Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) affects 24 percent of males and 9 percent of females and has been linked to cardiac arrhythmias during sleep. Adding to these data, researchers from the Rambam Medical Center in Israel found that implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) patients with SDB had a greater onset of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias during sleep hours.

Due to the commonality of arrhythmias and the number of procedures necessary to treat them, practitioners have turned to cardiac PET and PET/CT to help guide electrophysiology (EP) procedures and aid in pre-procedural planning.

Prompt repeat testing after out-of-range INR [International Normalized Ratio] values is associated with better anticoagulation control at the site level and could be an important part of a quality improvement effort for oral anticoagulation, according to research in the May issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Yet, the VA study found a wide range of practice regarding the interval until a repeat test after out-of-range and mildly out-of-range INR values.

Rates of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) underutilization may be overestimated, according to results published in the May issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. A single study conducted by Duke researchers found that only 13 percent of patients who were eligible for an ICD failed to receive one, a rate significantly lower than what has been found in previous studies.

Recent discussions have questioned the safety and efficacy of transvenous cardiac leads. However, the OPTIMUM Registry has evaluated the safety of the Optim lead, which houses an Optim (copolymer of polyurethane and silicone, St. Jude Medical) insulation material, and found very few adverse events related to lead use, according to results presented May 5 at the annual Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) meeting in San Francisco.

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter, especially those who are similar to the ATHENA trial patient population, have high readmission rates and inpatient costs, which lead to greater overall costs, according to two studies presented at the 32nd annual Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) scientific sessions in San Francisco last week.

SAN FRANCISCO--A subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) system was 100 percent effective in converting and detecting induced ventricular fibrillation (VF) through shock, according to a study presented May 4 at the annual Heart Rhythm Society scientific sessions. The S-ICD system can therefore be comparable to conventional ICD therapy.

Cook Medical released its Locking Stylet with Beacon Tip, a radiopaque tip maker, at this years annual Heart Rhythm Society meeting last week. The company said that the new technology will give physicians further support and control during lead extraction procedures.