Pace-Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology最新文献

Introduction: Modern cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) have mechanisms that prevent damage from external electric shocks, and malfunction following accidental electrocution is rare. However, the effects of lightning injuries in patients with CIEDs are uncertain.

Case presentation: A 74-year-old man with a dual-chamber pacemaker due to complete heart block was struck by a lightning while farming. He had no serious injury at the time and sought medical evaluation 1 month later, when he presented with asymptomatic bradycardia. Device interrogation suggested major battery and lead damage, requiring extraction and subsequent placement of a new pacing system.

Discussion: While a previous report depicted pacing threshold elevation without extensive device impairment, our patient presented with major damage to the whole pacing system. The factors contributing to these divergent outcomes are unclear. Differences in injury mechanism, pacemaker model, and the pattern of electric current dispersion within the device may each play a part in this discrepancy.

Background: For the initial treatment strategy for patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) indications, whether to choose left bundle branch area pacing (LBBaP) or biventricular pacing (BVP) remains controversial. We aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) of LBBaP and BVP in heart failure (HF) patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB).

Methods: This observational study included HF patients with LBBB who underwent successful LBBaP or BVP. The primary outcomes were echocardiographic response (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] increase ≥5%), LVEF improvement, hospitalization costs, and CER (CER = cost/echocardiographic response rate). Secondary outcomes included other echocardiographic parameters, New York Heart Association (NYHA), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), pacemaker parameters, complications, ventricular arrhythmia (VA) events, HF hospitalization (HFH), and all-cause mortality.

Results: A total of 130 patients (85 LBBaP and 45 BVP) were included (65.6 ± 10.0 years, 70.77% men). The median follow-up period was 16(12,30), months. Compared with BVP, the LBBaP group showed a greater increase in LVEF (20.2% ± 11.8% vs. 10.5% ± 13.9%; p < 0.001), higher echocardiographic response rate (86.1% vs. 57.8%; p < 0.001), and lower hospitalization costs [$9707.7 (7751.2, 18,088.5) vs. $20,046.1 (18,840.1, 22,447.3); p < 0.0001]. The CER was 112.7 and 346.8 in LBBaP and BVP, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER = △cost/△echocardiographic response rate) was $-365.3/per 1% increase in effectiveness. LBBaP improved cardiac function more significantly than BVP. There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes.

Conclusions: LBBaP-CRT is more cost-effective than BVP, offering greater LVEF improvement, higher echocardiographic response rates, lower hospitalization costs, and more significantly improved cardiac function. These findings need large randomized clinical trials for further confirmation.

An 80-year-old patient, previously implanted for idiopathic sustained ventricular tachycardia with a Rivacor VR-T DX implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD Biotronik, Berlin, Germany), came to our pacemaker clinic for palpitations. Electrocardiogram (ECG) showed sinus bradycardia with interpolated ventricular ectopic beats. A ventricular-paced event occurred with a coupling interval shorter than the expected one suggesting ventricular undersensing. The phenomenon can be explained by the default ICD sensitivity setting proposed by the manufacturer.

Bradycardia, atrial tachyarrhythmia, heart failure, residual shunts, and pulmonary hypertension (PH) are significant problems after congenital heart disease surgery. We performed His-bundle pacing (HBP) for drug-resistant PH with bradycardia in a woman post-total anomalous pulmonary venous return repair complicated by bradycardia, hypertension, PH, residual atrial shunts, and heart failure. Significant improvement in PH post-HBP was achieved without exacerbation of left ventricular function. We successfully closed the atrial shunts 12 months after HBP.

Background: Low-to-zero fluoroscopic navigation systems lower radiation exposure which improves health outcomes. Conventional x-ray fluoroscopy (CF) has long been the standard to guide to catheter location for cardiac ablation. With advancements in technology, alternative safety navigation systems have been developed. Three primary modalities commonly utilized are three-dimensional electroanatomic mapping (3D-EAM), magnetic navigation system (MNS), and intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), all of which can reduce radiation exposure during the procedure.

Objective: We aim to compare the efficacy and safety among ICE, EAM, MNS, and CF in ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT).

Methods: This is a meta-analysis consisting of observational studies and randomized controlled trials, which evaluated the performance of navigation systems of catheter ablation in AVNRT patients. Primary endpoint was to access the AVNRT recurrence after the procedure during follow-up periods. Secondary endpoints were technical success, fluoroscopic time, fluoroscopic dose area product, radiofrequency ablation time, and adverse events. Random-effect model was applied for pooled estimated effects of included studies.

Results: A total of 21 studies (21 CF, 2 ICE, 9 EAM, 11 MNS) including 1716 patients who underwent catheter ablation for AVNRT treatment were analyzed. Of these, 16 were observational studies and 5 were randomized controlled trials.

Primary outcome: Point estimation of AVNRT recurrence showed ICE exhibited a pooled odds ratio (ORs) of 1.06 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.064-17.322), MNS with ORs of 0.51 (95% CI: 0.214-1.219], and EAM with ORs of 0.394 (95% CI: 0.119-1.305) when compared to CF.

