Feeling a Little Blue After Ablation: Iatrogenic Atrial Septal Defect With Right-to-Left Shunt Following Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Cardiac ablation is indicated for patients refractory to medical management. During the ablation process, a transseptal puncture is utilized to access and isolate the pulmonary veins, which results in a temporary iatrogenic atrial septal defect (iASD). Generation of an iASD is considered unavoidable and is a generally accepted risk due to high rates of spontaneous closure. Studies have shown that persisting iASD may occur in 5%-20% of patients for up to nine to 12 months after undergoing radiofrequency ablation and that spontaneous rates of closure are high in patients with normal intracardiac pressures. Patients with preexisting elevated right intracardiac pressures from pulmonary hypertension or other right-sided cardiac pathology are at an increased risk of complications from iASD. These increased pressures can lead to clinically significant hypoxemia from right-to-left shunting following a transseptal puncture. Intervention with closure is considered in high-risk settings such as right atrial or ventricular enlargement, right-to-left shunting with hypoxemia, and intraseptal defect greater than 8 mm. This case vignette describes a 67-year-old female who developed clinically significant right-to-left shunting intraoperatively from iASD with ongoing hypoxemia for several months but with spontaneous closure. We highlight this case as it demonstrates spontaneous closure in a high-risk iASD. We also provide a review of the literature on iASD after cardiac ablations.

Real-world data of radiofrequency catheter ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: Short- and long-term clinical outcomes from the prospective multicenter REAL-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The safety and long-term efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation (CA) of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) has been well established. Contemporary techniques to optimize ablation delivery, reduce fluoroscopy use, and improve clinical outcomes have been developed. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the contemporary real-world practice approach and short and long-term outcomes of RF CA for PAF through a prospective multicenter registry. METHODS: Using the REAL-AF (Real-world Experience of Catheter Ablation for the Treatment of Symptomatic Paroxysmal and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation; ClincalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04088071) Registry, patients undergoing RF CA to treat PAF across 42 high-volume institutions and 79 experienced operators were evaluated. The procedures were performed using zero or reduced fluoroscopy, contact force sensing catheters, wide area circumferential ablation, and ablation index as a guide with a target of 380-420 for posterior and 500-550 for anterior lesions. The primary efficacy outcome was freedom from all-atrial arrhythmia recurrence at 12 months. RESULTS: A total of 2470 patients undergoing CA from January 2018 to December 2022 were included. Mean age was 65.2 ±11.14 years, and 44% were female. Most procedures were performed without fluoroscopy (71.5%), with average procedural and total RF times of 95.4 ± 41.7 minutes and 22.1±11.8 minutes, respectively. At 1-year follow-up, freedom from all-atrial arrhythmias was 81.6% with 89.7% of these patients off antiarrhythmic drugs. No significant difference was identified comparing pulmonary vein isolation vs pulmonary vein isolation plus ablation approaches. The complication rate was 1.9%. CONCLUSION: Refinement of RF CA to treat PAF using contemporary tools, standardized protocols, and electrophysiology laboratory workflows resulted in excellent short- and long-term clinical outcomes.

Acute alcohol exposure and electrocardiographic changes: Finding from the HOLIDAY trial.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is associated with a higher increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the acute effects on cardiac electrophysiology in humans remain poorly understood. The HOw ALcohol InDuces Atrial TachYarrhythmias (HOLIDAY) Trial revealed that alcohol shortened pulmonary vein atrial effective refractory periods, but more global electrophysiologic changes gleaned from the surface ECG have not yet been reported. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of the HOLIDAY Trial. During AF ablation procedures, 100 adults were randomized to intravenous alcohol titrated to 0.08% blood alcohol concentration versus a volume and osmolarity-matched, masked, placebo. Intervals measured from 12­lead ECGs were compared between pre infusion and at infusion steady state (20 min). RESULTS: The average age was 60 years and 11% were female. No significant differences in the P-wave duration, PR, QRS or QT intervals, were present between alcohol and placebo arms. However, infusion of alcohol was associated with a statistically significant relative shortening of the JT interval (r: -14.73, p = 0.048) after multivariable adjustment. CONCLUSION: Acute exposure to alcohol was associated with a relative reduction in the JT interval, reflecting shortening of ventricular repolarization. These acute changes may reflect a more global shortening of refractoriness, suggesting immediate proarrhythmic effects pertinent to the atria and ventricles.

