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Advanced heart failure (HF) therapies improve survival in patients with stage D HF. We sought to evaluate differences by race/ethnicity and sex in advanced HF therapy referrals and decision-making across a multicenter survey. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients referred for evaluation for advanced HF therapies at 9 centers (n = 515) across the United States. The median age was 58 years, and 73% were male. White patients comprised 55.7% of referrals, whereas non-White patients comprised 44.3%. Non-ischemic etiology was more common in non-White patients (66.6% vs 47.4% p = 0.0005), and ischemic etiology was more common in men (37.8% vs 20.4% p = 0.0005). The primary reason for referral differed by race/ethnicity but not sex, with ventricular arrhythmias (7.6% vs 3%, p = 0.024) and pulmonary hypertension (3.4% vs 0.4% p = 0.018) being more common in White patients, whereas worsening HF was less common (25.4% vs 35.9%; p = 0.009). White patients were offered left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) (60.3% vs 54.7 p = 0.039) and heart transplants (51.8% vs 33.1% p = 0.0007) more often than non-White patients. The preference not to pursue LVAD therapy was more common in non-White patients (17.6% vs 9.6%; p = 0.049). Men were more often declined for a heart transplant because of psychosocial contraindications (34% vs 15%, p = 0.005). In conclusion, in this multicenter analysis of referrals for advanced HF therapies, we observed significant differences by race, ethnicity, and sex in both referral characteristics and evaluation outcomes. Further investigation is warranted to better understand why rates of LVAD and transplantation may be lower in non-White patients who are referred for advanced therapies.

Aims Multiple re-entry circuits may operate simultaneously in the atria in the form of dual loop re-entry using a common isthmus, or multiple re-entrant loops without a common isthmus. When two or more re-entrant circuits coexist, ablation of an individual isthmus may lead to a seamless transition (without significant changes in surface electrocardiogram, coronary sinus activation or tachycardia cycle length) to a second rhythm, and the isthmus block can go unnoticed. Methods and results We hypothesize and subsequently illustrate in three patient cases, methods to rapidly identify a transition in the rhythm and isthmus block using local electrogram changes at the ablation site. Conclusion Local activation sequence changes, electrogram timing, and the behaviour of pre-existing double potentials can reveal isthmus block promptly when rhythm transitions occur during ablation of multiloop re-entry tachycardias.

Purpose Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is a common procedure to reduce cardiovascular morbidity but is limited by recurrence. The objective of this study was to determine if post-ablation acute surface P wave morphology and other electrocardiographic parameters correlate with AF recurrence. Methods The Avoiding Bladder Catheters During AF ablation (ABCD-AF) trial was a randomized, prospective trial in 160 subjects undergoing AF ablation. The present study examined correlation between AF recurrence in follow-up and acute post-ablation electrocardiographic P wave parameters. Results Median follow-up was 255 (188, 306) days. The ABCD-AF cohort had a mean age of 62.7 ± 12.8 with 32.1% being females. Rate of recurrent AF was 35.8%, with a median time to AF of 135 (109, 182) days. There was no baseline demographic associated with AF recurrence. There was more AF recurrence in those with longer follow-up (p = 0.001). Lead 2 PR interval, lead 2 P wave duration/PR (Pdur/PR), lead V1 PR interval, and lead V1 Pdur/PR were all significantly associated with recurrent AF (p = 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.01). Longer PR and shorter Pdur/PR predicted AF recurrence. In a multivariable model, lead V1 Pdur/PR provided the best predictor of AF recurrence, with an odds ratio of 0.018 (p = 0.016) per standard deviation change. Conclusions Shorter P wave duration combined with longer AV node delay, as measured by proportion of the PR that the P wave occupies, was the best predictor of AF recurrence post-ablation.

