Circulation. Arrhythmia and electrophysiology
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Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol · Sep 2019
Age and Sex Estimation Using Artificial Intelligence From Standard 12-Lead ECGs.
Sex and age have long been known to affect the ECG. Several biologic variables and anatomic factors may contribute to sex and age-related differences on the ECG. We hypothesized that a convolutional neural network (CNN) could be trained through a process called deep learning to predict a person's age and self-reported sex using only 12-lead ECG signals. We further hypothesized that discrepancies between CNN-predicted age and chronological age may serve as a physiological measure of health. ⋯ Applying artificial intelligence to the ECG allows prediction of patient sex and estimation of age. The ability of an artificial intelligence algorithm to determine physiological age, with further validation, may serve as a measure of overall health.
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Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol · Sep 2019
Effective Use of Percutaneous Stellate Ganglion Blockade in Patients With Electrical Storm.
Percutaneous stellate ganglion blockade (SGB) has been used for drug-refractory electrical storm due to ventricular arrhythmia (VA); however, the effects and long-term outcomes have not been well studied. ⋯ SGB effectively attenuated electrical storm in more than half of patients without procedure-related complications. Percutaneous SGB may be considered for stabilizing ventricular rhythm in patients for whom other therapies have failed.
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Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol · Aug 2019
Endovascular Occlusion Balloon for Treatment of Superior Vena Cava Tears During Transvenous Lead Extraction: A Multiyear Analysis and an Update to Best Practice Protocol.
Superior vena cava (SVC) tears are one of the most lethal complications in transvenous lead extraction. An endovascular balloon can occlude the SVC in the event of a laceration, preventing blood loss and offering a more controlled surgical field for repair. An early study demonstrated that proper use of this device is associated with reduced mortality. Thereafter, high-volume extractors at the Eleventh Annual Lead Management Symposium developed a best practice protocol for the endovascular balloon. ⋯ From July 1, 2016, through July 31, 2018, patients undergoing lead extraction were more likely to survive SVC tears when treatment included an endovascular balloon.
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Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol · Jul 2019
Refining the World Health Organization Definition: Predicting Autopsy-Defined Sudden Arrhythmic Deaths Among Presumed Sudden Cardiac Deaths in the POST SCD Study.
Conventional definitions of sudden cardiac death (SCD) presume cardiac cause. We studied the World Health Organization-defined SCDs autopsied in the POST SCD study (Postmortem Systematic Investigation of SCD) to determine whether premortem characteristics could identify autopsy-defined sudden arrhythmic death (SAD) among presumed SCDs. ⋯ Our models identify premortem characteristics that can better specify autopsy-defined SAD among presumed SCDs and suggest the World Health Organization definition can be improved by restricting witnessed SCDs to ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation or nonpulseless electrical activity rhythms and unwitnessed cases to <1 hour since last normal, at the cost of sensitivity.