Atrial Fibrillation Occurring During Acute Hospitalization: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Acute atrial fibrillation is defined as atrial fibrillation detected in the setting of acute care or acute illness; atrial fibrillation may be detected or managed for the first time during acute hospitalization for another condition. Atrial fibrillation after cardiothoracic surgery is a distinct type of acute atrial fibrillation. Acute atrial fibrillation is associated with high risk of long-term atrial fibrillation recurrence, warranting clinical attention during acute hospitalization and over long-term follow-up. A framework of substrates and triggers can be useful for evaluating and managing acute atrial fibrillation. Acute management requires a multipronged approach with interdisciplinary care collaboration, tailoring treatments to the patient's underlying substrate and acute condition. Key components of acute management include identification and treatment of triggers, selection and implementation of rate/rhythm control, and management of anticoagulation. Acute rate or rhythm control strategy should be individualized with consideration of the patient's capacity to tolerate rapid rates or atrioventricular dyssynchrony, and the patient's ability to tolerate the risk of the therapeutic strategy. Given the high risks of atrial fibrillation recurrence in patients with acute atrial fibrillation, clinical follow-up and heart rhythm monitoring are warranted. Long-term management is guided by patient substrate, with implications for intensity of heart rhythm monitoring, anticoagulation, and considerations for rhythm management strategies. Overall management of acute atrial fibrillation addresses substrates and triggers. The 3As of acute management are acute triggers, atrial fibrillation rate/rhythm management, and anticoagulation. The 2As and 2Ms of long-term management include monitoring of heart rhythm and modification of lifestyle and risk factors, in addition to considerations for atrial fibrillation rate/rhythm management and anticoagulation. Several gaps in knowledge related to acute atrial fibrillation exist and warrant future research.

Sinus Tachycardia: a Multidisciplinary Expert Focused Review.

Sinus tachycardia (ST) is ubiquitous, but its presence outside of normal physiological triggers in otherwise healthy individuals remains a commonly encountered phenomenon in medical practice. In many cases, ST can be readily explained by a current medical condition that precipitates an increase in the sinus rate, but ST at rest without physiological triggers may also represent a spectrum of normal. In other cases, ST may not have an easily explainable cause but may represent serious underlying pathology and can be associated with intolerable symptoms. The classification of ST, consideration of possible etiologies, as well as the decisions of when and how to intervene can be difficult. ST can be classified as secondary to a specific, usually treatable, medical condition (eg, pulmonary embolism, anemia, infection, or hyperthyroidism) or be related to several incompletely defined conditions (eg, inappropriate ST, postural tachycardia syndrome, mast cell disorder, or post-COVID syndrome). While cardiologists and cardiac electrophysiologists often evaluate patients with symptoms associated with persistent or paroxysmal ST, an optimal approach remains uncertain. Due to the many possible conditions associated with ST, and an overlap in medical specialists who see these patients, the inclusion of experts in different fields is essential for a more comprehensive understanding. This article is unique in that it was composed by international experts in Neurology, Psychology, Autonomic Medicine, Allergy and Immunology, Exercise Physiology, Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, Endocrinology, Cardiology, and Cardiac Electrophysiology in the hope that it will facilitate a more complete understanding and thereby result in the better care of patients with ST.