Objectives The objective of this study was to describe the risk of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) complications in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). Background Patients with LVADs are predisposed to ventricular arrhythmias and frequently have CIEDs before receiving their LVAD. However, the role of CIED procedures such as generator changes (GC) are unclear in this population, given the potential complications of bleeding and infection. Methods This was a retrospective, multicenter study from January 1, 2012, to September 30, 2018. All patients with LVADs were screened and those who had a CIED GC, implantation, or revision were included in the study and followed until December 31, 2018. Results A total of 179 patients across 6 centers had a CIED procedure after LVAD implantation. The mean age was 59.5 ± 13.4, with the cohort comprising mostly men (78%), destination LVAD therapy (53.8%), and GC (66%). The 30-day primary composite endpoint of hematoma or device infection occurred in 34 (19%) patients. The secondary endpoints of rehospitalization within 30 days and appropriate device therapy during follow-up occurred in 40 (22%) and 42 (24%) patients respectively. Of the 126 patients without previous device therapy, 14.3% received appropriate therapy during follow-up. Conclusions In this large, multicenter cohort, we report the incidence of complications for CIED procedures in the LVAD population; specifically, LVAD patients are at increased risk of pocket hematomas, without downstream risk of infection, and do experience a high rate of appropriate device therapies.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the prognosis of patients with ischemic stroke according to the timing of an atrial fibrillation (AF) diagnosis, we created an inception cohort of incident stroke events and compared the risk of death between patients with stroke with (1) sinus rhythm, (2) known AF (KAF), and (3) AF diagnosed after stroke (AFDAS).MethodsWe used the Penn AF Free study to create an inception cohort of patients with incident stroke. Mortality events were identified after linkage with the National Death Index through June 30, 2017. We also evaluated initiation of anticoagulants and antiplatelets across the study duration. Cox proportional hazards models evaluated associations between stroke subtypes and death.ResultsWe identified 1,489 individuals who developed an incident ischemic stroke event: 985 did not develop AF at any point during the study period, 215 had KAF before stroke, 160 had AF detected ≤6 months after stroke, and 129 had AF detected >6 months after stroke. After a median follow-up of 4.9 years (interquartile range 1.9–6.8), 686 deaths occurred. The annualized mortality rate was 8.8% in the stroke, no AF group; 12.2% in the KAF group; 15.8% in the AFDAS ≤6 months group; and 12.7% in the AFDAS >6 months group. Patients in the AFDAS ≤6 months group had the highest independent risk of all-cause mortality even after multivariable adjustment for demographics, clinical risk factors, and the use of antithrombotic therapies (hazard ratio 1.62 [1.22–2.14]). Compared to the stroke, no AF group, those with KAF had a higher mortality risk that was rendered nonsignificant after adjustment.ConclusionsThe AFDAS group had the highest risk of death, which was not explained by comorbidities or use of antithrombotic therapies.

A 55-year-old patient was found to have complete heart block during preoperative assessment. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed an interatrial mass suggestive of primary cardiac tumor. Extensive evaluation including intracardiac biopsy and finally open resection revealed lipomatous hypertrophy masquerading as tumor. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.), Graphical abstract

His-refractory premature ventricular complexes perturbing a supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) establish the presence of an accessory pathway (AP). Earlier premature ventricular complexes (ErPVCs) may perturb SVTs but are considered nondiagnostic.The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that an ErPVC will always show a difference35 ms in its advancement of the next atrial activation during atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). During atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT), a PVC delivered close to the circuit can result in greater advancement of atrial activation due to retrograde conduction via an AP. Thus, an AP response, defined as ErPVC (HSixty-five consecutive patients with SVT were retrospectively evaluated. ErPVCs were defined when the ventricular pacing stimulus was35 ms ahead of the His during tachycardia.Among the 65 cases, 43 were AVNRT and 22 AVRT. Fourteen AVRT cases had an AP response with a mean HAn AP response to PVCs (A

This study sought to determine if atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation can be performed safely without bladder catheterization.Patients undergoing AF ablation often receive bladder catheters. Catheterization is associated with potential complications. The ABCD-AF (Avoiding Bladder Catheters During Atrial Fibrillation) ablation study evaluates the advantages of performing AF ablation without routine catheterization.In this single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial, 80 patients received bladder catheterization (group A), and 80 patients received only as-needed catheterization (group B). The primary endpoint was a composite of cystitis, urethral injury, hematuria, dysuria, or urinary retention.The mean patient age was 63 ± 13 years, and 33% of patients were female. The primary outcome was reached in 45 patients in group A and 11 patients in group B (p 0.001). Urinary tract infection occurred in 7 patients in group A and 2 patients in group B (p = 0.17). Urinary retention occurred in 12 patients in group A and 5 patients in group B (p = 0.07). Randomization to catheterization carried an odds ratio of 8.1 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.7 to 17.5; p 0.001), and male sex carried an odds ratio of 3.8 (95% CI: 1.7 to 8.6; p = 0.001) for the primary endpoint. On subgroup analysis, randomization to undergo catheterization had no association with the primary outcome in female patients but had an odds ratio of 14.6 (95% CI: 5.6 to 38.1; p 0.001) in male patients. In multivariable analysis, sex and catheter status remained independently associated with the primary outcome.Bladder catheterization can be safely avoided in patients undergoing AF ablation and is associated with a significant reduction in adverse outcomes, especially in men.