Secondary outcomes: EAM had significant higher technical success with ORs of 2.781 (95% CI: 1.317-5.872) when compared to CF. Regarding fluoroscopy time, EAM showed the lowest time with mean differences (MD) of -10.348 min (95% CI: -13.385 to -7.3101) and P-score of 0.998. It was followed by MNS with MD of -3.712 min (95% CI: -7.128 to -0.295) and P-score of 0.586, ICE with MD of -1.150 min (95% CI: -6.963 to 4.662) with a P-score of 0.294 compared to CF, which has a P-score of 0.122. There were insignificant adverse events across the procedures.

Conclusion: AVNRT ablation navigated by low-to-zero fluoroscopic navigation systems achieves higher efficacy and comparable safety to conventional fluoroscopywhile also reducing risk of radiation exposure time.

Purpose: The study aims to assess cardiac synchrony under different left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) and evaluate the relationship between different surface or intracardiac electrical parameters and mechanical synchrony.

Methods: Eighty-two patients with successful LBBAP were recruited. The electrical synchrony, evaluated by paced QRS duration (pQRSD) and Stim-LVAT (stimulus to left ventricular activation time), and mechanical synchrony, evaluated by the standard deviation of the time-to-peak contraction velocity in 12 left ventricular segments (Tsd-12-LV), were compared between groups in patients underwent LBBAP. To investigate the relationship between different electrical parameters with mechanical synchrony under LBBAP, patients were divided into subgroups according to left ventricular activation time (LVAT, < 60, 60-70, and > 70 ms), presence of left bundle branch (LBB) potential (positive, negative), QRS axis (normal, left axis deviation [LAD]), and potential to ventricular interval (PVI, < 20 and > 20 ms). Mechanical synchrony was compared among the subgroups respectively 3 days post LBBAP procedure.

Results: No statistically significant differences were documented in electrical synchrony, evaluated by pQRSD, and mechanical synchrony, evaluated by Tsd-12-LV among the subgroups divided by the stim-LVAT, LBB potential, PVI duration, or paced QRS axis in the LBBAP group.

Conclusions: LBB potential, PVI, or normal paced QRS axis is not the prerequisite for successful LBBAP and optimal cardiac synchrony. Adopting a Stim-LVAT value of less than 75 ms to attain ideal electrical and mechanical synchrony during the LBBAP procedure may be applicable.

Trial registration: http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx.

Clinicaltrials: gov identifier: ChiCTR1800021104.

Background: In addition to the pulmonary vein, the superior vena cava (SVC) is an important focus of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, SVC isolation may cause serious complications, and appropriate settings and techniques for SVC isolation are lacking.

Methods: This study enrolled 86 consecutive patients with AF who underwent SVC isolation. Voltage mapping using a multi-electrode catheter and ablation were performed under the guidance of an electro-anatomical mapping system. The lines encircling the SVC were divided into eight anatomic segments on the SVC geometry, and each segment was subjected to voltage-guided (VG) ablation in decreasing order of voltage (starting from the segment with the highest voltage). Non-VG (NVG) ablation was performed anatomically from the anterior wall toward the septum with one-round cautery.

Results: A total of 86 cases (66 males, mean age 69 [60, 74], mean CHA₂DS₂ VASc score 2 [1, 3], 58 paroxysmal AF) with AF were included for ablation. Electrical SVC isolation was successfully achieved in all patients. The length of the myocardial sleeves, as measured from the SVC-RA junction to the end of the local signal, was 37 [28, 45] mm. Major axis of the RA-SVC junction was 15 [13, 17] and minor axis of the RA-SVC junction was 11 [9, 13]. The number of ablation points with VG SVC isolation was fewer than that for NVG SVC isolation (8 [5, 11.5] vs. 11.5 [8.8, 13.3]; p = 0.001). The procedure time of VG SVC isolation was greater than that of NVG SVC isolation (259 s [154, 379] vs. 167 s [115, 222]; p = 0.012). There were no significant differences in the complication rates.

Conclusions: VG SVC isolation reduced the number of ablation points compared with NVG SVC isolation.

Aims: In addition to well-documented tachycardias involving twin atrioventricular (AV) nodes, tachycardias involving a single node have been clinically experienced in right atrial isomerism (RAI). This study aimed to characterize the AV node involvement patterns and evaluate the outcome of ablation therapy in RAI patients with tachycardias.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 16 RAI patients who underwent catheter ablation of tachycardias involving twin or single AV nodes at our center between April 2006 and March 2020.

Results: A total of 22 ablation procedures were performed in 16 patients. The median age and body weight were 2 years (range 20 months-31 years) and 11.2 kg (range 7.4-42 kg), respectively. Two QRS complexes were confirmed in 11/16 patients, and a single QRS complex in 5/16. The dominant AV node was anterior in 7/16. Four patterns of tachycardias were identified: tachycardias reciprocating between two AV nodes with retrograde conduction through the anterior AV node (3/16) or through the posterior AV node (4/16); and reentrant tachycardias involving the anterior AV node only (3/16) or posterior AV node only (6/16). Ablation successfully eliminated the tachycardias in 15/16 patients (93.8%). Recurrence was reported in 7/16 (44%) during a median follow-up period of 96.5 months. Five of those 7 patients underwent additional ablation, and the tachycardias were eliminated in 3/5 patients. None of the patients developed ventricular asynchrony after ablation.

Conclusion: Transcatheter ablation was effective in RAI patients with tachycardias involving twin or single AV nodes, and deterioration of the cardiac function was rare.