Effect of Text Message Reminders and Vaccine Reservations on Adherence to a Health System COVID-19 Vaccination Policy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Many organizations implemented COVID-19 vaccination requirements during the pandemic, but the best way to increase adherence to these policies is unknown. Objective: To evaluate if behavioral nudges delivered through text messages could accelerate adherence to a health system's COVID-19 vaccination policy. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial was conducted within Ascension health system from October 11 to November 8, 2021. Participants included health system employees in the Midwest or South US who were not adherent with the vaccination policy 1 month before its deadline. Data were analyzed from November 17, 2021, to February 25, 2022. Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to control or to receive a text message intervention that stated a vaccine had been reserved for the participant, with a scheduled date for vaccination within a 2-week period. Participants could reschedule to a different date within the period or upload a copy of their vaccination card. Follow-up text message reminders were sent the day before and the day of the appointment. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was adherence to the health system's vaccination policy during the 2-week intervention. Secondary outcomes included time to vaccination during a 4-week follow-up period. Results: The sample included 2000 participants (mean [SD] age, 36.4 [12.3] years; 1724 [86.2%] women), with 1000 participants randomized to the control group and 1000 participants randomized to the intervention group. Overall, there were 164 Hispanic participants (8.2%), 46 non-Hispanic Asian participants (2.3%), 202 non-Hispanic Black participants (10.1%), and 1418 non-Hispanic White participants (70.9%). By the end of the 2-week intervention, 363 participants in the text message nudge group (36.3%) and 318 participants in the control group (31.8%) were adherent with the vaccination policy, representing a significant increase of 4.9 (95% CI, 0.8 to 9.1) percentage points in adjusted analyses comparing the nudge group with the control group (P = .02). Among participants who became adherent by the end of the 4-week follow-up period, the text message nudge significantly reduced time to adherence by a mean of 2.4 (95% CI, 2.1 to 4.7) days (P < .001) and a median of 5.0 (95% CI, 2.5 to 7.7) days (P < .001) compared with the control group. At 4 weeks, overall vaccination adherence was no longer different between groups (control: 477 participants [47.7%]; intervention: 472 participants [47.2%]). Conclusions and Relevance: This randomized clinical trial found that a behavioral nudge delivered through text messages accelerated adherence to a health system's COVID-19 vaccination policy but did change overall adherence by the time of the policy deadline. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05037201.

Drug Interactions Affecting Oral Anticoagulant Use.

Oral anticoagulants (OACs) are medications commonly used in patients with atrial fibrillation and other cardiovascular conditions. Both warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants are susceptible to drug-drug interactions (DDIs). DDIs are an important cause of adverse drug reactions and exact a large toll on the health care system. DDI for warfarin mainly involve moderate to strong inhibitors/inducers of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9, which is responsible for the elimination of the more potent S-isomer of warfarin. However, inhibitor/inducers of CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 may also cause DDI with warfarin. Recognition of these precipitating agents along with increased frequency of monitoring when these agents are initiated or discontinued will minimize the impact of warfarin DDI. Direct oral anticoagulants are mainly affected by medications strongly affecting the permeability glycoprotein (P-gp), and to a lesser extent, strong CYP3A4 inhibitors/inducers. Dabigatran and edoxaban are affected by P-gp modulation. Strong inducers of CYP3A4 or P-gp should be avoided in all patients taking direct oral anticoagulant unless previously proven to be otherwise safe. Simultaneous strong CYP3A4 and P-gp inhibitors should be avoided in patients taking apixaban and rivaroxaban. Concomitant antiplatelet/anticoagulant use confers additive risk for bleeding, but their combination is unavoidable in many cases. Minimizing duration of concomitant anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy as indicated by evidence-based clinical guidelines is the best way to reduce the risk of bleeding.

Drug Interactions Affecting Antiarrhythmic Drug Use.

Antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) play an important role in the management of arrhythmias. Drug interactions involving AAD are common in clinical practice. As AADs have a narrow therapeutic window, both pharmacokinetic as well as pharmacodynamic interactions involving AAD can result in serious adverse drug reactions ranging from arrhythmia recurrence, failure of device-based therapy, and heart failure, to death. Pharmacokinetic drug interactions frequently involve the inhibition of key metabolic pathways, resulting in accumulation of a substrate drug. Additionally, over the past 2 decades, the P-gp (permeability glycoprotein) has been increasingly cited as a significant source of drug interactions. Pharmacodynamic drug interactions involving AADs commonly involve additive QT prolongation. Amiodarone, quinidine, and dofetilide are AADs with numerous and clinically significant drug interactions. Recent studies have also demonstrated increased morbidity and mortality with the use of digoxin and other AAD which interact with P-gp. QT prolongation is an important pharmacodynamic interaction involving mainly Vaughan-Williams class III AAD as many commonly used drug classes, such as macrolide antibiotics, fluoroquinolone antibiotics, antipsychotics, and antiemetics prolong the QT interval. Whenever possible, serious drug-drug interactions involving AAD should be avoided. If unavoidable, patients will require closer monitoring and the concomitant use of interacting agents should be minimized. Increasing awareness of drug interactions among clinicians will significantly improve patient safety for patients with arrhythmias.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Intravenous Alcohol to Assess Changes in Atrial Electrophysiology.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to identify acute changes in human atrial electrophysiology during alcohol exposure. BACKGROUND: The mechanism by which a discrete episode of atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs remains unknown. Alcohol appears to increase the risk for AF, providing an opportunity to study electrophysiologic effects that may render the heart prone to arrhythmia. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, intravenous alcohol titrated to 0.08% blood alcohol concentration was compared with a volume and osmolarity-matched, masked, placebo in patients undergoing AF ablation procedures. Right, left, and pulmonary vein atrial effective refractory periods (AERPs) and conduction times were measured pre- and post-infusion. Isoproterenol infusions and burst atrial pacing were used to assess AF inducibility. RESULTS: Of 100 participants (50 in each group), placebo recipients were more likely to be diabetic (22% vs. 4%; p = 0.007) and to have undergone a prior AF ablation (36% vs. 22%; p = 0.005). Pulmonary vein AERPs decreased an average of 12 ms (95% confidence interval: 1 to 22 ms; p = 0.026) in the alcohol group, with no change in the placebo group (p = 0.98). Whereas no statistically significant differences in continuously assessed AERPs were observed, the proportion of AERP sites tested that decreased with alcohol (median: 0.5; interquartile range: 0.6 to 0.6) was larger than with placebo (median: 0.4; interquartile range: 0.2 to 0.6; p = 0.0043). No statistically significant differences in conduction times or in the proportion with inducible AF were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Acute exposure to alcohol reduces AERP, particularly in the pulmonary veins. These data demonstrate a direct mechanistic link between alcohol, a common lifestyle exposure, and immediate proarrhythmic effects in human atria. (How Alcohol Induces Atrial Tachyarrhythmias Study [HOLIDAY]; NCT01996943).