BACKGROUND Technical advances have improved the safety of cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) insertion, but periprocedural complications persist. Despite ultrasound (US) guidance for vascular access being feasible and exhibiting shorter fluoroscopy times, it is not widely adopted for insertion of CIEDs. Thus, we studied the use of US for CIED insertion to (1) quantify the success rate of venous cannulation, (2) identify predictors of failed cannulation, and (3) quantify the rate of complications using US guidance. METHODS We studied 166 consecutive patients who underwent US-guided CIED implantation. Anatomic parameters of the axillary vein were measured. The primary outcome was success (group 1) or failure (group 2) to obtain vascular access utilizing US guidance. Secondary outcomes included pneumothorax and hematoma. RESULTS Successful US-guided cannulation occurred in 154 of 166 patients (93%). No patient had a pneumothorax. Hematoma occurred in 1 of 166 patients (0.01%). Group 2 exhibited higher male proportion at 11 of 12 (92%) compared with 94 of 154 (61%) in group 1 (P = .03), increased vein depth at 3.84 versus 2.85 cm (P = .003), more right-sided implants (P = .03), higher weight at 104.6 versus 85.3 kg (P = .017), higher body mass index at 35.6 versus 29.2 kg/m2 (P = .049), and higher body surface area at 2.24 versus 1.99 m2 (P = .013). Other parameters were statistically nonsignificant. In multivariate analysis, vein depth remained significantly associated with failure. CONCLUSION Using US guidance for CIED implantation is successful in the vast majority (93%) of patients. Rare cases of unsuccessful cannulation were associated with right-sided implants and increased venous depth.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is a common procedure to reduce cardiovascular morbidity but is limited by recurrence. The objective of this study was to determine if post-ablation acute surface P wave morphology and other electrocardiographic parameters correlate with AF recurrence.The Avoiding Bladder Catheters During AF ablation (ABCD-AF) trial was a randomized, prospective trial in 160 subjects undergoing AF ablation. The present study examined correlation between AF recurrence in follow-up and acute post-ablation electrocardiographic P wave parameters.Median follow-up was 255 (188, 306) days. The ABCD-AF cohort had a mean age of 62.7 ± 12.8 with 32.1% being females. Rate of recurrent AF was 35.8%, with a median time to AF of 135 (109, 182) days. There was no baseline demographic associated with AF recurrence. There was more AF recurrence in those with longer follow-up (p = 0.001). Lead 2 PR interval, lead 2 P wave duration/PR (Pdur/PR), lead V1 PR interval, and lead V1 Pdur/PR were all significantly associated with recurrent AF (p = 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.01). Longer PR and shorter Pdur/PR predicted AF recurrence. In a multivariable model, lead V1 Pdur/PR provided the best predictor of AF recurrence, with an odds ratio of 0.018 (p = 0.016) per standard deviation change.Shorter P wave duration combined with longer AV node delay, as measured by proportion of the PR that the P wave occupies, was the best predictor of AF recurrence post-ablation.

Introduction Elevated left atrial pressure (LAP) during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk of AF recurrence, but it is unknown if this correlates with heart failure (HF). The objective of the study was to determine if elevated LAP after AF ablation correlates with HF events. Methods Prospective, single-center, cohort study measuring LAP and right atrial pressure (RAP) during AF ablation in 100 patients. The primary endpoint was clinical HF within 30 days of ablation. The secondary outcome was AF-free HF. Results One hundred patients (63% male, mean age 64.5) were enrolled and 20% had clinical HF within 30 days. Bivariate correlates included mitral valve (MV) disease, persistent AF, class III antiarrhythmics, LAP, and recurrent AF. Multivariate analysis revealed class III antiarrhythmics were protective (odds ratio [OR]: 0.24 [0.1-0.5], p = .04), while MV disease (OR: 8.7 [3.3-23], p = .03) and loop diuretics (OR: 4.8 [2.6-9.1], p = .01) were hazardous. AF-free HF occurred in 9% of patients and correlated with higher LAP and RAP, and chronic kidney disease. Conclusion Patients with HF after AF ablation had higher LAP. MV disease, diuretic use, and class III antiarrhythmics also correlated to HF. These present opportunities to target future interventions to reduce a common complication of AF ablation.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common comorbidity in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) with no defined guideline treatment strategy of rate versus rhythm control. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of rate versus rhythm control for AF on the outcomes of patients with LVAD at our institution. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent LVAD implantation at St Vincent Hospital from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients with AF were identified and divided into rate control or rhythm control groups. The primary outcome evaluated was a composite of death, heart failure admission, gastrointestinal bleed, ventricular tachycardia, cerebrovascular accident, hemolysis, and pump thrombosis. Secondary outcomes included the individual variables from the primary outcome. RESULTS: Out of 201 patients that underwent LVAD implantation, 81 had AF after implantation and were included with a median follow-up period of 384 days. The rate control group (n = 31; 38%) and the rhythm control group (n = 51; 62%) had no difference in composite outcomes (61% vs 59%, p = 0.83). When taken individually there was no difference in outcomes between the two groups. Thirteen patients underwent electrical cardioversion and successful conversion to normal sinus rhythm occurred in 71% of cases with a 60% recurrence rate. CONCLUSIONS: There was no difference in primary outcome between rate and rhythm control groups. These data suggest that maintenance of sinus rhythm may not be necessary in all patients with LVAD.

