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.

‘A very lethal combination’: COVID-19 patients much more likely to die from sudden cardiac arrest

Sudden cardiac arrest, both in and outside of the hospital, is much more fatal for patients who already have COVID-19. 

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Warning: iPhone 12 capable of deactivating implantable cardiac devices, putting patients at risk

"We were all stunned," one cardiologist said after discovering the problem.

Direct oral anticoagulants safer than warfarin for AFib patients with bioprosthetic heart valves

The analysis, published in the American Journal of Cardiology, focused on both the safety and effectiveness of these two treatment options. 

FDA announces recall of Boston Scientific’s EMBLEM S-ICD Subcutaneous Electrode—26 injuries, 1 death reported

The FDA categorized this as a Class I recall, which means it is an especially serious issue that can result in injury or death.  

7 risk factors associated with death and cardiovascular events among hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Even with numerous vaccines now being distributed, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause havoc for health systems all over the world. 

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Why wealthier countries often have higher AFib death rates

The study, published in European Heart Journal, included decades of data from 20 different countries. 

Medtronic’s new AFib ablation system gains FDA approval

The system sends real-time feedback to healthcare providers during the treatment process. 

Confirmed: AFib patients with COVID-19 face a greater risk of death

The meta-analysis included data from 23 different studies. 

Around the web

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

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