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Objectives: To evaluate the time to onset and the predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF) during long term follow up of patients with typical atrial flutter (AFL) treated with transisthmic ablation.Design: Prospective multicentre study.Methods and Results: 383 patients (75.4% men, mean (SD) age 61.7 (11.1) years) who underwent transisthmic ablation for typical AFL were investigated. In 239 patients (62.4%) AF was present before ablation. Ablation proved successful in 367 patients (95.8%). During a mean (SD) follow up of 20.5 (12.4) months, 41.5% of patients reported AF. The cumulative probability of postablation AF increased continuously as time passed: it was 22% at six months, 36% at one year, 50% at two years, 58% at three years, and 63% at four years.Conclusions: AF occurred in a large proportion of patients after transisthmic catheter ablation of typical AFL. The occurrence of AF was progressive during follow up. Preablation AF, age < 65 years, and left atrial size > 50 mm are associated with postablation AF occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phrenic nerve stimulation (PNS), occurring in 33%-37% of the patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), is a limiting factor when implanting left ventricular (LV) leads from coronary veins.Objective: To test the hypothesis that PNS occurrence is related to bipolar electrode spacing.Methods: During standard CRT defibrillator implant procedures, a 5-F diagnostic electrophysiology catheter with 10 electrodes, spaced 2-5-2 mm, was positioned in a cardiac vein suitable for permanent LV lead placement. Pacing in the unipolar configuration identified the site with the lowest PNS threshold. PNS and left ventricular pacing (LVP) thresholds were then measured in different configurations at 0.5 ms: unipolar, each LV electrode served as the cathode in turn; and bipolar with different electrode spacing, cathode being the electrode with the lowest unipolar PNS threshold.Results: From February to September 2010, 40 patients undergoing CRT implantation were enrolled in 4 centers in Italy. It was possible to identify PNS and perform a complete set of measurements in 23 patients. A bipolar electrode spacing of 2 mm resulted in higher PNS thresholds in bipolar configurations han did a bipolar electrode spacing of ≥ 5 mm. However, no significant increase in the LVP threshold was observed (P = ns).Conclusions: This experience suggests that LVP with a bipolar electrode spacing of 2 mm significantly increases the PNS threshold without affecting the LVP threshold, thereby increasing the possibility of delivering CRT when the LV lead is placed in proximity to the phrenic nerve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation has been proposed as a treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Several approaches have been reported and success rates have been dependent on procedural volume and operator's experience. This is the first report of a multicenter study of RF ablation of AF. We treated 44 men and 25 women with paroxysmal (n = 40) or persistent (n = 29), drug refractory AF. Circular pulmonary vein (PV) ostial lesions were deployed transseptally, during sinus rhythm (n = 42) or AF (n = 26), under three-dimensional electroanatomic guidance. Cavo-tricuspid isthmus ablation was performed in 27 (40%) patients. The mean procedure time was 215 +/- 76 minutes (93-530), mean fluoroscopic exposure 32 +/- 14 minutes (12-79), and mean number of RF pulses per patient 56 +/- 29 (18-166). The mean numbers of separate PV ostia mapped and isolated per patient were 3.9 +/- 0.5, and 3.8 +/- 0.7, respectively. Major complications were observed in 3 (4%) patients, including pericardial effusion, transient ischemic attack, and tamponade. At 1-month follow-up, 21 of 68 (31%) patients had had AF recurrences, of whom 8 required electrical cardioversion. After the first month, over a mean period of 9 +/- 3 (5-14) months, 57 (84%) patients remained free of atrial arrhythmias. RF ablation of AF by circumferential PV ostial ablation is feasible with a high short-term success rate. While the procedure and fluoroscopic exposure duration were short, the incidence of major cardiac complications was not negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The aim of this prospective, randomized study was to determine the efficacy of a serial external electrical cardioversion strategy in maintaining sinus rhythm after 12 months in patients with recurrent persistent atrial fibrillation.Methods and Results Ninety patients with persistent atrial fibrillation lasting more than 72h but less than 1 year were randomized in a one to one fashion to repetition of up to two electrical cardioversions in the event of relapse of atrial fibrillation detected within 1 month of the previous electrical cardioversion (Group AGG), or to non-treatment of atrial fibrillation relapse (Group CTL). ECGs were scheduled at 6h, 7 days, and 1 month. Clinical examination and ECGs were repeated during the 6-month and 12-month follow-up examinations. Echocardiography was repeated during the 6-month follow-up examination. Clinical and echocardiographic characteristics were similar in the two groups. All patients were treated with antiarrhythmic drugs before electrical cardioversion and throughout follow-up. After 12 months, sinus rhythm was maintained in 53% of Group AGG patients and in 29% of Group CTL patients (P<0·03). After 6 months, left ventricular ejection fraction had recovered significantly only in Group AGG (56·8±9·0% at enrolment vs 60·4±9·4% at 6 months,P <0·001).Conclusion These results demonstrate that an aggressive policy towards persistent atrial fibrillation by means of repetition of electrical cardioversion after early atrial fibrillation recurrence is useful in maintaining sinus rhythm after 12 months. Copyright 2002 The European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