Background Electrophysiology study (EPS) is an important part of the diagnosis and workup for supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). Provocative medications are used to induce arrhythmias, when they are not inducible at baseline. The most common medication is the β1-specific agonist, isoproterenol, but recent price increases have resulted in a shift toward the nonspecific agonist, epinephrine. Objective We hypothesize that isoproterenol is a better induction agent for SVT during EPS than epinephrine. Methods We created a retrospective cohort of 131 patients, who underwent EPS and required medication infusion with either isoproterenol or epinephrine for SVT induction. The primary outcome was arrhythmia induction. Results Successful induction was achieved in 71% of isoproterenol cases and 53% of epinephrine cases (P = 0.020). Isoproterenol was significantly better than epinephrine for SVT induction during EPS (odds ratio [OR], 2.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-4.85; P = 0.021). There was no difference in baseline variables or complications between the two groups. Other variables associated with successful arrhythmia induction included a longer procedure duration and atrioventricular nodal re-entry tachycardia as the clinical arrhythmia. In a multivariable model, isoproterenol remained significantly associated with successful induction (OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.002-6.59; P = 0.05). Conclusions Isoproterenol was significantly better than epinephrine for SVT arrhythmia induction. However, epinephrine was safe and successfully induced arrhythmias in the majority of patients who received it. Furthermore, when atropine was added in epinephrine-refractory cases, in a post hoc analysis there was no difference in arrhythmia induction between medications. Cost savings could thus be significant without compromising safety.

A 25-year-old man with severe nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy underwent subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) implant and subsequently underwent HeartWare ventricular assist device (HVAD) placement. Postoperative interrogation revealed both primary and secondary S-ICD vectors inappropriately regarded sinus rhythm as "noise," and the alternate vector significantly undersensed sinus rhythm. The S-ICD was reinterrogated using high-resolution capture to visually confirm EMI with a dominant frequency in both the primary and secondary vectors of 46.67 Hz that fell within the S-ICD operational range of 9-60 Hz. The 46.67 Hz frequency correlated with the HVAD operational speed of 2,800 RPM. The HVAD pump speed was increased from 2,800 to 3,000 RPM, resulting in a dominant frequency of 50 Hz. The notch filter is nonprogrammable in S-ICDs. However, the built-in filter is 50 Hz for countries in European time zones as opposed to 60 Hz in US time zones due to differences in the anticipated noise from electrical sources within each continent. Thus, the S-ICD time zone was reprogrammed from EST to GMT, which reduced the notch filter from 60 to 50 Hz, resulting in S-ICD successfully eliminating EMI when the patient was in a supine position. The EMI interference was still intermittently present in the upright patient position. This case demonstrates the utility of high-resolution electrogram capture to identify the source and frequency of EMI in S-ICD and offers a potential avenue to troubleshoot dominant frequency oversensing by changing the device time zone.

