Heart Rhythm

Hearts should have normal rhythm to their beats, but when these beats are out of synch, it causes inefficient pumping of blood. Irregular heart arrhythmias occur when the electrical signals that coordinate the heart's beats do not work properly. This can cause beats that are too fast (tachycardia), or too slow (bradycardia). Tachycardias include atrial fibrillation (AFib), supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia (VT). Bradycardias include sick sinus syndrome and conduction block. Electrophysiology arrhythmia treatments include medications, life style changes, and the EP lab interventions of catheter ablation, and implantable pacemakers or defibrillators.

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Medtronic's updated pacemaker gets approved for MRI use

The FDA has approved Medtronic's Advisa DR MRI SureScan pacing system, and the company has immediately commenced its U.S. launch. The Advisa MRI system is Medtronic’s second-generation MR-Conditional pacemaker.

ICD deactivation: Communication found lacking

What we have here, may well be a failure of communication. In the very serious context of end-of-life decisions for patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), researchers have found a gap in patients’ understanding of harms and benefits of their devices and perceived outcomes.

Medtronic's Evera ICD portfolio scores CE Mark

Medtronic has received CE Mark for the Evera portfolio of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs).

Canadian survey places Riata electrical failures at 4.6%

A survey of two Riata lead models under advisory in Canada found that 4.6 percent of the leads had confirmed or suspected electrical failure. HeartRhythm published the results online Jan. 21.

Apixaban gets NICE’s blessing in U.K.

The U.K.’s National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended apixaban in its final draft guidance for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in some people with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF).

St. Jude sees small drop in sales, earnings for Q4, FY12

St. Jude Medical has reported a drop in sales and net earnings for the fourth quarter and year, which ended Dec. 29, 2012. However, the company saw a bump in atrial fibrillation product sales during these time periods.

EU clears St. Jude's updated Amplatzer occluder

St. Jude Medical has received European CE Mark approval of its Amplatzer Amulet left atrial appendage (LAA) occluder device, which is used to close the LAA in patients diagnosed with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

FDA gives St. Jude deadline to fix violations

The FDA took St. Jude Medical to task in a warning letter that followed the agency’s inspection of a facility that manufactures the Durata and Riata ST Optim implantable cardiac leads. The agency gave St. Jude 15 business days to specify how it was taking corrective action.

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Around the web

Health Imaging
Use of AI opportunistic screening in CT for cardiovascular disease

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

Health Imaging
New imaging protocols proposed to curb rise of cardiovascular infections

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

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