Torsades De Pointes Electrical Storm Induced by H1N1 in a Patient with KCNH2 Variant of Unknown Significance.

This report describes a case of an electrical storm of Torsades De Pointes in a structurally normal heart, following an H1N1 infection in the presence of a genetic variant of unknown significance. The patient was successfully treated with isoproterenol. This case highlights the dilemma of evaluating novel genetic testing results in a clinical setting.

Severe Prinzmetal's Angina Inducing Ventricular Fibrillation Cardiac Arrest.

Prinzmetal's angina is a vascular spasm of the coronary artery that can mimic acute coronary syndrome. It is rarely responsible for ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac arrest; however, survivors with these complications are at increased risk for recurrent ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. This is true despite the presence of normal cardiac function and optimal medical therapy. Thus, this select population should be considered for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). In this case vignette, we describe a healthy 48-year-old female with ventricular fibrillation arrest, followed by recurrent ventricular tachyarrhythmias caused by Prinzmetal's angina.

Device Therapy and Arrhythmia Management in Left Ventricular Assist Device Recipients: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are an increasingly used strategy for the management of patients with advanced heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Although these devices effectively improve survival, atrial and ventricular arrhythmias are common, predispose these patients to additional risk, and complicate patient management. However, there is no consensus on best practices for the medical management of these arrhythmias or on the optimal timing for procedural interventions in patients with refractory arrhythmias. Although the vast majority of these patients have preexisting cardiovascular implantable electronic devices or cardiac resynchronization therapy, given the natural history of heart failure, it is common practice to maintain cardiovascular implantable electronic device detection and therapies after LVAD implantation. Available data, however, are conflicting on the efficacy of and optimal device programming after LVAD implantation. Therefore, the primary objective of this scientific statement is to review the available evidence and to provide guidance on the management of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias in this unique patient population, as well as procedural interventions and cardiovascular implantable electronic device and cardiac resynchronization therapy programming strategies, on the basis of a comprehensive literature review by electrophysiologists, heart failure cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and cardiovascular nurse specialists with expertise in managing these patients. The structure and design of commercially available LVADs are briefly reviewed, as well as clinical indications for device implantation. The relevant physiological effects of long-term exposure to continuous-flow circulatory support are highlighted, as well as the mechanisms and clinical significance of arrhythmias in the setting of LVAD support.

Subxiphoid Hybrid Approach for Epicardial/Endocardial Ablation and LAA Exclusion in Patients with Persistent and Longstanding Atrial Fibrillation.

Two patients with long-standing atrial fibrillation (AF) refractory to medical management and with prior pulmonary vein isolation underwent a new hybrid epicardial/endocardial subxyphoid approach for AF ablation and left atrial appendage (LAA) ligation. Pulmonary vein and LA posterior wall isolation, as well as LAA exclusion were achieved in both patients. There were no procedural complications. Both patients remain in sinus rhythm. Both patients are off antiarrhythmic medications.