Background: Current maneuvers for differentiation of atrioventricular node reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) and atrioventricular reentry tachycardia (AVRT) lack sensitivity and specificity for AVRT circuits located away from the site of pacing. We hypothesized that a premature His complex (PHC) will always perturb AVRT because the His bundle is obligatory to the circuit. Further, AVNRT could not be perturbed by a late PHC (≤20 ms ahead of the His) due to the retrograde His conduction time. Earlier PHCs can advance the AVNRT circuit but only by a quantity less than the prematurity of the PHC. Methods: High-output pacing at the distal His location delivered PHCs. AVRT was predicted when late PHCs perturbed tachycardia or when earlier PHCs led to atrial advancement by an amount equal or greater than the degree of PHC prematurity. Results: Among the 73 supraventricular tachycardias, the test accurately predicted AVRT (n=29) and AVNRT (n=44) in all cases. Late PHC advanced the circuit in all 29 AVRTs and none of the AVNRTs (sensitivity and specificity, 100%). With earlier PHCs, the degree of atrial advancement was equal or greater than the PHC prematurity in 26/29 AVRTs and none of the AVNRTs (90% sensitivity and 100% specificity). The mean prematurity of the PHC required to perturb AVNRT was 48 ms (range, 28–70 ms) and the advancement less than the prematurity of the PHC (mean, 32 ms; range, 18–54 ms). Conclusions: The responses to PHCs distinguished AVRT and AVNRT with 100% specificity and sensitivity.

PURPOSE: Indwelling urinary catheters are commonly inserted when administering general anesthesia. However, there are significant risks to routine IUC insertion. We compared urinary and other outcomes in a population of patients undergoing atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation with or without IUC. METHODS: This was a single center, retrospective review of patients undergoing AF ablation. Patients were identified by procedure codes and patient health characteristics and outcome data were manually extracted from electronic health records. The primary composite endpoint was 7-day periprocedural urinary outcomes including cystitis, dysuria, hematuria, urethral damage, or urinary retention. RESULTS: 404 patients were included in the study, 297 with IUC and 107 without IUC. Uncatheterized patients were less likely to have congestive heart failure (CHF) (31.8% vs 43.4%; P = 0.039) and had a shorter procedure length (4.2 vs 4.9 hours; P < 0.001) with less fluid administered (1485 vs 2040 mL; P < 0.001). No urinary complications occurred in the uncatheterized group versus 14 in the catheterized group (P = 0.026). 3 patients in the uncatheterized group developed serious infections versus none in the catheterized group (P = 0.018). There was no incidence of death and no statistically significant difference in readmission in the 30 days after procedure. CONCLUSIONS: There were no urinary complications in 107 patients who received no IUC during AF ablation. Avoiding bladder catheters during AF ablation procedures may lower incidence of adverse urinary complications without adding substantial risk of urinary retention.

Catheter ablation is a safe and effective procedure to reduce symptoms from atrial fibrillation (AF), but one potential complication is early occurrence of heart failure (HF). Elevated intraoperative left atrial pressure is associated with an increased risk of AF recurrence, but it is unknown if

Background Stroke may be the initial manifestation of atrial fibrillation (AF). Limited studies, however, have evaluated racial differences in stroke before the diagnosis of AF. Objective We assessed racial differences in strokes that occurred before and after AF diagnosis in the Penn Atrial Fibrillation Free study. Methods The Penn Atrial Fibrillation Free study consists of 56,835 patients from the University of Pennsylvania Health System who were free of AF at the index visit. We developed an inception cohort of 3507 patients with incident AF and without any remote history of stroke. Results Among the AF inception cohort, there were 538 patients with ischemic strokes and 54 with hemorrhagic strokes. Nearly half (n = 254; 47%) of the ischemic strokes occurred within a 6-month period before the diagnosis of AF. Of these, the majority of strokes occurred either on the day of (n = 158) or within a 7-day period before (n = 30) the diagnosis of incident AF. The remaining 284 (53%) ischemic strokes occurred a median of 3.6 years (interquartile range 1.9–5.4 years) after AF diagnosis. Compared with whites, blacks had an independently higher risk of having an ischemic stroke either before (adjusted odds ratio 1.37; 95% confidence interval 1.03–1.81) or after (adjusted hazard ratio 1.67; 95% confidence interval 1.30–2.14) AF diagnosis. Conclusion In the population with incident AF, nearly half of the ischemic strokes occurred before the diagnosis of AF. Compared with whites, blacks had a higher risk of developing an ischemic stroke that persisted whether the stroke occurred in the period either before or after AF diagnosis.