BACKGROUND Device-detected atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) are atrial arrhythmias detected by implanted cardiac devices. AHREs resemble atrial fibrillation but are rare and brief. Whether the occurrence of AHREs in patients without atrial fibrillation (as documented on a conventional electrocardiogram [ECG]) justifies the initiation of anticoagulants is not known. METHODS We conducted an event-driven, double-blind, double-dummy, randomized trial involving patients 65 years of age or older who had AHREs lasting for at least 6 minutes and who had at least one additional risk factor for stroke. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive edoxaban or placebo. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, stroke, or systemic embolism, evaluated in a time-to-event analysis. The safety outcome was a composite of death from any cause or major bleeding. RESULTS The analysis population consisted of 2536 patients (1270 in the edoxaban group and 1266 in the placebo group). The mean age was 78 years, 37.4% were women, and the median duration of AHREs was 2.8 hours. The trial was terminated early, at a median follow-up of 21 months, on the basis of safety concerns and the results of an independent, informal assessment of futility for the efficacy of edoxaban; at termination, the planned enrollment had been completed. A primary efficacy outcome event occurred in 83 patients (3.2% per patient-year) in the edoxaban group and in 101 patients (4.0% per patient-year) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60 to 1.08; P=0.15). The incidence of stroke was approximately 1% per patient-year in both groups. A safety outcome event occurred in 149 patients (5.9% per patient-year) in the edoxaban group and in 114 patients (4.5% per patient-year) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.67; P = 0.03). ECG-diagnosed atrial fibrillation developed in 462 of 2536 patients (18.2% total, 8.7% per patient-year). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with AHREs detected by implantable devices, anticoagulation with edoxaban did not significantly reduce the incidence of a composite of cardiovascular death, stroke, or systemic embolism as compared with placebo, but it led to a higher incidence of a composite of death or major bleeding. The incidence of stroke was low in both groups. (Funded by the German Center for Cardiovascular Research and others; NOAH-AFNET 6 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02618577; ISRCTN number, ISRCTN17309850.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of pulmonary veins (PV) isolation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) is still debated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adjunctive role of PV isolation in patients with persistent AF who underwent circumferential PV ablation (anatomical approach). Methods: We treated 97 consecutive patients presenting with drug-refractory persistent AF by an anatomical approach (group A, n = 36, mean age = 60 ± 8 years, 29 males) or an integrated approach (group B, n = 61, mean age 59 ± 10 years, 48 males). In all patients, radiofrequency (RF) ablation was performed by means of a nonfluoroscopic navigation system, in order to anatomically create circumferential lines around the PV. In group B, the persistence of PV potentials was ascertained with a multipolar circular catheter. If PV potentials persisted, RF energy targeting the electrophysiological breakthroughs was delivered to disconnect the PV. Past a 2-month period of observation, success was defined as absence of any atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence lasting >30 seconds. Results: Total procedure duration (220 ± 62 minutes vs 140 ± 43 minutes, P < 0.001), fluoroscopy time (35 ± 15 minutes vs 17 ± 9 minutes, P < 0.001), and RF delivery time (48 ± 22 minutes vs 27 ± 9 minutes, P < 0.001) were significantly longer in group B than in group A. One cardiac perforation occurred in group A. After 15 ± 9.1 months, 21 patients in group A (58%) and 34 patients in group B (56%) were free of atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence (P = 0.9). Conclusions: In patients with persistent AF, who underwent an anatomical approach, electrophysiological confirmation of PV disconnection significantly increased the fluoroscopy and procedural times, without effect on the long-term outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 2002 the European Registry Search-MI (SMI) was started with the purpose to follow patients in clinical practice, treated with ICD on the base of MADIT II (MII) indication.Methods In 48 Italian centers 444 patients (pts) with MII indication were enrolled after implant of an ICD (VVIR 53%, DDDR 26%, CRT 21%). Results The baseline characteristics compared with MII population are reported in the table. In comparison to MII pts, SMI pts were less often in NYHA class I; were more affected by AF and LBBB; and higher intake of Amiodarone and lower intake of Statins was documented. The average follow-up was 11 months and 38/303(12.5%) pts had appropriate device intervention, 23 pts (7.6%) treated with at least 1 shock and 24 pts (7.9%) with ATP. One year total mortality regarded 16 pts (5.7%): 10 cardiac (6 not sudden, 4 sudden but 2 not arrhythmic), 4 not cardiac, 2 not classified. Conclusion despite several baseline clinical differences, mortality rate in clinical practice seems to be comparable to the ICD arm of MII study, also in terms of classification. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

EPASS Pilot study compared right atrial appendage (RAA) and Interatrial Septum (IAS) pacing in patients (Pts) with SSS and atrial fibrillation (AF), in relation with the electrophysiologic study (EP) and pacing mode.Method 42 Pts (72±7 years old, 15M, 27F) were submitted to EP before randomization of pacing site and algorithms. The difference between basal and incremental conduction times (CT) was measured between the RAA and the coronary sinus os (csos) (delta-ctos). Pts with A2>100ms, ERP/A2<2,2, P wave duration >110ms and delta-ctos>60ms were group A. The remaining pts were group B. The number of AF episodes lasting more than 7 minutes (AF-Ep) was collected at 2 follow-ups of 3 months each by the pacemaker Selection 9000 (Vitatron). Results Group A (IAS) showed a reduction of AF-Ep/day with algorithms (p = 0,049) as to standard DDD. Group A (RAA) showed an increase of AF-Ep/day (p = 0,046) when continuously paced. Group B did not show statistically significant differences between DDD and DDD + Algorithms. Conclusion Pts with RA severe conduction delay may benefit of continuous pacing in the IAS, but not in the RAA. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]