Ectopy on a Single 12-Lead ECG, Incident Cardiac Myopathy, and Death in the Community.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation and heart failure are 2 of the most common diseases, yet ready means to identify individuals at risk are lacking. The 12-lead ECG is one of the most accessible tests in medicine. Our objective was to determine whether a premature atrial contraction observed on a standard 12-lead ECG would predict atrial fibrillation and mortality and whether a premature ventricular contraction would predict heart failure and mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: We utilized the CHS (Cardiovascular Health) Study, which followed 5577 participants for a median of 12 years, as the primary cohort. The ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study), the replication cohort, captured data from 15 792 participants over a median of 22 years. In the CHS, multivariable analyses revealed that a baseline 12-lead ECG premature atrial contraction predicted a 60% increased risk of atrial fibrillation (hazard ratio, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.3-2.0; P<0.001) and a premature ventricular contraction predicted a 30% increased risk of heart failure (hazard ratio, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0-1.6; P=0.021). In the negative control analyses, neither predicted incident myocardial infarction. A premature atrial contraction was associated with a 30% increased risk of death (hazard ratio, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.5; P=0.008) and a premature ventricular contraction was associated with a 20% increased risk of death (hazard ratio, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.0-1.3; P=0.044). Similarly statistically significant results for each analysis were also observed in ARIC. CONCLUSIONS: Based on a single standard ECG, a premature atrial contraction predicted incident atrial fibrillation and death and a premature ventricular contraction predicted incident heart failure and death, suggesting that this commonly used test may predict future disease.

A case-control study of the risk factors for obstetric fistula in Tigray, Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: We tested the null hypothesis that there were no differences between patients with obstetric fistula and parous controls without fistula. METHODS: A unmatched case-control study was carried out comparing 75 women with a history of obstetric fistula with 150 parous controls with no history of fistula. Height and weight were measured for each participant, along with basic socio-demographic and obstetric information. Descriptive statistics were calculated and differences between the groups were analyzed using Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test where appropriate, and Chi-squared or Fisher's exact test, along with backward stepwise logistic regression analyses to detect predictors of obstetric fistula. Associations with a p value <0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Patients with fistulas married earlier and delivered their first pregnancies earlier than controls. They had significantly less education, a higher prevalence of divorce/separation, and lived in more impoverished circumstances than controls. Fistula patients had worse reproductive histories, with greater numbers of stillbirths/abortions and higher rates of assisted vaginal delivery and cesarean section. The final logistic regression model found four significant risk factors for developing an obstetric fistula: age at marriage (OR 1.23), history of assisted vaginal delivery (OR 3.44), lack of adequate antenatal care (OR 4.43), and a labor lasting longer than 1 day (OR 14.84). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that obstetric fistula results from the lack of access to effective obstetrical services when labor is prolonged. Rural poverty and lack of adequate transportation infrastructure are probably important co-factors in inhibiting access to needed care.

Relation Between Ventricular Premature Complexes and Incident Heart Failure.

Ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) may represent a reversible cause of heart failure (HF); however, the type of patients most prone remains unknown. This study leverages a large population-based database to examine interactions that might prove clinically useful in risk-stratifying patients with VPCs. We used the California Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project to identify patients with VPCs and incident systolic HF from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2009. We calculated hazard ratios for predictors of incident systolic HF using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models. Interactions with known risk factors were studied. Of the 16.8 million patients experiencing 48.1 million hospitalizations, 35,817 (0.2%) had a VPC diagnosis and 198,818 (1.2%) developed systolic HF. Incidence of systolic HF was 62.8 per 1,000 patient-years (95% confidence interval [CI] 61.2 to 64.4) in those with and 6.1 per 1,000 patient-years (95% CI 6.1 to 6.2) in those without VPCs (p <0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, VPCs were associated with a nearly twofold risk of systolic HF (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.8 to 1.9, p <0.001). Interaction analyses revealed a stronger relation between VPCs and HF among those with fewer cardiovascular risk factors. A VPC diagnosis in younger patients (<65 years) without coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, or atrial fibrillation exhibited a sixfold increased risk of systolic HF (HR 6.5, 95% CI 5.5 to 7.7, p <0.001). In conclusion, these results suggest that a diagnosis of VPCs independently predicts incident systolic HF. This effect is most pronounced in younger patients without co-morbidities, suggesting that VPCs may be an important cause of "idiopathic" HF.