Stroke is the most concerning complication of atrial fibrillation (AF) as it leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Given the aging population and increasing burden of cardiovascular comorbidities, the overall prevalence of AF is increasing across the world.1,2 In addition, evolving medical technology and cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) have enhanced our ability to identify subclinical AF. These devices have the potential to identify asymptomatic AF patients, who are at risk for thromboembolic complications and may benefit from anticoagulation therapy. Article see p 1040 Multiple studies using CIEDs have demonstrated that short durations of asymptomatic AF are associated with an increase in thromboembolic risk.3–9 One of the initial studies that evaluated the burden and timing of subclinical AF as a risk factor for stroke was the Asymptomatic Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke Evaluation in Pacemaker Patients and the Atrial Fibrillation Reduction Atrial Pacing Trial (ASSERT), which consisted of 2580 hypertensive patients (mean CHADS2 score 2.3) without any history of clinical AF.4 All patients had dual-chamber devices, and the primary analysis assessed atrial arrhythmias for >6 minutes in the 3-month postprocedural period. Approximately 10% of participants had AF identified during this timeframe. After a median follow-up of 2.5 years, the annualized thromboembolic rate was 1.7% in those individuals with CIED-detected AF when compared with 0.7% in controls, corresponding to a 2.5-fold increased hazard of stroke associated with AF episodes >6 minutes in duration.4 In addition to correlating the overall burden or duration of AF and stroke risk, the ASSERT investigators evaluated the timing of AF episodes and thromboembolic risk. Of the 51 patients from the ASSERT study that had an ischemic stroke or other embolic event, only 51% or 26 patients had subclinical AF. Of these 26 patients with AF, only 4 had …

A 65-year-old man, with no significant past medical history, presented with an episode of sudden onset palpitations and lightheadedness. He was hemodynamically stable and the ECG revealed a left bundle branch block (LBBB) morphology tachycardia at 214 beats per minute (Figure 1A). The tachycardia terminated spontaneously with conversion to normal sinus rhythm and LBBB (Figure 1B). Further evaluation included a 2-dimensional echocardiogram showing a left ventricular ejection fraction of 40% to 45%, left heart catheterization showing angiographically normal coronaries, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealing atypical septal motion with left ventricular ejection fraction of 60% to 65% and no scar or ischemia. The patient underwent an electrophysiology study. At baseline, the sinus cycle length was 890 ms, atrial-His interval was 64 ms, His-ventricular interval was 108 ms, and QRS duration was 120 ms. Spontaneous onset of the LBBB morphology tachycardia after a sinus beat is shown in Figure 2. The tachycardia cycle length is 306 ms, and the His-ventricular interval is 120 ms. The QRS while similar to the LBBB seen during sinus rhythm shows change in axis and the morphology in aVR is predominantly positive. There is no ventriculo-atrial conduction during the tachycardia. Attempts at entrainment from right ventricle (RV) led to termination of the tachycardia. His refractory premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) delivered from RV apex during tachycardia after the His depolarization advances the next H and V (Figure 3). What is the mechanism of the tachycardia? See Editor's Perspective by Asirvatham and Stevenson Figure 1. A , ECG showing wide complex tachycardia with left bundle branch block (LBBB) morphology. B , ECG showing sinus rhythm and LBBB. Figure 2. Spontaneous initiation of tachycardia during sinus rhythm. The first sinus complex does not conduct because of a premature ventricular complexes. The second sinus complex conducts with a His-ventricular (HV) interval of 108 …

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic inflammatory disorder that predisposes to acute coronary thrombosis. To demonstrate how the pathophysiology of lupus-mediated coronary events may be unique, we offer the case and management of a young woman with lupus who presented with acute myocardial infarction. She was initially managed with medical therapy including the standard regimen of aspirin, heparin, and clopidogrel. Despite a Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction risk score of only 2, she was also given eptifibatide infusion because of clinical concerns. Repeated cardiac catheterization showed marked regression of the thrombus, and coronary fractional flow reserve calculation demonstrated full recovery of coronary vasculature with this therapy. This case demonstrates effective management of life-threatening coronary thrombosis with medical therapy only in a young woman with lupus. We briefly review the pathophysiology of acute coronary thrombosis in lupus patients and distinguish this from the more common process of age-related atherosclerosis. Given the lack of evidence in this specific population, we discuss a pathophysiology-based clinical decision-making tool. Assessing clinical risk factors and using technologies such as intravascular ultrasound can help make the correct treatment decision.

