Pacing and clinical electrophysiology : PACE
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Pacing Clin Electrophysiol · Nov 2003
Comparative StudyComparison of impedance minute ventilation and direct measured minute ventilation in a rate adaptive pacemaker.
Respiration rate (RR) and minute ventilation (MV) provide important clinical information on the state of the patient. This study evaluated the accuracy of determining these using a pacemaker impedance sensor. In 20 patients who were previously implanted with a Guidant PULSAR MAX group of pacemakers, the telemetered impedance sensor waveform was recorded simultaneously with direct volume respiration waveforms as measured by a pneumatometer. ⋯ The correlation coefficient for iMV versus MV over the entire 10 minutes of exercise, including the initial 4 minutes of exercise, was 0.99. The transthoracic impedance sensor of an implanted pacemaker can accurately detect respiration parameters. There was a large variation between subjects in the iMV versus MV slope during a bicycle exercise test, whereas for each subject, the slope was stable during submaximal bicycle exercise.
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Pacing Clin Electrophysiol · Sep 2003
Efficacy of implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy for primary and secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Risk stratification and effectiveness of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy are unresolved issues in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a cardiac disease that is associated with arrhythmias and sudden death. We assessed ICD therapy in 132 patients with HCM: age at implantation was 34 +/- 17 years, and 44 (33%) patients were aged = 20 years. Indications were sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) or cardiac arrest (secondary prevention) in 47 (36%) patients, and clinical features associated with increased risk for sudden death (primary prevention) in 85 (64%) patients. ⋯ However, 8 (27%) of the patients with inappropriate shocks also had therapeutic interventions. ICD is effective for secondary prevention of sudden death in HCM. However, selection of patients for primary prevention of sudden death, and prevention of device related complications require further refinement.
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Pacing Clin Electrophysiol · Sep 2003
Case ReportsCardioverter defibrillator implantation in a pregnant woman guided with transesophageal echocardiography.
This report describes a 28-year-old pregnant woman with mitral valve prolapse and sudden cardiac death due to a ventricular fibrillation who underwent an ICD implantation guided by tranesophageal echocardiography.
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Pacing Clin Electrophysiol · Apr 2003
Video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy for congenital long QT syndromes.
The feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy (VATS) for congenital long QT syndrome were assessed in four patients who had frequent syncopal events before the surgeries. Under general anaesthesia, the pleural cavity was entered via two small incisions in the left third and fifth intercostal spaces at the mid-axillary line. The left thoracic sympathetic chain was identified and resected from T2-T5. ⋯ There were no major perioperative complications apart from mild ptosis of the left upper eyelid in one patient who recovered in the following days. There was no recurrence in syncopal events after a 3-month follow-up. VATS is a safe and effective technique for left cardiac sympathectomy in patients with congenital long QT syndromes.