: Propensity score-matched analysis was performed using a prospective registry database from 2010 to 2014. All patients in the LAAEI group were matched based on baseline characteristics, echocardiographic parameters, and procedural ablation techniques.Results: We identified 1842 patients who underwent catheter ablation for nonparoxysmal AF. Propensity score matching yielded 1092 patients, 546 patients with LAAEI, and 546 patients without LAAEI. At 5-year follow-up, overall freedom from all-atrial arrhythmia recurrence, off-antiarrhythmic drugs, in patients who underwent LAAEI was 68.9% versus 50.2% in those who underwent standard ablation alone (P<0.001). Acute complication rates were similar between groups (LAAEI 1.3% versus non-LAAEI 0.73%, P=0.36). At 5-year follow-up, 382 (70%) patients in the LAAEI group remained on oral anticoagulation versus 217 (39.7%) in the non-LAAEI group. At 5-year follow-up, thromboembolic events occurred in 15/546 (2.75%) in the LAAEI group and 4/546 (0.73%) in the non-LAAEI group (P=0.01). No thromboembolic events occurred in either group on-oral anticoagulation. In patients who were off-oral anticoagulation, at 5-year follow-up, thromboembolic events occurred in 15/164 (9.1%) in the LAAEI group and 4/329 (1.2%) in the non-LAAEI group (P<0.001).Conclusions: At 5-year follow-up, LAAEI was associated with significantly higher freedom from all-atrial arrhythmia recurrence in patients with persistent and long-standing persistent AF without increasing acute procedural complication rate. In patients off-oral anticoagulation, there appears to be a higher risk of thromboembolic events in the LAAEI group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Left atrial appendage electrical isolation (LAAEI) has been shown to improve freedom from all-atrial arrhythmia recurrence in patients with non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study is to investigate the long-term efficacy and safety outcomes of LAAEI in patients with non-paroxysmal AF undergoing catheter ablation., Methods and Results: A systematic review of Medline, Cochrane, and Embase was performed for clinical studies evaluating the benefit of LAAEI in non-paroxysmal AF. Nine studies with a total of 2336 patients were included (mean age: 65 ± 9 years, 63% male). All studies included patients with persistent AF, long-standing persistent AF, or both. At a mean follow-up of 40.5 months, patients who underwent LAAEI had significantly higher freedom from all-atrial arrhythmia recurrence than patients who underwent standard ablation alone [69.3% vs. 46.4%; risk ratio (RR) 0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.42-0.69; P < 0.0001]. A 46% relative risk reduction and 22.9% absolute risk reduction in atrial-arrhythmia recurrence was noted with LAAEI. Rates of cerebral thromboembolism were not significantly different between the two groups (LAAEI 3% vs. standard ablation 1.6%, respectively; RR 1.76; 95% CI 0.61-5.04; P = 0.29). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the acute procedural complication rates between the two groups (LAAEI 4% vs. standard ablation 3%, respectively; RR 1.29; 95% CI 0.83-2.02; P = 0.26)., Conclusion: At long-term follow-up, LAAEI led to a significantly higher improvement in freedom from all-atrial arrhythmia recurrence in patients with non-paroxysmal AF, when compared to standard ablation alone. Importantly, this benefit was achieved without an increased risk of acute procedural complications or cerebral thromboembolic events., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Limited data are available on performance of the left ventricular (LV) mass equation when there is a dynamic change to LV load. We aimed to test this equation in the immediate post-operative period following aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic regurgitation (AR) to see if it would reliably demonstrate stable LV mass before and after surgery. Since LV mass would be unlikely to change in the immediate postoperative period, we hypothesized that a decrease in LV diameter postoperatively would be accompanied by concomitant increases in LV wall thickness as predicted by the LV mass equation., Methods: We reviewed echocardiograms of adult patients with AR who underwent AVR from 2007-2017 at Montefiore Medical Center (n=28). Three independent readers performed septal wall thickness (SWT), posterior wall thickness (PWT) and left ventricular internal diameter (LVID) measurements on pre-operative and post-operative echocardiograms. LV masses were calculated using the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) equation., Results: Post-operatively, LVID decreased from 5.7±1.2 to 4.9±1.0 cm, P<0.001. SWT was noted to increase from 1.08±0.20 to 1.18±0.27 cm, P=0.03, but PWT was unchanged, 1.11±0.21 to 1.16±0.27 cm, P=0.21. Accordingly, the LV mass equation calculated a decrease in LV mass from 266±126 to 232±99 gm, P=0.01. A control group of coronary artery bypass grafting alone (n=14) did not demonstrate any significant change in SWT, LVID, PWT and LV mass measurements. Similar findings were found for all three readers., Conclusions: Following aortic valve replacement for regurgitation, the LV mass equation calculated a reduction in LV mass in the immediate postoperative period. Since an immediate change in LV mass after AVR is unlikely, we feel that these results highlight an important limitation of the mass equation, when used with acutely changing loading conditions., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Increasing life expectancy is expected to lead to a corresponding increase in the prevalence of aortic valve disease (AVD). Further, the number of indications for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) as a treatment option for AVD is expanding, with a growing role for echocardiography in its management. In this review we summarize the current literature on some newer echocardiographic modalities and the parameters they generate, with a particular focus on their prognostic and clinical value beyond conventional methods in the management of aortic stenosis, TAVR, and aortic regurgitation. Speckle tracking and 3D echocardiography are now increasingly being used in the management of AVD. For instance, global longitudinal strain, the best-studied speckle tracking echocardiographic parameter, can detect subtle subclinical cardiac dysfunction in patients with AVD that is not apparent using traditional echocardiographic techniques. The emerging technique of 3D full volume color Doppler echocardiography provides more accurate measurement of the severity of aortic regurgitation than 2D-proximal isovelocity surface area. These novel techniques are promising for evaluating and risk stratifying patients to optimize surgical interventions, predict recovery, and improve clinical outcomes., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors declare no conflict of interests for this article.