Introduction: Strokes that occur after the onset of atrial fibrillation (AF) have a worse prognosis than strokes that do not occur in the setting of AF. Recent studies suggest that strokes that occur within several months prior to an AF diagnosis may be related to underlying, silent AF. Limited studies have evaluated survival differences between AF-related strokes that occur prior versus after AF diagnosis. Objective: We evaluated differences in the risk of all-cause death between patients that develop stroke in the 6 months before compared to any time after the diagnosis of AF. Methods: We utilized the University of Pennsylvania AF Free study to create an inception cohort of patients with incident stroke and AF. We assessed ECGs, clinical records, and administrative data within the health system over a 5 year period to identify individuals that had a first diagnosis of stroke or AF. Cox proportional hazards models evaluated associations between stroke subtypes and death. Results: We identified 3,616 individuals that developed stroke (323 had stroke after AF diagnosis, 292 patients had stroke within 6 months preceding AF diagnosis, and 2795 patients had stroke without an AF diagnosis). Of these patients, there were 319 all-cause mortality events over a median 4.6 [3.8, 5.5] years follow-up. The overall mortality rate was highest in patients that had a stroke within 6 months prior to AF (Table 1) and was almost 2-fold higher than those that had a stroke after an AF diagnosis (p Conclusions: Stroke that occurs prior to the diagnosis of AF was associated with a significantly higher risk of all-cause death. This increased mortality risk is not explained by the presence of other comorbid conditions.

Maintenance of sinus rhythm by catheter-based ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become a common strategy for symptom control. The cornerstone of AF ablation is pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with both entrance and exit block. Wide area circumferential ablation (WACA) in the antrum has increasingly replaced pulmonary vein (PV) ostial ablation because of a higher success rate and reduced risk of PV stenosis.1 However, a percentage of patients require a second procedure for AF control.2,3 At repeat ablation, PV reconnection is a common finding, and occasionally, it is difficult to achieve true entrance and exit block, especially for the right pulmonary veins (RPVs). Editor’s Perspective see p 1268 When faced with difficulty in obtaining RPV isolation, we follow a stepwise approach (Figure 1) to successfully identify the area of persistent connection. If WACA fails to achieve RPV entrance and exit block, some alternatives include (1) ablation more ostially and into the carina region, which potentially risks PV stenosis; (2) wider encirclement, which requires a larger ablation region and more radiofrequency application, and may be unsuccessful as a result of anatomic factors (in many cases because of the presence of the phrenic nerve in the septal aspect of the RPVs); or (3) mapping the activation pattern of the persistent connection. Voltage mapping can demonstrate the extent of prior ablation lesions and can also document lesion maturity at the interface of healthy tissue and scar. Activation mapping during pacing from the reconnected PV can reveal the connection pathways, which could be either via the left atrium (gaps in the line of WACA ablation) or connection to adjacent structures (RPV to right atrium). During pacing, if the earliest signal is on the left atrial side of the WACA line, there is a gap in the line, which should be …

Introduction: Clinical studies have demonstrated that blacks have a lower prevalence and incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) compared with whites. Given the strong biologic associations between AF and congestive heart failure (CHF), we hypothesized that the racial disparity for incident AF is attenuated in CHF patients. Methods: The University of Pennsylvania Atrial Fibrillation Free-Congestive Heart Failure (PAFF-CHF) Cohort is a large, multi-hospital retrospective cohort of individuals with clinical CHF and without AF at index visit. Baseline demographic and clinical parameters were obtained, and medical records were queried for incident outcomes. The primary outcome was incident AF, which was defined as a clinical or ECG diagnosis of AF on any follow up encounter. Results: Of 5,131 patients in PAFF-CHF, there were 2,037 blacks (40%) and 3,094 whites (60%). Median follow up time was 4.5 years (1.8, 5.9), with blacks having significantly longer follow up (4.7 v 4.2 yr, p < 0.001). During this follow-up, 851 subjects (16%) developed AF, with rates of 5.1 per 100 person years in whites and 4.9 per 100 person years in blacks (p = 0.8). Time independent risk factors for developing AF included male gender (OR 1.42 [95% CI 1.22 - 1.65], p < 0.001); LBBB on index ECG (1.32 [1.01 - 1.72], p = 0.04); and black race (OR 1.31 [1.13 - 1.52], p < 0.001). In a regression model of traditional risk factors for AF including age, gender, hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and renal insufficiency, black race remained an independent risk factor for AF (OR 1.45 [1.23 - 1.70], p < 0.001). Finally, time to event analysis showed no difference in freedom from AF and no difference in freedom from AF or death (Figure). Conclusions: In a large cohort of HF patients, incident AF was similar in blacks and whites. Although prior studies have indicated a low prevalence and incidence of AF in blacks compared with whites, the development of AF appears to be a common finding in both races after a diagnosis of CHF.

Autonomic modulation following catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation may promote the development of catecholamine-sensitive arrhythmias, such as outflow tract (OT) ventricular premature depolarizations (VPDs). The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and prognostic significance of OT VPDs occurring in patients after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. We prospectively examined 53 consecutive patients undergoing wide-area circumferential antral pulmonary vein (PV) isolation; no patients had evidence of OT VPDs on 24 h of preprocedural telemetry monitoring. Cases (OT+) had postprocedure telemetry monitoring with >30 continuous beats or >3/min OT VPDs. Clinical follow-up included transtelephonic monitoring at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year. The incidence of OT VPDs in this population was 11 % (6/53). There was no difference in AF recurrence at 1 year between those with or without OT VPDs (17 vs 28 %, p = 0.6). There was a strong association with higher immediate postprocedure heart rate (HR) in OT+ compared to OT− patients (86 vs 76, p = 0.03); this difference persisted at 1 year (79 vs 60, p

Aims Various pathological changes lead to the development of heart failure (HF). HDL is dysfunctional in both acute coronary syndrome, as measured by the HDL inflammatory index (HII) assay, and stable coronary disease, as measured by cholesterol efflux capacity. We therefore hypothesized that these functions of HDL are also impaired in subjects with ischaemic cardiomyopathy. Methods and results A case–control study was performed on subjects in the University of Pennsylvania Catheterization Study (PennCath) cohort of patients with angina. Cases had EF

QRS duration correlates with poor prognosis in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB), but the importance of left-axis deviation (LAD) is not well established. To determine if LAD confers a mortality risk in patients with LBBB, a single-center, retrospective, population-based cohort study was conducted. Included were all patients at 1 hospital with LBBB on electrocardiography from 1995 to 2005 over a 17-year follow-up period (n = 2,794, median follow-up duration 20 months, interquartile range 6 to 64). Half of all patients with LBBB had LAD. The all-cause mortality rate in the entire cohort was 15%. LAD was not associated with mortality, either as a single outcome (odds ratio [OR] 1.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88 to 1.3, p = 0.50) or in time-to-event analysis (p = 0.40). Significant risk factors for mortality included high creatinine (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.3), low hemoglobin (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.3), history of atrial fibrillation (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.1), electrocardiographic evidence of previous infarct (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2 to 1.9), and history of ventricular tachycardia (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.9). On bivariate analysis, LAD was associated with atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, age, and congestive heart failure. Patients with LBBB who converted from normal axis to LAD had significantly higher mortality in time-to-event analysis (p = 0.02). In conclusion, in patients with LBBB, LAD does not confer significant mortality risk. However, those with normal axis who developed LAD during the study period had significantly higher mortality. Perhaps when LBBB and LAD develop concurrently, there is no increased risk over baseline LBBB development, but it may herald a worse prognosis if LAD develops against the background of previous LBBB, from an unknown mechanism.

Objectives This study examined an anti-inflammatory property of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in subjects with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with control subjects. Background HDL has anti-inflammatory properties in vitro, but its relationship to coronary disease in humans is unclear. The high-density lipoprotein inflammatory index (HII) measures the ability of HDL to mitigate oxidation of low-density lipoprotein; this function may be impaired in ACS and/or CAD. Methods We measured HII in 193 patients undergoing angiography for symptoms of CAD. Control subjects (n = 99) had no angiographic CAD, chronic CAD subjects (n = 51) had ≥70% vessel stenosis, and ACS subjects (n = 43) had ≥20% vessel stenosis and ischemia or infarction. We also examined HII in a cohort of healthy subjects randomly assigned to a statin or placebo. Results Subjects who had ACS had higher HII (less antioxidative capacity) compared with controls (1.57 vs. 1.17, p = 0.005) or those with chronic CAD (1.57 vs. 1.11, p = 0.006). HII was not different in subjects with stable CAD compared with controls. Furthermore, those subjects with higher HII were more likely to have ACS than no CAD (quartile 4 vs. 1, odds ratio [OR]: 1.74, p = 0.008). In a multivariate logistic regression model, HII was associated with ACS after adjusting for traditional cardiac risk factors (OR: 3.8, p = 0.003). There was a small improvement in HII after statin therapy compared with placebo (−14%, p = 0.03). Conclusions HDL has less anti-inflammatory capacity as assessed by HII in the setting of ACS compared with controls or subjects with chronic CAD.

QT prolongation is associated with death and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Classic, exponentially-derived equations overestimate the QT interval during tachycardia and can result in misdiagnosis of prolonged QT. We evaluated two methods of correcting the QT interval (linear and exponential) and

To the Editor: The role of niacin in the era of widespread statin use has been called into question by 2 recent clinical trials, AIM-HIGH (Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome With Low HDL/High Triglycerides: Impact on Global Health) and HPS2-THRIVE (Treatment of HDL to Reduce the